diff --git a/sstables/generation_type.hh b/sstables/generation_type.hh
index 073a36296b..f29f96cadb 100644
--- a/sstables/generation_type.hh
+++ b/sstables/generation_type.hh
@@ -112,9 +112,10 @@ public:
         return _value.timestamp() != 0;
     }
     std::strong_ordering operator<=>(const generation_type& other) const noexcept {
-        if (bool(*this) && is_uuid_based() &&
+        // preserve the ordering as a timeuuid
+        if (bool(*this) && this->is_uuid_based() &&
             bool(other) && other.is_uuid_based()) {
-            return this->_value <=> other._value;
+            return timeuuid_tri_compare(this->_value, other._value);
         }
         int_t lhs = 0, rhs = 0;
         if (bool(*this) && !is_uuid_based()) {
diff --git a/test/boost/sstable_generation_test.cc b/test/boost/sstable_generation_test.cc
index c40186f61c..e7675cd2c2 100644
--- a/test/boost/sstable_generation_test.cc
+++ b/test/boost/sstable_generation_test.cc
@@ -89,12 +89,24 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(compare) {
     BOOST_CHECK_GT(sstables::generation_type(42), sstables::generation_type(41));
     BOOST_CHECK_LT(sstables::generation_type(41), sstables::generation_type(42));
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(sstables::generation_type(42), sstables::generation_type(42));
-    // the ordering of uuid based generation does not matter, but we should be
-    // able to use them as key in an associative container
+    // if two identifiers are compared, we consider them as timeuuid, which means:
+    //
+    // 1. they can be used as key in an associative container
+    // 2. the newer timeuuids are order after the older ones
+
+    // two UUIDs with the same timestamps but different clock seq and node
     BOOST_CHECK_NE(sstables::generation_type::from_string("3fw2_0tj4_46w3k2cpidnirvjy7k"),
                    sstables::generation_type::from_string("3fw2_0tj4_46w3k2cpidnirvjy7z"));
+    // the return value from_string() of the same string representation should
+    // be equal
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(sstables::generation_type::from_string(uuid),
                       sstables::generation_type::from_string(uuid));
+    // two UUIDs with different timestamps but the same clock seq and node,
+    // their timestamps are:
+    // - 2023-11-24 23:41:56
+    // - 2023-11-24 23:41:57
+    BOOST_CHECK_LE(sstables::generation_type::from_string("3gbc_17lw_3tlpc2fe8ko69yav6u"),
+                   sstables::generation_type::from_string("3gbc_17lx_59opc2fe8ko69yav6u"));
     // all invalid identifiers should be equal
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(sstables::generation_type{}, sstables::generation_type{});
     BOOST_CHECK_NE(sstables::generation_type{},