diff --git a/dissect/target/plugins/os/unix/log/helpers.py b/dissect/target/plugins/os/unix/log/helpers.py
index f37c4d8c3..01b7ee863 100644
--- a/dissect/target/plugins/os/unix/log/helpers.py
+++ b/dissect/target/plugins/os/unix/log/helpers.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import itertools
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 import logging
 import re
 from datetime import datetime
@@ -22,12 +23,17 @@
 )
 
 
-def iso_readlines(file: Path) -> Iterator[tuple[datetime, str]]:
+def iso_readlines(file: Path, max_lines: int | None = None) -> Iterator[tuple[datetime, str]]:
     """Iterator reading the provided log file in ISO format. Mimics ``year_rollover_helper`` behaviour."""
     with open_decompress(file, "rt") as fh:
-        for line in fh:
+        for i, line in enumerate(fh):
+            if max_lines is not None and i >= max_lines:
+                log.debug("Stopping iso_readlines enumeration in %s: max_lines=%s was reached", file, max_lines)
+                break
+
             if not (match := RE_TS_ISO.match(line)):
-                log.warning("No timestamp found in one of the lines in %s!", file)
+                if not max_lines:
+                    log.warning("No timestamp found in one of the lines in %s!", file)
                 log.debug("Skipping line: %s", line)
                 continue
 
@@ -43,4 +49,6 @@ def iso_readlines(file: Path) -> Iterator[tuple[datetime, str]]:
 
 def is_iso_fmt(file: Path) -> bool:
     """Determine if the provided log file uses ISO 8601 timestamp format logging or not."""
-    return any(itertools.islice(iso_readlines(file), 0, 2))
+    # We do not want to iterate of the entire file so we limit iso_readlines to the first few lines.
+    # We can not use islice here since that would only work if the file is ISO formatted and thus yields results.
+    return any(iso_readlines(file, max_lines=3))
diff --git a/tests/plugins/os/unix/log/test_helpers.py b/tests/plugins/os/unix/log/test_helpers.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fabba5c80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/plugins/os/unix/log/test_helpers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import gzip
+import textwrap
+from io import BytesIO
+
+import pytest
+
+from dissect.target.filesystem import VirtualFilesystem
+from dissect.target.plugins.os.unix.log.helpers import is_iso_fmt, iso_readlines
+
+syslog = """\
+Dec 31 03:14:15 localhost systemd[1]: Starting Journal Service...
+Jan  1 13:21:34 localhost systemd: Stopped target Swap.
+Jan  2 03:14:15 localhost systemd[1]: Starting Journal Service...
+Jan  3 13:21:34 localhost systemd: Stopped target Swap.
+2024-12-31T13:37:00.123456+02:00 hostname systemd[1]: Started anacron.service - Run anacron jobs.
+2024-12-31T13:37:00.123456+02:00 hostname anacron[1337]: Anacron 2.3 started on 2024-12-31
+2024-12-31T13:37:00.123456+02:00 hostname anacron[1337]: Normal exit (0 jobs run)
+2024-12-31T13:37:00.123456+02:00 hostname systemd[1]: anacron.service: Deactivated successfully.
+"""
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "max_lines, expected_return_value",
+    [
+        (3, False),
+        (4, False),
+        (5, True),
+        (9, True),
+    ],
+)
+def test_iso_readlines_max_lines(fs_unix: VirtualFilesystem, max_lines: int, expected_return_value: bool) -> None:
+    """assert that iso_readlines does not parse more than the provided max_lines"""
+
+    fs_unix.map_file_fh("/var/log/syslog.2", BytesIO(gzip.compress(textwrap.dedent(syslog).encode())))
+    assert any(iso_readlines(fs_unix.path("/var/log/syslog.2"), max_lines)) == expected_return_value
+
+
+def test_is_iso_fmt(fs_unix: VirtualFilesystem) -> None:
+    """assert that is_iso_fmt does not parse more than three max_lines"""
+
+    fs_unix.map_file_fh("/var/log/syslog.3", BytesIO(gzip.compress(textwrap.dedent(syslog).encode())))
+    assert not is_iso_fmt(fs_unix.path("/var/log/syslog.3"))