diff --git a/sstables/mp_row_consumer.hh b/sstables/mp_row_consumer.hh
index 6a9f48cfb6..a7d48059a1 100644
--- a/sstables/mp_row_consumer.hh
+++ b/sstables/mp_row_consumer.hh
@@ -1089,7 +1089,7 @@ public:
 
             if (maybe_push_range_tombstone(std::move(rt)) == proceed::no) {
                 _in_progress_row.emplace(std::move(key));
-                return consumer_m::retry_later{};
+                return consumer_m::row_processing_result::retry_later;
             }
         }
 
@@ -1098,19 +1098,19 @@ public:
         switch (_mf_filter->apply(_in_progress_row->position())) {
         case mutation_fragment_filter::result::emit:
             sstlog.trace("mp_row_consumer_m {}: emit", this);
-            return consumer_m::do_proceed{};
+            return consumer_m::row_processing_result::do_proceed;
         case mutation_fragment_filter::result::ignore:
             sstlog.trace("mp_row_consumer_m {}: ignore", this);
             if (_mf_filter->is_current_range_changed()) {
-                return consumer_m::row_processing_result(consumer_m::retry_later{});
+                return consumer_m::row_processing_result::retry_later;
             } else {
                 _in_progress_row.reset();
-                return consumer_m::row_processing_result(consumer_m::skip_row{});
+                return consumer_m::row_processing_result::skip_row;
             }
         case mutation_fragment_filter::result::store_and_finish:
             sstlog.trace("mp_row_consumer_m {}: store_and_finish", this);
             _reader->on_end_of_stream();
-            return consumer_m::retry_later{};
+            return consumer_m::row_processing_result::retry_later;
         }
         abort();
     }
@@ -1131,7 +1131,7 @@ public:
         sstlog.trace("mp_row_consumer_m {}: consume_static_row_start()", this);
         _inside_static_row = true;
         _in_progress_static_row = static_row();
-        return consumer_m::do_proceed{};
+        return consumer_m::row_processing_result::do_proceed;
     }
 
     virtual proceed consume_column(const column_translation::column_info& column_info,
diff --git a/sstables/row.hh b/sstables/row.hh
index 6d6690b281..f81eea8df2 100644
--- a/sstables/row.hh
+++ b/sstables/row.hh
@@ -142,17 +142,17 @@ class consumer_m {
 public:
     using proceed = data_consumer::proceed;
 
-    // Causes the parser to return the control to the caller without advancing.
-    // Next time when the parser is called, the same consumer method will be called.
-    struct retry_later {};
+    enum class row_processing_result {
+        // Causes the parser to return the control to the caller without advancing.
+        // Next time when the parser is called, the same consumer method will be called.
+        retry_later,
 
-    // Causes the parser to proceed to the next element.
-    struct do_proceed {};
+        // Causes the parser to proceed to the next element.
+        do_proceed,
 
-    // Causes the parser to skip the whole row. consume_row_end() will not be called for the current row.
-    struct skip_row {};
-
-    using row_processing_result = std::variant<retry_later, do_proceed, skip_row>;
+        // Causes the parser to skip the whole row. consume_row_end() will not be called for the current row.
+        skip_row
+    };
 
     consumer_m(reader_resource_tracker resource_tracker, const io_priority_class& pc)
     : _resource_tracker(resource_tracker)
@@ -945,10 +945,10 @@ private:
                 ? _consumer.consume_static_row_start()
                 : _consumer.consume_row_start(_row_key);
 
-            if (std::holds_alternative<consumer_m::retry_later>(ret)) {
+            if (ret == consumer_m::row_processing_result::retry_later) {
                 _state = state::ROW_BODY_PREV_SIZE;
                 return consumer_m::proceed::no;
-            } else if (std::holds_alternative<consumer_m::skip_row>(ret)) {
+            } else if (ret == consumer_m::row_processing_result::skip_row) {
                 _state = state::FLAGS;
                 auto current_pos = position() - data.size();
                 return skip(data, _next_row_offset - current_pos);