A circumferential shaft seal segment includes a radial outer face, a radially inner face, a first axial face extending from the radial outer face to the radial inner face and a second axial face axially spaced from the first axial face and extending from the radially outer face to the radially inner face. The seal has a bleed slot in the radially inner face extending from the first axial face toward the second axial face, and there are first and second recesses in the radially inner face in communication with the bleed slot that extend from circumferentially opposite sides of the bleed slot.