diff --git a/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/HoodieTableMetaClient.java b/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/HoodieTableMetaClient.java
index 740d569a590bd..4c1eac79dc413 100644
--- a/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/HoodieTableMetaClient.java
+++ b/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/HoodieTableMetaClient.java
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ public static HoodieTableMetaClient reload(HoodieTableMetaClient oldMetaClient)
    */
   private void readObject(java.io.ObjectInputStream in) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
     in.defaultReadObject();
-    fs = null; // will be lazily inited
+    fs = null; // will be lazily initialized
   }
 
   private void writeObject(java.io.ObjectOutputStream out) throws IOException {
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ public FileSystemRetryConfig getFileSystemRetryConfig() {
    * Get the archived commits as a timeline. This is costly operation, as all data from the archived files are read.
    * This should not be used, unless for historical debugging purposes.
    *
-   * @return Active commit timeline
+   * @return Archived commit timeline
    */
   public synchronized HoodieArchivedTimeline getArchivedTimeline() {
     if (archivedTimeline == null) {
@@ -339,6 +339,20 @@ public synchronized HoodieArchivedTimeline getArchivedTimeline() {
     return archivedTimeline;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns fresh new archived commits as a timeline from startTs (inclusive).
+   *
+   * <p>This is costly operation if really early endTs is specified.
+   * Be caution to use this only when the time range is short.
+   *
+   * <p>This method is not thread safe.
+   *
+   * @return Archived commit timeline
+   */
+  public HoodieArchivedTimeline getArchivedTimeline(String startTs) {
+    return new HoodieArchivedTimeline(this, startTs);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Validate table properties.
    * @param properties Properties from writeConfig.
diff --git a/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/timeline/HoodieArchivedTimeline.java b/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/timeline/HoodieArchivedTimeline.java
index 5ad3fa7a9f215..29f166530cdb4 100644
--- a/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/timeline/HoodieArchivedTimeline.java
+++ b/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/timeline/HoodieArchivedTimeline.java
@@ -79,13 +79,13 @@ public class HoodieArchivedTimeline extends HoodieDefaultTimeline {
   private static final String ACTION_TYPE_KEY = "actionType";
   private static final String ACTION_STATE = "actionState";
   private HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient;
-  private Map<String, byte[]> readCommits = new HashMap<>();
+  private final Map<String, byte[]> readCommits = new HashMap<>();
 
   private static final Logger LOG = LogManager.getLogger(HoodieArchivedTimeline.class);
 
   /**
-   * Loads instants between (startTs, endTs].
-   * Note that there is no lazy loading, so this may not work if really long time range (endTs-startTs) is specified.
+   * Loads all the archived instants.
+   * Note that there is no lazy loading, so this may not work if the archived timeline range is really long.
    * TBD: Should we enforce maximum time range?
    */
   public HoodieArchivedTimeline(HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient) {
@@ -96,6 +96,19 @@ public HoodieArchivedTimeline(HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient) {
     this.details = (Function<HoodieInstant, Option<byte[]>> & Serializable) this::getInstantDetails;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Loads completed instants from startTs(inclusive).
+   * Note that there is no lazy loading, so this may not work if really early startTs is specified.
+   */
+  public HoodieArchivedTimeline(HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient, String startTs) {
+    this.metaClient = metaClient;
+    setInstants(loadInstants(new StartTsFilter(startTs), true,
+        record -> HoodieInstant.State.COMPLETED.toString().equals(record.get(ACTION_STATE).toString())));
+    // multiple casts will make this lambda serializable -
+    // http://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se8/html/jls-15.html#jls-15.16
+    this.details = (Function<HoodieInstant, Option<byte[]>> & Serializable) this::getInstantDetails;
+  }
+
   /**
    * For serialization and de-serialization only.
    *
@@ -300,6 +313,19 @@ public boolean isInRange(HoodieInstant instant) {
     }
   }
 
+  private static class StartTsFilter extends TimeRangeFilter {
+    private final String startTs;
+
+    public StartTsFilter(String startTs) {
+      super(startTs, null); // endTs is never used
+      this.startTs = startTs;
+    }
+
+    public boolean isInRange(HoodieInstant instant) {
+      return HoodieTimeline.compareTimestamps(instant.getTimestamp(), GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUALS, startTs);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Sort files by reverse order of version suffix in file name.
    */
@@ -330,7 +356,7 @@ public HoodieDefaultTimeline getWriteTimeline() {
     // filter in-memory instants
     Set<String> validActions = CollectionUtils.createSet(COMMIT_ACTION, DELTA_COMMIT_ACTION, COMPACTION_ACTION, REPLACE_COMMIT_ACTION);
     return new HoodieDefaultTimeline(getInstants().filter(i ->
-        readCommits.keySet().contains(i.getTimestamp()))
+        readCommits.containsKey(i.getTimestamp()))
         .filter(s -> validActions.contains(s.getAction())), details);
   }
 }
diff --git a/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/source/IncrementalInputSplits.java b/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/source/IncrementalInputSplits.java
index 58c38ef56744e..02e0e253cf577 100644
--- a/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/source/IncrementalInputSplits.java
+++ b/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/source/IncrementalInputSplits.java
@@ -250,22 +250,12 @@ private List<HoodieCommitMetadata> getArchivedMetadata(
       InstantRange instantRange,
       HoodieTimeline commitTimeline,
       String tableName) {
-    if (instantRange == null || commitTimeline.isBeforeTimelineStarts(instantRange.getStartInstant())) {
-      // read the archived metadata if:
-      // 1. the start commit is 'earliest';
-      // 2. the start instant is archived.
-      HoodieArchivedTimeline archivedTimeline = metaClient.getArchivedTimeline();
+    if (commitTimeline.isBeforeTimelineStarts(instantRange.getStartInstant())) {
+      // read the archived metadata if the start instant is archived.
+      HoodieArchivedTimeline archivedTimeline = metaClient.getArchivedTimeline(instantRange.getStartInstant());
       HoodieTimeline archivedCompleteTimeline = archivedTimeline.getCommitsTimeline().filterCompletedInstants();
       if (!archivedCompleteTimeline.empty()) {
-        final String endTs = archivedCompleteTimeline.lastInstant().get().getTimestamp();
         Stream<HoodieInstant> instantStream = archivedCompleteTimeline.getInstants();
-        if (instantRange != null) {
-          archivedTimeline.loadInstantDetailsInMemory(instantRange.getStartInstant(), endTs);
-          instantStream = instantStream.filter(s -> HoodieTimeline.compareTimestamps(s.getTimestamp(), GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUALS, instantRange.getStartInstant()));
-        } else {
-          final String startTs = archivedCompleteTimeline.firstInstant().get().getTimestamp();
-          archivedTimeline.loadInstantDetailsInMemory(startTs, endTs);
-        }
         return maySkipCompaction(instantStream)
             .map(instant -> WriteProfiles.getCommitMetadata(tableName, path, instant, archivedTimeline)).collect(Collectors.toList());
       }