diff --git a/unmaintained/volume_tailer/volume_tailer.go b/unmaintained/volume_tailer/volume_tailer.go
index b90517009..b234f5c4d 100644
--- a/unmaintained/volume_tailer/volume_tailer.go
+++ b/unmaintained/volume_tailer/volume_tailer.go
@@ -1,26 +1,22 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"flag"
-	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/operation"
-	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/volume_server_pb"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/security"
 	weed_server "github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/server"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/godoc/util"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc"
-
-	"io"
-	"log"
 )
 
 var (
 	master         = flag.String("master", "localhost:9333", "master server host and port")
 	volumeId       = flag.Int("volumeId", -1, "a volume id")
+	rewindDuration = flag.Duration("rewind", -1, "rewind back in time. -1 means from the first entry. 0 means from now.")
 	timeoutSeconds = flag.Int("timeoutSeconds", 0, "disconnect if no activity after these seconds")
 	showTextFile   = flag.Bool("showTextFile", false, "display textual file content")
 )
@@ -33,7 +29,16 @@ func main() {
 
 	vid := storage.VolumeId(*volumeId)
 
-	err := TailVolume(*master, grpcDialOption, vid, func(n *storage.Needle) (err error) {
+	var sinceTimeNs int64
+	if *rewindDuration == 0 {
+		sinceTimeNs = time.Now().UnixNano()
+	} else if *rewindDuration == -1 {
+		sinceTimeNs = 0
+	} else if *rewindDuration > 0 {
+		sinceTimeNs = time.Now().Add(-*rewindDuration).UnixNano()
+	}
+
+	err := storage.TailVolume(*master, grpcDialOption, vid, uint64(sinceTimeNs), *timeoutSeconds, func(n *storage.Needle) (err error) {
 		if n.Size == 0 {
 			println("-", n.String())
 			return nil
@@ -63,70 +68,3 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 }
-
-func TailVolume(master string, grpcDialOption grpc.DialOption, vid storage.VolumeId, fn func(n *storage.Needle) error) error {
-	// find volume location, replication, ttl info
-	lookup, err := operation.Lookup(master, vid.String())
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Error looking up volume %d: %v", vid, err)
-	}
-	if len(lookup.Locations) == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to locate volume %d", vid)
-	}
-
-	volumeServer := lookup.Locations[0].Url
-
-	return operation.WithVolumeServerClient(volumeServer, grpcDialOption, func(client volume_server_pb.VolumeServerClient) error {
-
-		stream, err := client.VolumeTail(context.Background(), &volume_server_pb.VolumeTailRequest{
-			VolumeId:        uint32(vid),
-			SinceNs:         0,
-			DrainingSeconds: uint32(*timeoutSeconds),
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		for {
-			resp, recvErr := stream.Recv()
-			if recvErr != nil {
-				if recvErr == io.EOF {
-					break
-				} else {
-					return recvErr
-				}
-			}
-
-			needleHeader := resp.NeedleHeader
-			needleBody := resp.NeedleBody
-
-			if len(needleHeader) == 0 {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			for !resp.IsLastChunk {
-				resp, recvErr = stream.Recv()
-				if recvErr != nil {
-					if recvErr == io.EOF {
-						break
-					} else {
-						return recvErr
-					}
-				}
-				needleBody = append(needleBody, resp.NeedleBody...)
-			}
-
-			n := new(storage.Needle)
-			n.ParseNeedleHeader(needleHeader)
-			n.ReadNeedleBodyBytes(needleBody, storage.CurrentVersion)
-
-			err = fn(n)
-
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
-		}
-		return nil
-	})
-}
diff --git a/weed/storage/tail_volume.go.go b/weed/storage/tail_volume.go.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31ad058b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/storage/tail_volume.go.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package storage
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/operation"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/volume_server_pb"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+)
+
+func TailVolume(master string, grpcDialOption grpc.DialOption, vid VolumeId, sinceNs uint64, timeoutSeconds int, fn func(n *Needle) error) error {
+	// find volume location, replication, ttl info
+	lookup, err := operation.Lookup(master, vid.String())
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("look up volume %d: %v", vid, err)
+	}
+	if len(lookup.Locations) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to locate volume %d", vid)
+	}
+
+	volumeServer := lookup.Locations[0].Url
+
+	return operation.WithVolumeServerClient(volumeServer, grpcDialOption, func(client volume_server_pb.VolumeServerClient) error {
+
+		stream, err := client.VolumeTail(context.Background(), &volume_server_pb.VolumeTailRequest{
+			VolumeId:        uint32(vid),
+			SinceNs:         sinceNs,
+			DrainingSeconds: uint32(timeoutSeconds),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		for {
+			resp, recvErr := stream.Recv()
+			if recvErr != nil {
+				if recvErr == io.EOF {
+					break
+				} else {
+					return recvErr
+				}
+			}
+
+			needleHeader := resp.NeedleHeader
+			needleBody := resp.NeedleBody
+
+			if len(needleHeader) == 0 {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			for !resp.IsLastChunk {
+				resp, recvErr = stream.Recv()
+				if recvErr != nil {
+					if recvErr == io.EOF {
+						break
+					} else {
+						return recvErr
+					}
+				}
+				needleBody = append(needleBody, resp.NeedleBody...)
+			}
+
+			n := new(Needle)
+			n.ParseNeedleHeader(needleHeader)
+			n.ReadNeedleBodyBytes(needleBody, CurrentVersion)
+
+			err = fn(n)
+
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+}