diff --git a/server/modules/routing/avrorouter/avro_file.c b/server/modules/routing/avrorouter/avro_file.c
index 404737d72..d0772aeb9 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/avrorouter/avro_file.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/avrorouter/avro_file.c
@@ -481,6 +481,45 @@ void do_checkpoint(AVRO_INSTANCE *router, uint64_t *total_rows, uint64_t *total_
     router->row_count = router->trx_count = 0;
 }
 
+void process_fde(AVRO_INSTANCE* router, uint8_t* ptr, uint32_t event_size)
+{
+    const int BLRM_FDE_EVENT_TYPES_OFFSET = 2 + 50 + 4 + 1;
+    const int FDE_EXTRA_BYTES = 5;
+    int event_header_length = ptr[BLRM_FDE_EVENT_TYPES_OFFSET - 1];
+    int n_events = event_size - event_header_length - BLRM_FDE_EVENT_TYPES_OFFSET - FDE_EXTRA_BYTES;
+    uint8_t* checksum = ptr + event_size - event_header_length - FDE_EXTRA_BYTES;
+
+    // Precaution to prevent writing too much in case new events are added
+    int real_len = MXS_MIN(n_events, sizeof(router->event_type_hdr_lens));
+    memcpy(router->event_type_hdr_lens, ptr + BLRM_FDE_EVENT_TYPES_OFFSET, real_len);
+
+    router->event_types = n_events;
+    router->binlog_checksum = checksum[0];
+}
+
+bool read_fde(AVRO_INSTANCE* router)
+{
+    bool rval = false;
+    uint8_t hdbuf[BINLOG_EVENT_HDR_LEN];
+    errno = 0; // Helps prevent false positives
+
+    if (pread(router->binlog_fd, hdbuf, BINLOG_EVENT_HDR_LEN, 4) == BINLOG_EVENT_HDR_LEN)
+    {
+        uint32_t event_size = extract_field(&hdbuf[9], 32);
+        uint8_t evbuf[event_size];
+        uint8_t event_type = hdbuf[4];
+
+        if (event_type == FORMAT_DESCRIPTION_EVENT &&
+            pread(router->binlog_fd, evbuf, event_size, 4 + BINLOG_EVENT_HDR_LEN) == event_size)
+        {
+            process_fde(router, evbuf, event_size);
+            rval = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return rval;
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief Read all replication events from a binlog file.
  *
@@ -512,6 +551,13 @@ avro_binlog_end_t avro_read_all_events(AVRO_INSTANCE *router)
         return AVRO_BINLOG_ERROR;
     }
 
+    if (!read_fde(router))
+    {
+        MXS_ERROR("Failed to read the FDE event from the binary log: %d, %s",
+                  errno, mxs_strerror(errno));
+        return AVRO_BINLOG_ERROR;
+    }
+
     while (!router->service->svc_do_shutdown)
     {
         int n;
@@ -638,24 +684,8 @@ avro_binlog_end_t avro_read_all_events(AVRO_INSTANCE *router)
             hdr.event_size -= 4;
         }
 
-        /* check for FORMAT DESCRIPTION EVENT */
-        if (hdr.event_type == FORMAT_DESCRIPTION_EVENT)
-        {
-            const int BLRM_FDE_EVENT_TYPES_OFFSET = 2 + 50 + 4 + 1;
-            const int FDE_EXTRA_BYTES = 5;
-            int event_header_length = ptr[BLRM_FDE_EVENT_TYPES_OFFSET - 1];
-            int n_events = hdr.event_size - event_header_length - BLRM_FDE_EVENT_TYPES_OFFSET - FDE_EXTRA_BYTES;
-            uint8_t* checksum = ptr + hdr.event_size - event_header_length - FDE_EXTRA_BYTES;
-
-            // Precaution to prevent writing too much in case new events are added
-            int real_len = MXS_MIN(n_events, sizeof(router->event_type_hdr_lens));
-            memcpy(router->event_type_hdr_lens, ptr + BLRM_FDE_EVENT_TYPES_OFFSET, real_len);
-
-            router->event_types = n_events;
-            router->binlog_checksum = checksum[0];
-        }
         /* Decode CLOSE/STOP Event */
-        else if (hdr.event_type == STOP_EVENT)
+        if (hdr.event_type == STOP_EVENT)
         {
             char next_file[BLRM_BINLOG_NAME_STR_LEN + 1];
             stop_seen = true;