diff --git a/src/log_format.cc b/src/log_format.cc
index ac6a8e05..0e35b646 100644
--- a/src/log_format.cc
+++ b/src/log_format.cc
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ bool log_format::next_format(pcre_format *fmt, int &index, int &locked_index)
     return retval;
 }
 
-const char *log_format::log_scanf(const char *line,
+const char *log_format::log_scanf(uint32_t line_number,
+                                  const char *line,
                                   size_t len,
                                   pcre_format *fmt,
                                   const char *time_fmt[],
@@ -184,7 +185,15 @@ const char *log_format::log_scanf(const char *line,
 
             if (retval) {
                 if (curr_fmt != pat_index) {
-                    this->lf_pattern_locks.emplace_back(0, curr_fmt);
+                    uint32_t lock_line;
+
+                    if (this->lf_pattern_locks.empty()) {
+                        lock_line = 0;
+                    } else {
+                        lock_line = line_number;
+                    }
+
+                    this->lf_pattern_locks.emplace_back(lock_line, curr_fmt);
                 }
                 this->lf_timestamp_flags = tm_out->et_flags;
                 done = true;
@@ -672,8 +681,15 @@ log_format::scan_result_t external_log_format::scan(nonstd::optional<logfile *>
         dst.emplace_back(offset, log_tv, level, mod_index, opid);
 
         if (orig_lock != curr_fmt) {
+            uint32_t lock_line;
+
             log_debug("changing pattern lock %d -> %d", orig_lock, curr_fmt);
-            this->lf_pattern_locks.emplace_back(dst.size() - 1, curr_fmt);
+            if (this->lf_pattern_locks.empty()) {
+                lock_line = 0;
+            } else {
+                lock_line = dst.size() - 1;
+            }
+            this->lf_pattern_locks.emplace_back(lock_line, curr_fmt);
         }
         return log_format::SCAN_MATCH;
     }
diff --git a/src/log_format.hh b/src/log_format.hh
index 4c28e2d4..b57cd7ba 100644
--- a/src/log_format.hh
+++ b/src/log_format.hh
@@ -830,7 +830,8 @@ protected:
 
     static bool next_format(pcre_format *fmt, int &index, int &locked_index);
 
-    const char *log_scanf(const char *line,
+    const char *log_scanf(uint32_t line_number,
+                          const char *line,
                           size_t len,
                           pcre_format *fmt,
                           const char *time_fmt[],
diff --git a/src/log_format_impls.cc b/src/log_format_impls.cc
index a8ae0b9e..fb0a764b 100644
--- a/src/log_format_impls.cc
+++ b/src/log_format_impls.cc
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ class generic_log_format : public log_format {
         const char *last_pos;
 
         if ((last_pos = this->log_scanf(
+                dst.size(),
                 sbr.get_data(),
                 sbr.length(),
                 get_pcre_log_formats(),
diff --git a/test/Makefile.am b/test/Makefile.am
index 99155810..33a3ac3c 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/Makefile.am
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ dist_noinst_DATA = \
 	logfile_generic.0 \
 	logfile_generic.1 \
 	logfile_generic.2 \
+	logfile_generic_with_header.0 \
 	logfile_glog.0 \
 	logfile_haproxy.0 \
 	logfile_journald.json \
@@ -247,6 +248,7 @@ dist_noinst_DATA = \
 	logfile_syslog.2 \
 	logfile_syslog_fr.0 \
 	logfile_syslog_with_access_log.0 \
+	logfile_syslog_with_header.0 \
 	logfile_syslog_with_mixed_times.0 \
 	logfile_tai64n.0 \
 	logfile_tcf.0 \
diff --git a/test/logfile_generic_with_header.0 b/test/logfile_generic_with_header.0
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bea5673e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/logfile_generic_with_header.0
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Header1: abc
+Header2: def
+2012-07-02 10:22:40,672:DEBUG:foo bar baz
+2014-10-08 16:56:38,344:WARN:foo bar baz
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/logfile_syslog_with_header.0 b/test/logfile_syslog_with_header.0
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f22c162
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/logfile_syslog_with_header.0
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Header1: abc
+Header2: def
+Nov  3 09:23:38 veridian automount[7998]: lookup(file): lookup for foobar failed
+Nov  3 09:23:38 veridian automount[16442]: attempting to mount entry /auto/opt
+Nov  3 09:23:38 veridian automount[7999]: lookup(file): lookup for opt failed
+Nov  3 09:47:02 veridian sudo: timstack : TTY=pts/6 ; PWD=/auto/wstimstack/rpms/lbuild/test ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/tail /var/log/messages
diff --git a/test/test_logfile.sh b/test/test_logfile.sh
index e86c7f24..8141eb02 100644
--- a/test/test_logfile.sh
+++ b/test/test_logfile.sh
@@ -378,6 +378,28 @@ count(*)
       17
 EOF
 
+run_test ${lnav_test} -n \
+    ${srcdir}/logfile_syslog_with_header.0
+
+check_output "multi-pattern logs don't work?" <<EOF
+Header1: abc
+Header2: def
+Nov  3 09:23:38 veridian automount[7998]: lookup(file): lookup for foobar failed
+Nov  3 09:23:38 veridian automount[16442]: attempting to mount entry /auto/opt
+Nov  3 09:23:38 veridian automount[7999]: lookup(file): lookup for opt failed
+Nov  3 09:47:02 veridian sudo: timstack : TTY=pts/6 ; PWD=/auto/wstimstack/rpms/lbuild/test ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/tail /var/log/messages
+EOF
+
+run_test ${lnav_test} -n \
+    ${srcdir}/logfile_generic_with_header.0
+
+check_output "multi-pattern logs don't work?" <<EOF
+Header1: abc
+Header2: def
+2012-07-02 10:22:40,672:DEBUG:foo bar baz
+2014-10-08 16:56:38,344:WARN:foo bar baz
+EOF
+
 # XXX get this working...
 # run_test ${lnav_test} -n -I ${test_dir} <(cat ${srcdir}/logfile_access_log.0)
 #