diff --git a/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.hh b/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.hh
index 06d223e87e..62cd10c1fa 100644
--- a/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.hh
+++ b/dht/byte_ordered_partitioner.hh
@@ -29,11 +29,8 @@ public:
     virtual bool preserves_order() override { return true; }
     virtual std::map<token, float> describe_ownership(const std::vector<token>& sorted_tokens) override;
     virtual data_type get_token_validator() override { return bytes_type; }
-    virtual bool is_equal(const token& t1, const token& t2) override {
-        return compare_unsigned(t1._data, t2._data) == 0;
-    }
-    virtual bool is_less(const token& t1, const token& t2) override {
-        return compare_unsigned(t1._data, t2._data) < 0;
+    virtual int tri_compare(const token& t1, const token& t2) override {
+        return compare_unsigned(t1._data, t2._data);
     }
     virtual token midpoint(const token& t1, const token& t2) const;
     virtual sstring to_sstring(const dht::token& t) const override {
diff --git a/dht/i_partitioner.cc b/dht/i_partitioner.cc
index b35f2ba611..d20b265695 100644
--- a/dht/i_partitioner.cc
+++ b/dht/i_partitioner.cc
@@ -94,35 +94,28 @@ static inline unsigned char get_byte(bytes_view b, size_t off) {
     }
 }
 
-bool i_partitioner::is_equal(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
-
-    size_t sz = std::max(t1._data.size(), t2._data.size());
-
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < sz; i++) {
-        auto b1 = get_byte(t1._data, i);
-        auto b2 = get_byte(t2._data, i);
-        if (b1 != b2) {
-            return false;
-        }
-    }
-    return true;
-
-}
-
-bool i_partitioner::is_less(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
-
+int i_partitioner::tri_compare(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
     size_t sz = std::max(t1._data.size(), t2._data.size());
 
     for (size_t i = 0; i < sz; i++) {
         auto b1 = get_byte(t1._data, i);
         auto b2 = get_byte(t2._data, i);
         if (b1 < b2) {
-            return true;
+            return -1;
         } else if (b1 > b2) {
-            return false;
+            return 1;
         }
     }
-    return false;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int tri_compare(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
+    if (t1._kind == t2._kind) {
+        return global_partitioner().tri_compare(t1, t2);
+    } else if (t1._kind < t2._kind) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 1;
 }
 
 bool operator==(const token& t1, const token& t2)
@@ -188,19 +181,20 @@ decorated_key::equal(const schema& s, const decorated_key& other) const {
 
 int
 decorated_key::tri_compare(const schema& s, const decorated_key& other) const {
-    if (_token == other._token) {
-        return _key.legacy_tri_compare(s, other._key);
+    auto r = dht::tri_compare(_token, other._token);
+    if (r != 0) {
+        return r;
     } else {
-        return _token < other._token ? -1 : 1;
+        return _key.legacy_tri_compare(s, other._key);
     }
 }
 
 int
 decorated_key::tri_compare(const schema& s, const ring_position& other) const {
-    if (_token != other.token()) {
-        return _token < other.token() ? -1 : 1;
-    }
-    if (other.has_key()) {
+    auto r = dht::tri_compare(_token, other.token());
+    if (r != 0) {
+        return r;
+    } else if (other.has_key()) {
         return _key.legacy_tri_compare(s, *other.key());
     }
     return -other.relation_to_keys();
diff --git a/dht/i_partitioner.hh b/dht/i_partitioner.hh
index a5256fa8e7..fa8fc1edd6 100644
--- a/dht/i_partitioner.hh
+++ b/dht/i_partitioner.hh
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ token minimum_token();
 token maximum_token();
 bool operator==(const token& t1, const token& t2);
 bool operator<(const token& t1, const token& t2);
+int tri_compare(const token& t1, const token& t2);
 inline bool operator!=(const token& t1, const token& t2) { return std::rel_ops::operator!=(t1, t2); }
 inline bool operator>(const token& t1, const token& t2) { return std::rel_ops::operator>(t1, t2); }
 inline bool operator<=(const token& t1, const token& t2) { return std::rel_ops::operator<=(t1, t2); }
@@ -231,17 +232,26 @@ public:
      */
     virtual unsigned shard_of(const token& t) const = 0;
 protected:
+    /**
+     * @return < 0 if if t1's _data array is less, t2's. 0 if they are equal, and > 0 otherwise. _kind comparison should be done separately.
+     */
+    virtual int tri_compare(const token& t1, const token& t2);
     /**
      * @return true if t1's _data array is equal t2's. _kind comparison should be done separately.
      */
-    virtual bool is_equal(const token& t1, const token& t2);
+    bool is_equal(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
+        return tri_compare(t1, t2) == 0;
+    }
     /**
      * @return true if t1's _data array is less then t2's. _kind comparison should be done separately.
      */
-    virtual bool is_less(const token& t1, const token& t2);
+    bool is_less(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
+        return tri_compare(t1, t2) < 0;
+    }
 
     friend bool operator==(const token& t1, const token& t2);
     friend bool operator<(const token& t1, const token& t2);
+    friend int tri_compare(const token& t1, const token& t2);
 };
 
 //
diff --git a/dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc b/dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc
index 8d21ee4ec3..49bbb0a337 100644
--- a/dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc
+++ b/dht/murmur3_partitioner.cc
@@ -71,20 +71,15 @@ sstring murmur3_partitioner::to_sstring(const token& t) const {
     return ::to_sstring(long_token(t));
 }
 
-bool murmur3_partitioner::is_equal(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
+int murmur3_partitioner::tri_compare(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
+    long l1 = long_token(t1);
+    long l2 = long_token(t2);
 
-    auto l1 = long_token(t1);
-    auto l2 = long_token(t2);
-
-    return l1 == l2;
-}
-
-bool murmur3_partitioner::is_less(const token& t1, const token& t2) {
-
-    auto l1 = long_token(t1);
-    auto l2 = long_token(t2);
-
-    return l1 < l2;
+    if (l1 == l2) {
+        return 0;
+    } else {
+        return l1 < l2 ? -1 : 1;
+    }
 }
 
 token murmur3_partitioner::midpoint(const token& t1, const token& t2) const {
diff --git a/dht/murmur3_partitioner.hh b/dht/murmur3_partitioner.hh
index db640a8349..371bf5f911 100644
--- a/dht/murmur3_partitioner.hh
+++ b/dht/murmur3_partitioner.hh
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ public:
     virtual bool preserves_order() override { return false; }
     virtual std::map<token, float> describe_ownership(const std::vector<token>& sorted_tokens) override;
     virtual data_type get_token_validator() override;
-    virtual bool is_equal(const token& t1, const token& t2) override;
-    virtual bool is_less(const token& t1, const token& t2) override;
+    virtual int tri_compare(const token& t1, const token& t2) override;
     virtual token midpoint(const token& t1, const token& t2) const override;
     virtual sstring to_sstring(const dht::token& t) const override;
     virtual unsigned shard_of(const token& t) const override;