diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.c b/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.c
index 53bb38133b1..65463942496 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.c
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.c
@@ -1246,16 +1246,15 @@ void flb_tail_file_remove(struct flb_tail_file *file)
         flb_log_event_encoder_destroy(file->sl_log_event_encoder);
     }
 
-    if (file->ml_log_event_encoder != NULL) {
-        flb_log_event_encoder_destroy(file->ml_log_event_encoder);
-    }
-
     /* remove the multiline.core stream */
     if (ctx->ml_ctx && file->ml_stream_id > 0) {
-        /* destroy ml stream */
         flb_ml_stream_id_destroy_all(ctx->ml_ctx, file->ml_stream_id);
     }
 
+    if (file->ml_log_event_encoder != NULL) {
+        flb_log_event_encoder_destroy(file->ml_log_event_encoder);
+    }
+
     if (file->rotated > 0) {
 #ifdef FLB_HAVE_SQLDB
         /*