diff --git a/gossip/src/contact_info.rs b/gossip/src/contact_info.rs
index 5e4f5b27cac04a..bf9a25241b25a4 100644
--- a/gossip/src/contact_info.rs
+++ b/gossip/src/contact_info.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ use {
     solana_streamer::socket::SocketAddrSpace,
     static_assertions::const_assert_eq,
     std::{
+        cmp::Ordering,
         collections::HashSet,
         net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr, SocketAddr},
         time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH},
@@ -443,6 +444,24 @@ impl ContactInfo {
     pub(crate) fn check_duplicate(&self, other: &ContactInfo) -> bool {
         self.pubkey == other.pubkey && self.outset < other.outset
     }
+
+    // Returns None if the contact-infos have different pubkey.
+    // Otherwise returns true if (self.outset, self.wallclock) tuple is larger
+    // than (other.outset, other.wallclock).
+    // If the tuples are equal it returns None.
+    #[inline]
+    #[must_use]
+    pub(crate) fn overrides(&self, other: &ContactInfo) -> Option<bool> {
+        if self.pubkey != other.pubkey {
+            return None;
+        }
+        let other = (other.outset, other.wallclock);
+        match (self.outset, self.wallclock).cmp(&other) {
+            Ordering::Less => Some(false),
+            Ordering::Greater => Some(true),
+            Ordering::Equal => None,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl Default for ContactInfo {
@@ -1038,6 +1057,8 @@ mod tests {
             let other = node.clone();
             assert!(!node.check_duplicate(&other));
             assert!(!other.check_duplicate(&node));
+            assert_eq!(node.overrides(&other), None);
+            assert_eq!(other.overrides(&node), None);
         }
         // Updated socket address is not a duplicate instance.
         {
@@ -1046,9 +1067,13 @@ mod tests {
             while other.set_serve_repair(new_rand_socket(&mut rng)).is_err() {}
             assert!(!node.check_duplicate(&other));
             assert!(!other.check_duplicate(&node));
+            assert_eq!(node.overrides(&other), None);
+            assert_eq!(other.overrides(&node), None);
             other.remove_serve_repair();
             assert!(!node.check_duplicate(&other));
             assert!(!other.check_duplicate(&node));
+            assert_eq!(node.overrides(&other), None);
+            assert_eq!(other.overrides(&node), None);
         }
         // Updated wallclock is not a duplicate instance.
         {
@@ -1056,6 +1081,14 @@ mod tests {
             node.set_wallclock(rng.gen());
             assert!(!node.check_duplicate(&other));
             assert!(!other.check_duplicate(&node));
+            assert_eq!(
+                node.overrides(&other),
+                Some(other.wallclock < node.wallclock)
+            );
+            assert_eq!(
+                other.overrides(&node),
+                Some(node.wallclock < other.wallclock)
+            );
         }
         // Different pubkey is not a duplicate instance.
         {
@@ -1066,6 +1099,8 @@ mod tests {
             );
             assert!(!node.check_duplicate(&other));
             assert!(!other.check_duplicate(&node));
+            assert_eq!(node.overrides(&other), None);
+            assert_eq!(other.overrides(&node), None);
         }
         // Same pubkey, more recent outset timestamp is a duplicate instance.
         {
@@ -1077,6 +1112,14 @@ mod tests {
             assert!(node.outset < other.outset);
             assert!(node.check_duplicate(&other));
             assert!(!other.check_duplicate(&node));
+            assert_eq!(node.overrides(&other), Some(false));
+            assert_eq!(other.overrides(&node), Some(true));
+            node.set_wallclock(other.wallclock);
+            assert!(node.outset < other.outset);
+            assert!(node.check_duplicate(&other));
+            assert!(!other.check_duplicate(&node));
+            assert_eq!(node.overrides(&other), Some(false));
+            assert_eq!(other.overrides(&node), Some(true));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/gossip/src/crds.rs b/gossip/src/crds.rs
index e0205e14e62988..087ce66a7455b6 100644
--- a/gossip/src/crds.rs
+++ b/gossip/src/crds.rs
@@ -196,14 +196,21 @@ impl Default for Crds {
 // Both values should have the same key/label.
 fn overrides(value: &CrdsValue, other: &VersionedCrdsValue) -> bool {
     assert_eq!(value.label(), other.value.label(), "labels mismatch!");
-    // Node instances are special cased so that if there are two running
-    // instances of the same node, the more recent start is propagated through
-    // gossip regardless of wallclocks.
+    // Contact-infos and node instances are special cased so that if there are
+    // two running instances of the same node, the more recent start is
+    // propagated through gossip regardless of wallclocks.
     if let CrdsData::NodeInstance(value) = &value.data {
         if let Some(out) = value.overrides(&other.value) {
             return out;
         }
     }
+    if let CrdsData::ContactInfo(value) = &value.data {
+        if let CrdsData::ContactInfo(other) = &other.value.data {
+            if let Some(out) = value.overrides(other) {
+                return out;
+            }
+        }
+    }
     match value.wallclock().cmp(&other.value.wallclock()) {
         Ordering::Less => false,
         Ordering::Greater => true,
@@ -1334,15 +1341,17 @@ mod tests {
         let mut node = ContactInfo::new_rand(&mut rng, Some(pubkey));
         let wallclock = node.wallclock();
         node.set_shred_version(42);
-        let node = CrdsData::ContactInfo(node);
-        let node = CrdsValue::new_unsigned(node);
-        assert_eq!(
-            crds.insert(node, timestamp(), GossipRoute::LocalMessage),
-            Ok(())
-        );
+        {
+            let node = CrdsData::ContactInfo(node.clone());
+            let node = CrdsValue::new_unsigned(node);
+            assert_eq!(
+                crds.insert(node, timestamp(), GossipRoute::LocalMessage),
+                Ok(())
+            );
+        }
         assert_eq!(crds.get_shred_version(&pubkey), Some(42));
         // An outdated  value should not update shred-version:
-        let mut node = ContactInfo::new_rand(&mut rng, Some(pubkey));
+        let mut node = node.clone();
         node.set_wallclock(wallclock - 1); // outdated.
         node.set_shred_version(8);
         let node = CrdsData::ContactInfo(node);
@@ -1481,20 +1490,17 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     #[allow(clippy::neg_cmp_op_on_partial_ord)]
     fn test_hash_order() {
+        let mut node = ContactInfo::new_localhost(&Pubkey::default(), 0);
         let v1 = VersionedCrdsValue::new(
-            CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(ContactInfo::new_localhost(
-                &Pubkey::default(),
-                0,
-            ))),
+            CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(node.clone())),
             Cursor::default(),
             1, // local_timestamp
             GossipRoute::LocalMessage,
         );
         let v2 = VersionedCrdsValue::new(
             {
-                let mut contact_info = ContactInfo::new_localhost(&Pubkey::default(), 0);
-                contact_info.set_rpc((Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST, 1244)).unwrap();
-                CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(contact_info))
+                node.set_rpc((Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST, 1244)).unwrap();
+                CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(node))
             },
             Cursor::default(),
             1, // local_timestamp
@@ -1517,20 +1523,16 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     #[allow(clippy::neg_cmp_op_on_partial_ord)]
     fn test_wallclock_order() {
+        let mut node = ContactInfo::new_localhost(&Pubkey::default(), 1);
         let v1 = VersionedCrdsValue::new(
-            CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(ContactInfo::new_localhost(
-                &Pubkey::default(),
-                1,
-            ))),
+            CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(node.clone())),
             Cursor::default(),
             1, // local_timestamp
             GossipRoute::LocalMessage,
         );
+        node.set_wallclock(0);
         let v2 = VersionedCrdsValue::new(
-            CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(ContactInfo::new_localhost(
-                &Pubkey::default(),
-                0,
-            ))),
+            CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(node)),
             Cursor::default(),
             1, // local_timestamp
             GossipRoute::LocalMessage,
diff --git a/gossip/src/crds_gossip_pull.rs b/gossip/src/crds_gossip_pull.rs
index c708f595343968..b227ed99734e1b 100644
--- a/gossip/src/crds_gossip_pull.rs
+++ b/gossip/src/crds_gossip_pull.rs
@@ -1148,6 +1148,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
 
         let mut dest_crds = Crds::default();
         let new_id = solana_sdk::pubkey::new_rand();
+        let same_key = ContactInfo::new_localhost(&new_id, 0);
         let new = ContactInfo::new_localhost(&new_id, 1);
         ping_cache.mock_pong(*new.pubkey(), new.gossip().unwrap(), Instant::now());
         let new = CrdsValue::new_unsigned(CrdsData::ContactInfo(new));
@@ -1157,7 +1158,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         let dest_crds = RwLock::new(dest_crds);
 
         // node contains a key from the dest node, but at an older local timestamp
-        let same_key = ContactInfo::new_localhost(&new_id, 0);
         ping_cache.mock_pong(
             *same_key.pubkey(),
             same_key.gossip().unwrap(),