diff --git a/include/fluent-bit/flb_parser.h b/include/fluent-bit/flb_parser.h
index 3c92ca489ea..2e209b65e16 100644
--- a/include/fluent-bit/flb_parser.h
+++ b/include/fluent-bit/flb_parser.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #define FLB_PARSER_JSON  2
 #define FLB_PARSER_LTSV  3
 #define FLB_PARSER_LOGFMT 4
+#define FLB_PARSER_CRI   5
 
 struct flb_parser_types {
     char *key;
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 084f2c57d52..64d0fc72a6f 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ if(FLB_PARSER)
     flb_parser_regex.c
     flb_parser_json.c
     flb_parser_decoder.c
+    flb_parser_cri.c
     flb_parser_ltsv.c
     flb_parser_logfmt.c
     )
diff --git a/src/flb_parser.c b/src/flb_parser.c
index 8df7f56dfb5..fb8ba260941 100644
--- a/src/flb_parser.c
+++ b/src/flb_parser.c
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ int flb_parser_logfmt_do(struct flb_parser *parser,
                          void **out_buf, size_t *out_size,
                          struct flb_time *out_time);
 
+int flb_parser_cri_do(struct flb_parser *parser,
+                         const char *buf, size_t length,
+                         void **out_buf, size_t *out_size,
+                         struct flb_time *out_time);
 /*
  * This function is used to free all aspects of a parser
  * which is provided by the caller of flb_create_parser.
@@ -202,6 +206,9 @@ struct flb_parser *flb_parser_create(const char *name, const char *format,
     else if (strcasecmp(format, "logfmt") == 0) {
         p->type = FLB_PARSER_LOGFMT;
     }
+    else if (strcasecmp(format, "cri") == 0) {
+        p->type = FLB_PARSER_CRI;
+    }
     else {
         flb_error("[parser:%s] Invalid format %s", name, format);
         mk_list_del(&p->_head);
@@ -1007,6 +1014,10 @@ int flb_parser_do(struct flb_parser *parser, const char *buf, size_t length,
         return flb_parser_logfmt_do(parser, buf, length,
                                   out_buf, out_size, out_time);
     }
+    else if (parser->type == FLB_PARSER_CRI) {
+        return flb_parser_cri_do(parser, buf, length,
+                                  out_buf, out_size, out_time);
+    }
 
     return -1;
 }
diff --git a/src/flb_parser_cri.c b/src/flb_parser_cri.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1be879094f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/flb_parser_cri.c
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+/* -*- Mode: C; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*- */
+
+/*  Fluent Bit
+ *  ==========
+ *  Copyright (C) 2015-2024 The Fluent Bit Authors
+ *
+ *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ *  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ *  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ *  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ *  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ *  limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <time.h>
+
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_parser.h>
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_pack.h>
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_mem.h>
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_parser_decoder.h>
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_unescape.h>
+#include <fluent-bit/flb_mem.h>
+
+#define CRI_SPACE_DELIM " "
+
+int flb_parser_cri_do(struct flb_parser *parser,
+                        const char *in_buf, size_t in_size,
+                        void **out_buf, size_t *out_size,
+                        struct flb_time *out_time)
+{
+    int ret;
+    time_t time_lookup = 0;
+    double tmfrac = 0;
+    msgpack_sbuffer tmp_sbuf;
+    msgpack_packer tmp_pck;
+    char *dec_out_buf;
+    size_t dec_out_size;
+    size_t map_size = 4;  /* always 4 fields for CRI */
+    char *time_key;
+    size_t time_key_len;
+    char* end_of_line = NULL;
+    char* token_end = NULL;
+
+    if (parser->time_key) {
+        time_key = parser->time_key;
+    }
+    else {
+        time_key = "time";
+    }
+    time_key_len = strlen(time_key);
+
+    /* Prepare new outgoing buffer */
+    msgpack_sbuffer_init(&tmp_sbuf);
+    msgpack_packer_init(&tmp_pck, &tmp_sbuf, msgpack_sbuffer_write);
+    msgpack_pack_map(&tmp_pck, map_size);
+
+    /* Time */
+    token_end = strpbrk(in_buf, CRI_SPACE_DELIM);
+    if (token_end == NULL) {
+        msgpack_sbuffer_destroy(&tmp_sbuf);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    token_end = token_end + 1; /* time + a space */
+
+    struct flb_tm tm = {0};
+    ret = flb_parser_time_lookup(in_buf, token_end-in_buf-1,
+        0, parser, &tm, &tmfrac);
+    if (ret == -1) {
+        flb_error("[parser:%s] Invalid time format %s",
+                    parser->name, parser->time_fmt_full);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    msgpack_pack_str(&tmp_pck, time_key_len);
+    msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, time_key, time_key_len);
+    msgpack_pack_str(&tmp_pck, token_end-in_buf-1);
+    msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, in_buf, token_end-in_buf-1);
+
+    /* Stream */
+    if (!(!strncmp(token_end, "stdout ", 7) || !strncmp(token_end, "stderr ", 7))) {
+        msgpack_sbuffer_destroy(&tmp_sbuf);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    msgpack_pack_str(&tmp_pck, 6);
+    msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, "stream", 6);
+    msgpack_pack_str(&tmp_pck, 6);
+    msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, token_end, 6);
+    token_end = token_end + 7; /* stream + a space */
+
+    /* Partial/Full Indicator (P|F) */
+    if (!(!strncmp(token_end, "F ", 2) || !strncmp(token_end, "P ", 2))) {
+        msgpack_sbuffer_destroy(&tmp_sbuf);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    msgpack_pack_str(&tmp_pck, 2);
+    msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, "_p", 2);
+    msgpack_pack_str(&tmp_pck, 1);
+    msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, token_end, 1);
+    token_end = token_end + 2; /* indicator + a space */
+
+    /* Log */
+    end_of_line = strpbrk(token_end, "\n");
+    if (end_of_line == NULL ) {
+        end_of_line = in_buf+in_size;
+    }
+    msgpack_pack_str(&tmp_pck, 3);
+    msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, "log", 3);
+    msgpack_pack_str(&tmp_pck, end_of_line-token_end);
+    msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, token_end, end_of_line-token_end);
+
+    /* Export results */
+    time_lookup = flb_parser_tm2time(&tm, parser->time_system_timezone);
+    out_time->tm.tv_sec = time_lookup;
+    out_time->tm.tv_nsec = (tmfrac * 1000000000);
+
+    *out_buf = tmp_sbuf.data;
+    *out_size = tmp_sbuf.size;
+
+    /* Check if some decoder was specified */
+    if (parser->decoders) {
+        ret = flb_parser_decoder_do(parser->decoders,
+                                    tmp_sbuf.data, tmp_sbuf.size,
+                                    &dec_out_buf, &dec_out_size);
+        if (ret == 0) {
+            *out_buf = dec_out_buf;
+            *out_size = dec_out_size;
+            msgpack_sbuffer_destroy(&tmp_sbuf);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return end_of_line-in_buf;
+}
diff --git a/src/multiline/flb_ml_parser.c b/src/multiline/flb_ml_parser.c
index db0c8f2f983..57ef1258de1 100644
--- a/src/multiline/flb_ml_parser.c
+++ b/src/multiline/flb_ml_parser.c
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #include <fluent-bit/flb_log.h>
 #include <fluent-bit/multiline/flb_ml.h>
 #include <fluent-bit/multiline/flb_ml_rule.h>
-#include <fluent-bit/multiline/flb_ml_mode.h>
 #include <fluent-bit/multiline/flb_ml_group.h>
 
 int flb_ml_parser_init(struct flb_ml_parser *ml_parser)
diff --git a/src/multiline/flb_ml_parser_cri.c b/src/multiline/flb_ml_parser_cri.c
index e4bd6a0e0f3..60fd73ac27c 100644
--- a/src/multiline/flb_ml_parser_cri.c
+++ b/src/multiline/flb_ml_parser_cri.c
@@ -21,19 +21,17 @@
 #include <fluent-bit/multiline/flb_ml.h>
 #include <fluent-bit/multiline/flb_ml_parser.h>
 
-#define FLB_ML_CRI_REGEX                                                \
-  "^(?<time>.+?) (?<stream>stdout|stderr) (?<_p>F|P) (?<log>.*)$"
 #define FLB_ML_CRI_TIME                         \
   "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%L%z"
 
-/* Creates a parser for Docker */
+/* Creates a parser for CRI */
 static struct flb_parser *cri_parser_create(struct flb_config *config)
 {
     struct flb_parser *p;
 
     p = flb_parser_create("_ml_cri",               /* parser name */
-                          "regex",                 /* backend type */
-                          FLB_ML_CRI_REGEX,        /* regex */
+                          "cri",                   /* backend type */
+                          NULL,                    /* regex */
                           FLB_FALSE,               /* skip_empty */
                           FLB_ML_CRI_TIME,         /* time format */
                           "time",                  /* time key */
@@ -49,13 +47,12 @@ static struct flb_parser *cri_parser_create(struct flb_config *config)
     return p;
 }
 
-/* Our first multiline mode: 'docker' */
 struct flb_ml_parser *flb_ml_parser_cri(struct flb_config *config)
 {
     struct flb_parser *parser;
     struct flb_ml_parser *mlp;
 
-    /* Create a Docker parser */
+    /* Create a CRI parser */
     parser = cri_parser_create(config);
     if (!parser) {
         return NULL;