diff --git a/kernel/time/timekeeping.c b/kernel/time/timekeeping.c
index 8f35455b6250..4e9f2f88c9d6 100644
--- a/kernel/time/timekeeping.c
+++ b/kernel/time/timekeeping.c
@@ -1180,13 +1180,15 @@ static int adjust_historical_crosststamp(struct system_time_snapshot *history,
 }
 
 /*
- * cycle_between - true if test occurs chronologically between before and after
+ * timestamp_in_interval - true if ts is chronologically in [start, end]
+ *
+ * True if ts occurs chronologically at or after start, and before or at end.
  */
-static bool cycle_between(u64 before, u64 test, u64 after)
+static bool timestamp_in_interval(u64 start, u64 end, u64 ts)
 {
-	if (test > before && test < after)
+	if (ts >= start && ts <= end)
 		return true;
-	if (before > after && (test > before || test < after))
+	if (start > end && (ts >= start || ts <= end))
 		return true;
 	return false;
 }
@@ -1246,7 +1248,7 @@ int get_device_system_crosststamp(int (*get_time_fn)
 		 */
 		now = tk_clock_read(&tk->tkr_mono);
 		interval_start = tk->tkr_mono.cycle_last;
-		if (!cycle_between(interval_start, cycles, now)) {
+		if (!timestamp_in_interval(interval_start, now, cycles)) {
 			clock_was_set_seq = tk->clock_was_set_seq;
 			cs_was_changed_seq = tk->cs_was_changed_seq;
 			cycles = interval_start;
@@ -1277,13 +1279,13 @@ int get_device_system_crosststamp(int (*get_time_fn)
 		bool discontinuity;
 
 		/*
-		 * Check that the counter value occurs after the provided
+		 * Check that the counter value is not before the provided
 		 * history reference and that the history doesn't cross a
 		 * clocksource change
 		 */
 		if (!history_begin ||
-		    !cycle_between(history_begin->cycles,
-				   system_counterval.cycles, cycles) ||
+		    !timestamp_in_interval(history_begin->cycles,
+					   cycles, system_counterval.cycles) ||
 		    history_begin->cs_was_changed_seq != cs_was_changed_seq)
 			return -EINVAL;
 		partial_history_cycles = cycles - system_counterval.cycles;