diff --git a/src/SharpCompress/Readers/Tar/TarReader.Factory.cs b/src/SharpCompress/Readers/Tar/TarReader.Factory.cs
index 5c9cc3b9..f874bd65 100644
--- a/src/SharpCompress/Readers/Tar/TarReader.Factory.cs
+++ b/src/SharpCompress/Readers/Tar/TarReader.Factory.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,24 @@ public partial class TarReader
     : IReaderOpenable
 #endif
 {
+    private static SharpCompressStream CreateReaderProbeStream(Stream stream, ReaderOptions options)
+    {
+        if (stream is SharpCompressStream { IsPassthrough: false })
+        {
+            // Keep the caller's recording scope and logical position intact, including
+            // frozen recordings whose buffered bytes have not been replayed yet.
+            return new SeekableSharpCompressStream(stream);
+        }
+
+        return SharpCompressStream.Create(
+            stream,
+            bufferSize: Math.Max(
+                options.RewindableBufferSize ?? 0,
+                TarWrapper.MaximumRewindBufferSize
+            )
+        );
+    }
+
     private static Stream CreateProbeDecompressionStream(
         Stream stream,
         CompressionType compressionType,
@@ -101,20 +119,11 @@ public partial class TarReader
             stream = SharpCompressStream.CreateNonDisposing(stream);
             readerOptions = readerOptions with { LeaveStreamOpen = false };
         }
-        var sharpCompressStream = SharpCompressStream.Create(
-            stream,
-            bufferSize: Math.Max(
-                readerOptions.RewindableBufferSize ?? 0,
-                TarWrapper.MaximumRewindBufferSize
-            )
-        );
+        var sharpCompressStream = CreateReaderProbeStream(stream, readerOptions);
         var transferred = false;
         try
         {
-            if (!sharpCompressStream.IsRecording)
-            {
-                sharpCompressStream.StartRecording();
-            }
+            sharpCompressStream.StartRecording();
             long pos = sharpCompressStream.Position;
             foreach (var wrapper in TarWrapper.Wrappers)
             {
@@ -235,17 +244,8 @@ public partial class TarReader
             stream = SharpCompressStream.CreateNonDisposing(stream);
             readerOptions = readerOptions with { LeaveStreamOpen = false };
         }
-        var sharpCompressStream = SharpCompressStream.Create(
-            stream,
-            bufferSize: Math.Max(
-                readerOptions.RewindableBufferSize ?? 0,
-                TarWrapper.MaximumRewindBufferSize
-            )
-        );
-        if (!sharpCompressStream.IsRecording)
-        {
-            sharpCompressStream.StartRecording();
-        }
+        var sharpCompressStream = CreateReaderProbeStream(stream, readerOptions);
+        sharpCompressStream.StartRecording();
         long pos = sharpCompressStream.Position;
         foreach (var wrapper in TarWrapper.Wrappers)
         {
diff --git a/tests/SharpCompress.Test/Streams/TarLifetimeTests.cs b/tests/SharpCompress.Test/Streams/TarLifetimeTests.cs
index d99d8555..46b74fcb 100644
--- a/tests/SharpCompress.Test/Streams/TarLifetimeTests.cs
+++ b/tests/SharpCompress.Test/Streams/TarLifetimeTests.cs
@@ -46,6 +46,72 @@ public class TarLifetimeTests : TestBase
         }
     }
 
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData(false, false, false)]
+    [InlineData(false, false, true)]
+    [InlineData(false, true, false)]
+    [InlineData(false, true, true)]
+    [InlineData(true, false, false)]
+    [InlineData(true, false, true)]
+    [InlineData(true, true, false)]
+    [InlineData(true, true, true)]
+    public async Task Reader_Preserves_Frozen_Recording(
+        bool async,
+        bool stopRecording,
+        bool leaveOpen
+    )
+    {
+        using var archive = new MemoryStream();
+        using (
+            var writer = WriterFactory.OpenWriter(
+                archive,
+                ArchiveType.Tar,
+                new WriterOptions(CompressionType.None) { LeaveStreamOpen = true }
+            )
+        )
+        {
+            writer.Write("empty.txt", Stream.Null);
+        }
+        archive.Position = 0;
+        using var input = new ForwardOnlyStream(archive);
+        using var buffered = SharpCompressStream.Create(input, TarWrapper.MaximumRewindBufferSize);
+        buffered.StartRecording();
+        var header = new byte[512];
+        Assert.Equal(header.Length, buffered.Read(header, 0, header.Length));
+        if (stopRecording)
+        {
+            buffered.StopRecording();
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            buffered.Rewind(true);
+        }
+        Assert.Equal(0, buffered.Position);
+        var options = new ReaderOptions { LeaveStreamOpen = leaveOpen };
+        if (async)
+        {
+            await using var reader = await TarReader.OpenAsyncReader(
+                buffered,
+                options,
+                CancellationToken.None
+            );
+            Assert.True(await reader.MoveToNextEntryAsync(CancellationToken.None));
+            Assert.Equal("empty.txt", reader.Entry.Key);
+            Assert.Equal(0, reader.Entry.Size);
+            Assert.False(await reader.MoveToNextEntryAsync(CancellationToken.None));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            using var reader = TarReader.OpenReader(buffered, options);
+            Assert.True(reader.MoveToNextEntry());
+            Assert.Equal("empty.txt", reader.Entry.Key);
+            Assert.Equal(0, reader.Entry.Size);
+            Assert.False(reader.MoveToNextEntry());
+        }
+        Assert.Equal(leaveOpen, input.CanRead);
+        Assert.Equal(leaveOpen, buffered.CanRead);
+    }
+
     [Theory]
     [InlineData("invalid", false)]
     [InlineData("invalid", true)]