diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseFile.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseFile.java
index aa05275c0af8..793301e55744 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseFile.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseFile.java
@@ -82,9 +82,6 @@ public PartitionData copy() {
   // cached schema
   private transient Schema avroSchema = null;
 
-  // lazy variables
-  private transient volatile List<Long> splitOffsetList = null;
-
   /** Used by Avro reflection to instantiate this class when reading manifest files. */
   BaseFile(Schema avroSchema) {
     this.avroSchema = avroSchema;
@@ -463,11 +460,7 @@ public ByteBuffer keyMetadata() {
 
   @Override
   public List<Long> splitOffsets() {
-    if (splitOffsetList == null && splitOffsets != null) {
-      this.splitOffsetList = ArrayUtil.toUnmodifiableLongList(splitOffsets);
-    }
-
-    return splitOffsetList;
+    return ArrayUtil.toUnmodifiableLongList(splitOffsets);
   }
 
   long[] splitOffsetArray() {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableTestBase.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableTestBase.java
index a800214bc9a7..3922df8eb2ba 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableTestBase.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableTestBase.java
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ public class TableTestBase {
           .withFileSizeInBytes(10)
           .withPartitionPath("data_bucket=1") // easy way to set partition data for now
           .withRecordCount(1)
+          .withSplitOffsets(ImmutableList.of(1L))
           .build();
   static final DeleteFile FILE_B_DELETES =
       FileMetadata.deleteFileBuilder(SPEC)
@@ -112,6 +113,7 @@ public class TableTestBase {
           .withFileSizeInBytes(10)
           .withPartitionPath("data_bucket=2") // easy way to set partition data for now
           .withRecordCount(1)
+          .withSplitOffsets(ImmutableList.of(2L, 2_000_000L))
           .build();
   static final DeleteFile FILE_C2_DELETES =
       FileMetadata.deleteFileBuilder(SPEC)
@@ -127,6 +129,7 @@ public class TableTestBase {
           .withFileSizeInBytes(10)
           .withPartitionPath("data_bucket=3") // easy way to set partition data for now
           .withRecordCount(1)
+          .withSplitOffsets(ImmutableList.of(3L, 3_000L, 3_000_000L))
           .build();
   static final DeleteFile FILE_D2_DELETES =
       FileMetadata.deleteFileBuilder(SPEC)
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestManifestReader.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestManifestReader.java
index 09ed1e448560..f1674af6c22a 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestManifestReader.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestManifestReader.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  */
 package org.apache.iceberg;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Streams;
 import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types;
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions;
+import org.assertj.core.api.recursive.comparison.RecursiveComparisonConfiguration;
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Assume;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -41,6 +44,12 @@ public static Object[] parameters() {
     return new Object[] {1, 2};
   }
 
+  private static final RecursiveComparisonConfiguration FILE_COMPARISON_CONFIG =
+      RecursiveComparisonConfiguration.builder()
+          .withIgnoredFields(
+              "dataSequenceNumber", "fileOrdinal", "fileSequenceNumber", "fromProjectionPos")
+          .build();
+
   public TestManifestReader(int formatVersion) {
     super(formatVersion);
   }
@@ -61,16 +70,14 @@ public void testReaderWithFilterWithoutSelect() throws IOException {
     ManifestFile manifest = writeManifest(1000L, FILE_A, FILE_B, FILE_C);
     try (ManifestReader<DataFile> reader =
         ManifestFiles.read(manifest, FILE_IO).filterRows(Expressions.equal("id", 0))) {
-      List<String> files =
-          Streams.stream(reader).map(file -> file.path().toString()).collect(Collectors.toList());
+      List<DataFile> files = Streams.stream(reader).collect(Collectors.toList());
 
       // note that all files are returned because the reader returns data files that may match, and
       // the partition is
       // bucketing by data, which doesn't help filter files
-      Assert.assertEquals(
-          "Should read the expected files",
-          Lists.newArrayList(FILE_A.path(), FILE_B.path(), FILE_C.path()),
-          files);
+      assertThat(files)
+          .usingRecursiveComparison(FILE_COMPARISON_CONFIG)
+          .isEqualTo(Lists.newArrayList(FILE_A, FILE_B, FILE_C));
     }
   }