diff --git a/libpod/events/events_linux.go b/libpod/events/events_linux.go
index e7801af5b2..b11467acaf 100644
--- a/libpod/events/events_linux.go
+++ b/libpod/events/events_linux.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func NewEventer(options EventerOptions) (Eventer, error) {
 		}
 		return eventer, nil
 	case strings.ToUpper(LogFile.String()):
-		return EventLogFile{options}, nil
+		return newLogFileEventer(options)
 	case strings.ToUpper(Null.String()):
 		return NewNullEventer(), nil
 	case strings.ToUpper(Memory.String()):
diff --git a/libpod/events/logfile.go b/libpod/events/logfile.go
index 519e16629b..1b06e22e76 100644
--- a/libpod/events/logfile.go
+++ b/libpod/events/logfile.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/pkg/util"
@@ -27,6 +28,21 @@ type EventLogFile struct {
 	options EventerOptions
 }
 
+// newLogFileEventer creates a new EventLogFile eventer
+func newLogFileEventer(options EventerOptions) (*EventLogFile, error) {
+	// Create events log dir
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(options.LogFilePath), 0700); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("creating events dirs: %w", err)
+	}
+	// We have to make sure the file is created otherwise reading events will hang.
+	// https://github.com/containers/podman/issues/15688
+	fd, err := os.OpenFile(options.LogFilePath, os.O_RDONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0700)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &EventLogFile{options: options}, fd.Close()
+}
+
 // Writes to the log file
 func (e EventLogFile) Write(ee Event) error {
 	// We need to lock events file
@@ -108,6 +124,8 @@ func (e EventLogFile) Read(ctx context.Context, options ReadOptions) error {
 			}
 		}()
 	}
+	logrus.Debugf("Reading events from file %q", e.options.LogFilePath)
+
 	var line *tail.Line
 	var ok bool
 	for {
diff --git a/libpod/runtime.go b/libpod/runtime.go
index fe90b6df1d..03610c687d 100644
--- a/libpod/runtime.go
+++ b/libpod/runtime.go
@@ -466,14 +466,6 @@ func makeRuntime(runtime *Runtime) (retErr error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Create events log dir
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(runtime.config.Engine.EventsLogFilePath), 0700); err != nil {
-		// The directory is allowed to exist
-		if !errors.Is(err, os.ErrExist) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("creating events dirs: %w", err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	// Get us at least one working OCI runtime.
 	runtime.ociRuntimes = make(map[string]OCIRuntime)
 
diff --git a/test/system/090-events.bats b/test/system/090-events.bats
index cd1bf327bf..51a327865a 100644
--- a/test/system/090-events.bats
+++ b/test/system/090-events.bats
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ function _populate_events_file() {
 
     # Config without a limit
     eventsFile=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/events.txt
-    _populate_events_file $eventsFile
     containersConf=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/containers.conf
     cat >$containersConf <<EOF
 [engine]
@@ -155,6 +154,11 @@ events_logger="file"
 events_logfile_path="$eventsFile"
 EOF
 
+    # Check that a non existing event file does not cause a hang (#15688)
+    CONTAINERS_CONF=$containersConf run_podman events --stream=false
+
+    _populate_events_file $eventsFile
+
     # Create events *without* a limit and make sure that it has not been
     # rotated/truncated.
     contentBefore=$(head -n100 $eventsFile)