diff --git a/mutation_partition.cc b/mutation_partition.cc
index b03950bff0..f73fa477f1 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.cc
+++ b/mutation_partition.cc
@@ -917,7 +917,8 @@ position_in_partition_view rows_entry::position() const {
 
 bool
 rows_entry::equal(const schema& s, const rows_entry& other, const schema& other_schema) const {
-    return key().equal(s, other.key()) // Only representation-compatible changes are allowed
+    position_in_partition::equal_compare eq(s);
+    return eq(position(), other.position())
            && row().equal(column_kind::regular_column, s, other.row(), other_schema);
 }
 
diff --git a/mutation_partition.hh b/mutation_partition.hh
index 6175e03e11..d1434a5783 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.hh
+++ b/mutation_partition.hh
@@ -689,23 +689,36 @@ public:
     bool empty() const {
         return _row.empty();
     }
+    struct tri_compare {
+        position_in_partition::tri_compare _c;
+        explicit tri_compare(const schema& s) : _c(s) {}
+        int operator()(const rows_entry& e1, const rows_entry& e2) const {
+            return _c(e1.position(), e2.position());
+        }
+        int operator()(const clustering_key& key, const rows_entry& e) const {
+            return _c(position_in_partition_view::for_key(key), e.position());
+        }
+        int operator()(const rows_entry& e, const clustering_key& key) const {
+            return _c(e.position(), position_in_partition_view::for_key(key));
+        }
+    };
     struct compare {
-        clustering_key::less_compare _c;
-        compare(const schema& s) : _c(s) {}
+        tri_compare _c;
+        explicit compare(const schema& s) : _c(s) {}
         bool operator()(const rows_entry& e1, const rows_entry& e2) const {
-            return _c(e1._key, e2._key);
+            return _c(e1, e2) < 0;
         }
         bool operator()(const clustering_key& key, const rows_entry& e) const {
-            return _c(key, e._key);
+            return _c(key, e) < 0;
         }
         bool operator()(const rows_entry& e, const clustering_key& key) const {
-            return _c(e._key, key);
+            return _c(e, key) < 0;
         }
         bool operator()(const clustering_key_view& key, const rows_entry& e) const {
-            return _c(key, e._key);
+            return _c(key, e) < 0;
         }
         bool operator()(const rows_entry& e, const clustering_key_view& key) const {
-            return _c(e._key, key);
+            return _c(e, key) < 0;
         }
     };
     template <typename Comparator>
diff --git a/streamed_mutation.cc b/streamed_mutation.cc
index 5a1bf99d41..97da4b7ffe 100644
--- a/streamed_mutation.cc
+++ b/streamed_mutation.cc
@@ -472,8 +472,7 @@ mutation_fragment_opt range_tombstone_stream::do_get_next()
 mutation_fragment_opt range_tombstone_stream::get_next(const rows_entry& re)
 {
     if (!_list.empty()) {
-        position_in_partition_view view(position_in_partition_view::clustering_row_tag_t(), re.key());
-        return !_cmp(view, _list.begin()->position()) ? do_get_next() : mutation_fragment_opt();
+        return !_cmp(re.position(), _list.begin()->position()) ? do_get_next() : mutation_fragment_opt();
     }
     return { };
 }