diff --git a/mercurial/logcmdutil.py b/mercurial/logcmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/logcmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/logcmdutil.py
@@ -698,12 +698,7 @@ def _makematcher(repo, revs, pats, opts)
                 # take the slow path.
                 if any(f not in c for c in startctxs):
                     slowpath = True
-                    continue
-                filelog = repo.file(f)
-                if not filelog:
-                    raise error.Abort(
-                        _(b'cannot follow nonexistent file: "%s"') % f
-                    )
+                    break
         elif follow:
             for f in match.files():
                 if f not in wctx:
@@ -722,6 +717,8 @@ def _makematcher(repo, revs, pats, opts)
                         )
                 filelog = repo.file(f)
                 if not filelog:
+                    # A file exists in wdir but not in history, which means
+                    # the file isn't committed yet.
                     raise error.Abort(
                         _(b'cannot follow nonexistent file: "%s"') % f
                     )
diff --git a/tests/test-log.t b/tests/test-log.t
--- a/tests/test-log.t
+++ b/tests/test-log.t
@@ -2295,15 +2295,21 @@ follow files from wdir
    1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
   
 
- BROKEN: added file should exist in wdir
   $ hg log -T '== {rev} ==\n' -fr'wdir()' --git --stat d1/f2
-  abort: cannot follow nonexistent file: "d1/f2"
-  [255]
+  == 2147483647 ==
+   d1/f2 |  1 +
+   1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
+  
 
- BROKEN: copied file should exist in wdir
   $ hg log -T '== {rev} ==\n' -fr'wdir()' --git --stat f1-copy
-  abort: cannot follow nonexistent file: "f1-copy"
-  [255]
+  == 2147483647 ==
+   f1-copy |  1 +
+   1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
+  
+  == 0 ==
+   d1/f1 |  1 +
+   1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
+  
 
   $ hg log -T '== {rev} ==\n' -fr'wdir()' --git --stat notfound
   notfound: $ENOENT$