diff --git a/wal.go b/wal.go
index f37d3fb..a1aab71 100644
--- a/wal.go
+++ b/wal.go
@@ -76,6 +76,24 @@ func (fb *filebased) filename() string {
 	return filepath.Join(fb.dir, sequenceToFilename(fb.fileSequence))
 }
 
+func (fb *filebased) loadLastFile() (bool, error) {
+	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(fb.dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	numFiles := len(files)
+	if numFiles == 0 {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	fi := files[len(files)-1]
+	if fi.Size() > maxSegmentSize {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	fb.fileSequence = filenameToSequence(fi.Name())
+	fb.position = fi.Size()
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 // WAL provides a simple write-ahead log backed by a single file on disk. It is
 // safe to write to a single WAL from multiple goroutines.
 type WAL struct {
@@ -97,7 +115,18 @@ func Open(dir string, syncInterval time.Duration) (*WAL, error) {
 			log:       golog.LoggerFor("wal"),
 		},
 	}
-	err := wal.advance()
+	loaded, err := wal.loadLastFile()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to load last file: %s", err)
+	}
+	if !loaded {
+		err = wal.advance()
+	} else {
+		err = wal.openFile()
+		if err == nil {
+			wal.writer = bufio.NewWriterSize(wal.file, defaultFileBuffer)
+		}
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -143,7 +172,7 @@ func (wal *WAL) Latest() ([]byte, Offset, error) {
 			_, err := io.ReadFull(r, headBuf)
 			if err != nil {
 				// upon encountering a read error, break, as we've found the end of the latest segment
-				return false, nil
+				break
 			}
 
 			length := int64(encoding.Uint32(headBuf))
@@ -154,6 +183,7 @@ func (wal *WAL) Latest() ([]byte, Offset, error) {
 				// upon encountering a read error, break, as we've found the end of the latest segment
 				break
 			}
+
 			h.Reset()
 			h.Write(b)
 			if h.Sum32() != checksum {
@@ -166,7 +196,7 @@ func (wal *WAL) Latest() ([]byte, Offset, error) {
 		}
 
 		if position > 0 {
-			// We found a valid entry in the current file, return
+			// An entry was read in the current file, set offset and stop iterating
 			offset = newOffset(fileSequence, position)
 			return false, nil
 		}
@@ -229,16 +259,13 @@ func (wal *WAL) Write(bufs ...[]byte) (int, error) {
 		wal.position += int64(n)
 	}
 
-	if wal.syncImmediate {
-		wal.doSync()
-	}
-
 	if wal.position >= maxSegmentSize {
 		// Write sentinel length to mark end of file
-		_, err = wal.writer.Write(sentinelBytes)
+		sn, err := wal.writer.Write(sentinelBytes)
 		if err != nil {
 			return 0, err
 		}
+		wal.position += int64(sn)
 		err = wal.writer.Flush()
 		if err != nil {
 			return 0, err
@@ -249,6 +276,10 @@ func (wal *WAL) Write(bufs ...[]byte) (int, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if wal.syncImmediate {
+		wal.doSync()
+	}
+
 	return n, nil
 }
 
@@ -582,7 +613,7 @@ top:
 			n, err := r.reader.Read(headBuf[read:])
 			read += n
 			r.position += int64(n)
-			if err != nil && err.Error() == "EOF" && read < 4 {
+			if err != nil && err == io.EOF && read < 4 {
 				if r.wal.hasMovedBeyond(r.fileSequence) {
 					if read > 0 {
 						r.log.Errorf("Out of data to read after reading %d, and WAL has moved beyond %d. Assuming WAL at %v corrupted. Advancing and continuing.", r.position, r.fileSequence, r.filename())