diff --git a/alternator/streams.cc b/alternator/streams.cc
index 1f77229e6d..a2e0eb701c 100644
--- a/alternator/streams.cc
+++ b/alternator/streams.cc
@@ -896,10 +896,22 @@ future<executor::request_return_type> executor::describe_stream(client_state& cl
     // TODO: label
     // TODO: creation time
 
-    // filter out cdc generations older than the table or now() - cdc::ttl (typically dynamodb_streams_max_window - 24h)
-    auto low_ts = std::max(as_timepoint(schema->id()), db_clock::now() - ttl);
+    std::map<db_clock::time_point, cdc::streams_version> topologies;
+
+    // filter out cdc generations older than the table or now() - cdc::ttl (typically dynamodb_streams_max_window - 24h)
+    if (schema->table().uses_tablets()) {
+        // We can't use table creation time here, as tablets might report a
+        // generation timestamp just before table creation. This is safe
+        // because CDC generations are per-table and cannot pre-date the
+        // table, so expanding the window won't pull in unrelated data.
+        auto low_ts = db_clock::now() - ttl;
+        topologies = co_await _system_keyspace.read_cdc_for_tablets_versioned_streams(bs->ks_name(), bs->cf_name(), low_ts);
+    } else {
+        auto normal_token_owners = _proxy.get_token_metadata_ptr()->count_normal_token_owners();
+        auto low_ts = std::max(as_timepoint(schema->id()), db_clock::now() - ttl);
+        topologies = co_await _sdks.cdc_get_versioned_streams(low_ts, { normal_token_owners });
+    }
 
-    std::map<db_clock::time_point, cdc::streams_version> topologies = co_await _sdks.cdc_get_versioned_streams(low_ts, { normal_token_owners });
     const auto e = topologies.end();
     std::optional<shard_id> shard_filter;
 
@@ -1485,9 +1497,15 @@ future<executor::request_return_type> executor::get_records(client_state& client
     }
 
     // ugh. figure out if we are and end-of-shard
-    auto normal_token_owners = _proxy.get_token_metadata_ptr()->count_normal_token_owners();
 
-    db_clock::time_point ts = co_await _sdks.cdc_current_generation_timestamp({ normal_token_owners });
+    db_clock::time_point ts;
+    if (schema->table().uses_tablets()) {
+        ts = co_await _system_keyspace.read_cdc_for_tablets_current_generation_timestamp(base->ks_name(), base->cf_name());
+    } else {
+        auto normal_token_owners = _proxy.get_token_metadata_ptr()->count_normal_token_owners();
+        ts = co_await _sdks.cdc_current_generation_timestamp({ normal_token_owners });
+    }
+
     auto& shard = iter.shard;
 
     if (shard.time < ts && ts < high_ts) {