diff --git a/.changeset/sweet-steaks-draw.md b/.changeset/sweet-steaks-draw.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e38b6481
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/sweet-steaks-draw.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'simple-git': minor
+---
+
+Use `pathspec` in `git.log` to allow use of previously deleted files in `file` argument
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 858ad435..d31bd1e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jobs:
       runs-on: ubuntu-latest
       strategy:
          matrix:
-            node-version: [14, 16, 18, 19]
+            node-version: [14, 16, 18, 20]
       steps:
          - uses: actions/checkout@v4
          - name: Use Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
diff --git a/simple-git/src/lib/tasks/log.ts b/simple-git/src/lib/tasks/log.ts
index 3b927500..4779d126 100644
--- a/simple-git/src/lib/tasks/log.ts
+++ b/simple-git/src/lib/tasks/log.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { Options, StringTask } from '../types';
 import type { LogResult, SimpleGit } from '../../../typings';
 import { logFormatFromCommand } from '../args/log-format';
+import { pathspec } from '../args/pathspec';
 import {
    COMMIT_BOUNDARY,
    createListLogSummaryParser,
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ export function parseLogOptions<T extends Options>(
    }
 
    if (filterString(opt.file)) {
-      suffix.push('--follow', opt.file);
+      command.push('--follow', pathspec(opt.file));
    }
 
    appendTaskOptions(userOptions(opt as Options), command);
diff --git a/simple-git/test/unit/log.spec.ts b/simple-git/test/unit/log.spec.ts
index f2c76c54..5e9fcd4b 100644
--- a/simple-git/test/unit/log.spec.ts
+++ b/simple-git/test/unit/log.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { promiseError } from '@kwsites/promise-result';
-import { LogResult, SimpleGit } from 'typings';
+import type { LogResult, SimpleGit } from 'typings';
 import {
    assertExecutedCommands,
    assertExecutedCommandsContains,
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
    like,
    newSimpleGit,
 } from './__fixtures__';
-import { TaskConfigurationError } from '../..';
+import { TaskConfigurationError, pathspec } from '../..';
 import {
    COMMIT_BOUNDARY,
    createListLogSummaryParser,
@@ -33,8 +33,46 @@ describe('log', () => {
       assertExecutedCommands(
          'log',
          `--pretty=format:${START_BOUNDARY}%H${COMMIT_BOUNDARY}`,
+         '--follow',
          '--fixed-strings',
+         '--',
+         'index.js'
+      );
+   });
+
+   it('follow option works with explicit pathspec', async () => {
+      git.log({
+         'file': 'index.js',
+         'format': { hash: '%H' },
+         '--fixed-strings': null,
+         'path': pathspec('file2'),
+      });
+      await closeWithSuccess();
+
+      assertExecutedCommands(
+         'log',
+         `--pretty=format:${START_BOUNDARY}%H${COMMIT_BOUNDARY}`,
+         '--follow',
+         '--fixed-strings',
+         '--',
+         'index.js',
+         'file2'
+      );
+   });
+
+   it('follow option works with pathspec workaround', async () => {
+      git.log({
+         'format': { hash: '%H' },
+         'file': 'index.js',
+         '--': null,
+      });
+      await closeWithSuccess();
+
+      assertExecutedCommands(
+         'log',
+         `--pretty=format:${START_BOUNDARY}%H${COMMIT_BOUNDARY}`,
          '--follow',
+         '--',
          'index.js'
       );
    });
@@ -542,7 +580,7 @@ ${START_BOUNDARY}207601debebc170830f2921acf2b6b27034c3b1f::2016-01-03 15:50:58 +
          git.log({ file: '/foo/bar.txt', n: 10 });
          await closeWithSuccess();
 
-         assertCommandAppended('--max-count=10', '--follow', '/foo/bar.txt');
+         assertCommandAppended('--max-count=10', '--follow', '--', '/foo/bar.txt');
       });
 
       function assertCommandAppended(...things: string[]) {