diff --git a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
index faef69daed8..141e854cfb9 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache.go
@@ -249,5 +249,5 @@ func (e byIP) Swap(i, j int) {
 	e[i], e[j] = e[j], e[i]
 }
 func (e byIP) Less(i, j int) bool {
-	return e[i].IP() < e[j].IP()
+	return e[i].String() < e[j].String()
 }
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
index d4d4af39529..6b41575a87b 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/endpointslicecache_test.go
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ func TestEndpointsMapFromESC(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expectedMap: map[ServicePortName][]*BaseEndpointInfo{
 				makeServicePortName("ns1", "svc1", "port-0"): {
-					&BaseEndpointInfo{Endpoint: "10.0.1.1:80"},
 					&BaseEndpointInfo{Endpoint: "10.0.1.10:80"},
+					&BaseEndpointInfo{Endpoint: "10.0.1.1:80"},
 					&BaseEndpointInfo{Endpoint: "10.0.1.2:80"},
 					&BaseEndpointInfo{Endpoint: "10.0.1.3:80"},
 					&BaseEndpointInfo{Endpoint: "10.0.1.4:80"},