diff --git a/src/common/src/util/epoch.rs b/src/common/src/util/epoch.rs
index e5478fae769bb..b9a47b29b1071 100644
--- a/src/common/src/util/epoch.rs
+++ b/src/common/src/util/epoch.rs
@@ -116,8 +116,11 @@ impl Epoch {
 
 pub const EPOCH_AVAILABLE_BITS: u64 = 16;
 pub const MAX_SPILL_TIMES: u16 = ((1 << EPOCH_AVAILABLE_BITS) - 1) as u16;
-pub const EPOCH_MASK: u64 = (1 << EPOCH_AVAILABLE_BITS) - 1;
-pub const MAX_EPOCH: u64 = u64::MAX & !EPOCH_MASK;
+// Low EPOCH_AVAILABLE_BITS bits set to 1
+pub const EPOCH_SPILL_TIME_MASK: u64 = (1 << EPOCH_AVAILABLE_BITS) - 1;
+// High (64-EPOCH_AVAILABLE_BITS) bits set to 1
+const EPOCH_MASK: u64 = !EPOCH_SPILL_TIME_MASK;
+pub const MAX_EPOCH: u64 = u64::MAX & EPOCH_MASK;
 
 pub fn is_max_epoch(epoch: u64) -> bool {
     // Since we have write `MAX_EPOCH` as max epoch to sstable in some previous version,
diff --git a/src/storage/hummock_sdk/src/lib.rs b/src/storage/hummock_sdk/src/lib.rs
index c6cb930e62738..af5b170dcc497 100644
--- a/src/storage/hummock_sdk/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/storage/hummock_sdk/src/lib.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ mod key_cmp;
 use std::cmp::Ordering;
 
 pub use key_cmp::*;
-use risingwave_common::util::epoch::EPOCH_MASK;
+use risingwave_common::util::epoch::EPOCH_SPILL_TIME_MASK;
 use risingwave_pb::common::{batch_query_epoch, BatchQueryEpoch};
 use risingwave_pb::hummock::SstableInfo;
 
@@ -284,11 +284,12 @@ impl EpochWithGap {
         //  So for compatibility, we must skip checking it for u64::MAX. See bug description in https://github.com/risingwavelabs/risingwave/issues/13717
         #[cfg(not(feature = "enable_test_epoch"))]
         {
-            debug_assert!(
-                ((epoch & EPOCH_MASK) == 0) || risingwave_common::util::epoch::is_max_epoch(epoch)
-            );
-            let epoch_with_gap = epoch + spill_offset as u64;
-            EpochWithGap(epoch_with_gap)
+            if risingwave_common::util::epoch::is_max_epoch(epoch) {
+                EpochWithGap::new_max_epoch()
+            } else {
+                debug_assert!((epoch & EPOCH_SPILL_TIME_MASK) == 0);
+                EpochWithGap(epoch + spill_offset as u64)
+            }
         }
         #[cfg(feature = "enable_test_epoch")]
         {
@@ -322,7 +323,7 @@ impl EpochWithGap {
     pub fn pure_epoch(&self) -> HummockEpoch {
         #[cfg(not(feature = "enable_test_epoch"))]
         {
-            self.0 & !EPOCH_MASK
+            self.0 & !EPOCH_SPILL_TIME_MASK
         }
         #[cfg(feature = "enable_test_epoch")]
         {
@@ -331,6 +332,6 @@ impl EpochWithGap {
     }
 
     pub fn offset(&self) -> u64 {
-        self.0 & EPOCH_MASK
+        self.0 & EPOCH_SPILL_TIME_MASK
     }
 }