diff --git a/db/config.cc b/db/config.cc
index 738a610c9f..17649dfe7d 100644
--- a/db/config.cc
+++ b/db/config.cc
@@ -689,6 +689,7 @@ db::config::config(std::shared_ptr<db::extensions> exts)
     , shutdown_announce_in_ms(this, "shutdown_announce_in_ms", value_status::Used, 2 * 1000, "Time a node waits after sending gossip shutdown message in milliseconds. Same as -Dcassandra.shutdown_announce_in_ms in cassandra.")
     , developer_mode(this, "developer_mode", value_status::Used, false, "Relax environment checks. Setting to true can reduce performance and reliability significantly.")
     , skip_wait_for_gossip_to_settle(this, "skip_wait_for_gossip_to_settle", value_status::Used, -1, "An integer to configure the wait for gossip to settle. -1: wait normally, 0: do not wait at all, n: wait for at most n polls. Same as -Dcassandra.skip_wait_for_gossip_to_settle in cassandra.")
+    , force_gossip_generation(this, "force_gossip_generation", liveness::LiveUpdate, value_status::Used, -1 , "Force gossip to use the generation number provided by user")
     , experimental(this, "experimental", value_status::Used, false, "Set to true to unlock all experimental features.")
     , experimental_features(this, "experimental_features", value_status::Used, {}, "Unlock experimental features provided as the option arguments (possible values: 'lwt', 'cdc', 'udf'). Can be repeated.")
     , lsa_reclamation_step(this, "lsa_reclamation_step", value_status::Used, 1, "Minimum number of segments to reclaim in a single step")
diff --git a/db/config.hh b/db/config.hh
index f257838981..0be90c6d35 100644
--- a/db/config.hh
+++ b/db/config.hh
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@ public:
     named_value<uint32_t> shutdown_announce_in_ms;
     named_value<bool> developer_mode;
     named_value<int32_t> skip_wait_for_gossip_to_settle;
+    named_value<int32_t> force_gossip_generation;
     named_value<bool> experimental;
     named_value<std::vector<enum_option<experimental_features_t>>> experimental_features;
     named_value<size_t> lsa_reclamation_step;
diff --git a/gms/gossiper.cc b/gms/gossiper.cc
index 3efc9e8e4c..9ead549e05 100644
--- a/gms/gossiper.cc
+++ b/gms/gossiper.cc
@@ -1725,8 +1725,12 @@ future<> gossiper::start_gossiping(int generation_nbr, std::map<application_stat
     // message on all cpus and forard them to cpu0 to process.
     return get_gossiper().invoke_on_all([do_bind] (gossiper& g) {
         g.init_messaging_service_handler(do_bind);
-    }).then([this, generation_nbr, preload_local_states] {
+    }).then([this, generation_nbr, preload_local_states] () mutable {
         build_seeds_list();
+        if (_cfg.force_gossip_generation() > 0) {
+            generation_nbr = _cfg.force_gossip_generation();
+            logger.warn("Use the generation number provided by user: generation = {}", generation_nbr);
+        }
         endpoint_state& local_state = endpoint_state_map[get_broadcast_address()];
         local_state.set_heart_beat_state_and_update_timestamp(heart_beat_state(generation_nbr));
         local_state.mark_alive();