diff --git a/docs/collector.file.md b/docs/collector.file.md
index be725895..5da32dcf 100644
--- a/docs/collector.file.md
+++ b/docs/collector.file.md
@@ -17,20 +17,20 @@ See https://github.com/bmatcuk/doublestar#patterns for an extended description o
 
 ## Metrics
 
-| Name                                   | Description            | Type  | Labels |
-|----------------------------------------|------------------------|-------|--------|
-| `windows_file_mtime_timestamp_seconds` | File modification time | gauge | `file` |
-| `windows_file_size_bytes`              | File size              | gauge | `file` |
+| Name                                   | Description            | Type  | Labels             |
+|----------------------------------------|------------------------|-------|--------------------|
+| `windows_file_mtime_timestamp_seconds` | File modification time | gauge | `file`, `pattern`  |
+| `windows_file_size_bytes`              | File size              | gauge | `file`, `pattern`  |
 
 ### Example metric
 
 ```
 # HELP windows_file_mtime_timestamp_seconds File modification time
 # TYPE windows_file_mtime_timestamp_seconds gauge
-windows_file_mtime_timestamp_seconds{file="C:\\Users\\admin\\Desktop\\Dashboard.lnk"} 1.726434517e+09
+windows_file_mtime_timestamp_seconds{file="C:\\Users\\admin\\Desktop\\Dashboard.lnk",pattern="C:\\Users\\admin\\Desktop\\*.lnk"} 1.726434517e+09
 # HELP windows_file_size_bytes File size
 # TYPE windows_file_size_bytes gauge
-windows_file_size_bytes{file="C:\\Users\\admin\\Desktop\\Dashboard.lnk"} 123
+windows_file_size_bytes{file="C:\\Users\\admin\\Desktop\\Dashboard.lnk",pattern="C:\\Users\\admin\\Desktop\\*.lnk"} 123
 ```
 
 ## Useful queries
diff --git a/internal/collector/file/file.go b/internal/collector/file/file.go
index 7bcddd1d..fa4d9521 100644
--- a/internal/collector/file/file.go
+++ b/internal/collector/file/file.go
@@ -74,12 +74,23 @@ func NewWithFlags(app *kingpin.Application) *Collector {
 	c := &Collector{
 		config: ConfigDefaults,
 	}
-	c.config.FilePatterns = make([]string, 0)
+
+	var filePatterns string
 
 	app.Flag(
 		"collector.file.file-patterns",
 		"Comma-separated list of file patterns. Each pattern is a glob pattern that can contain `*`, `?`, and `**` (recursive). See https://github.com/bmatcuk/doublestar#patterns",
-	).Default(strings.Join(ConfigDefaults.FilePatterns, ",")).StringsVar(&c.config.FilePatterns)
+	).Default(strings.Join(ConfigDefaults.FilePatterns, ",")).StringVar(&filePatterns)
+
+	app.Action(func(*kingpin.ParseContext) error {
+		for p := range strings.SplitSeq(filePatterns, ",") {
+			if p != "" {
+				c.config.FilePatterns = append(c.config.FilePatterns, p)
+			}
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	})
 
 	return c
 }
@@ -100,23 +111,24 @@ func (c *Collector) Build(logger *slog.Logger, _ *mi.Session) error {
 	c.fileMTime = prometheus.NewDesc(
 		prometheus.BuildFQName(types.Namespace, Name, "mtime_timestamp_seconds"),
 		"File modification time",
-		[]string{"file"},
+		[]string{"file", "pattern"},
 		nil,
 	)
 
 	c.fileSize = prometheus.NewDesc(
 		prometheus.BuildFQName(types.Namespace, Name, "size_bytes"),
 		"File size",
-		[]string{"file"},
+		[]string{"file", "pattern"},
 		nil,
 	)
 
 	for _, filePattern := range c.config.FilePatterns {
-		basePath, pattern := doublestar.SplitPattern(filePattern)
+		if filePattern == "" {
+			continue
+		}
 
-		_, err := doublestar.Glob(os.DirFS(basePath), pattern, doublestar.WithFilesOnly())
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("invalid glob pattern: %w", err)
+		if !doublestar.ValidatePattern(filepath.ToSlash(filePattern)) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid glob pattern: %s", filePattern)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -170,6 +182,7 @@ func (c *Collector) collectGlobFilePath(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric, filePattern
 			prometheus.GaugeValue,
 			float64(fileInfo.ModTime().UTC().UnixMicro())/1e6,
 			filePath,
+			filePattern,
 		)
 
 		ch <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(
@@ -177,6 +190,7 @@ func (c *Collector) collectGlobFilePath(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric, filePattern
 			prometheus.GaugeValue,
 			float64(fileInfo.Size()),
 			filePath,
+			filePattern,
 		)
 
 		return nil
diff --git a/pkg/collector/config.go b/pkg/collector/config.go
index a148b515..691300cd 100644
--- a/pkg/collector/config.go
+++ b/pkg/collector/config.go
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ var ConfigDefaults = Config{
 	DiskDrive:          diskdrive.ConfigDefaults,
 	DNS:                dns.ConfigDefaults,
 	Exchange:           exchange.ConfigDefaults,
+	File:               file.ConfigDefaults,
 	Fsrmquota:          fsrmquota.ConfigDefaults,
 	GPU:                gpu.ConfigDefaults,
 	HyperV:             hyperv.ConfigDefaults,