diff --git a/crates/composefs/src/erofs/reader.rs b/crates/composefs/src/erofs/reader.rs
index dff97ba..2ed9df6 100644
--- a/crates/composefs/src/erofs/reader.rs
+++ b/crates/composefs/src/erofs/reader.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 //! images, including inode traversal, directory reading, and object
 //! reference collection for garbage collection.
 
+#![allow(clippy::manual_is_multiple_of)]
+
 use core::mem::size_of;
 use std::collections::{BTreeSet, HashSet};
 use std::ops::Range;
@@ -550,8 +552,10 @@ impl<ObjectID: FsVerityHashValue> ObjectCollector<ObjectID> {
                 self.visit_directory_block(img.directory_block(blkid));
             }
 
-            let tail = DirectoryBlock::ref_from_bytes(inode.inline()).unwrap();
-            self.visit_directory_block(tail);
+            if !inode.inline().is_empty() {
+                let inline_block = DirectoryBlock::ref_from_bytes(inode.inline()).unwrap();
+                self.visit_directory_block(inline_block);
+            }
         }
 
         Ok(())