diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-authenticate.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-authenticate.c
index 159e215367..2958696c59 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-authenticate.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-authenticate.c
@@ -34,8 +34,11 @@ int journal_file_append_tag(JournalFile *f) {
         if (!JOURNAL_HEADER_SEALED(f->header))
                 return 0;
 
-        if (!f->hmac_running)
-                return 0;
+        if (!f->hmac_running) {
+                r = journal_file_hmac_start(f);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return r;
+        }
 
         assert(f->hmac);
 
@@ -154,6 +157,11 @@ int journal_file_fsprg_evolve(JournalFile *f, uint64_t realtime) {
 
                 FSPRG_Evolve(f->fsprg_state);
                 epoch = FSPRG_GetEpoch(f->fsprg_state);
+                if ( epoch < goal ) {
+                        r = journal_file_append_tag(f);
+                        if (r < 0)
+                                return r;
+                }
         }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-verify.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-verify.c
index c3c8801101..b3c78a107d 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-verify.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-verify.c
@@ -1132,7 +1132,7 @@ int journal_file_verify(
                                 goto fail;
                         }
 
-                        if (le64toh(o->tag.epoch) < last_epoch) {
+                        if (le64toh(o->tag.epoch) != last_epoch && le64toh(o->tag.epoch) != last_epoch + 1) {
                                 error(p,
                                       "Epoch sequence out of synchronization (%"PRIu64" < %"PRIu64")",
                                       le64toh(o->tag.epoch),