diff --git a/tsdb/record/bench_test.go b/tsdb/record/bench_test.go
index 93126f9e12..4a62045c9e 100644
--- a/tsdb/record/bench_test.go
+++ b/tsdb/record/bench_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import (
 func TestEncodeDecode(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tcase := range []testrecord.RefSamplesCase{
 		testrecord.Realistic1000Samples,
-		testrecord.Realistic1000WithSTDeltaSamples,
+		testrecord.Realistic1000WithVariableSTSamples,
 		testrecord.Realistic1000WithConstSTSamples,
 		testrecord.WorstCase1000,
 		testrecord.WorstCase1000WithSTSamples,
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ var (
 	compressions = []compression.Type{compression.None, compression.Snappy, compression.Zstd}
 	dataCases    = []testrecord.RefSamplesCase{
 		testrecord.Realistic1000Samples,
-		testrecord.Realistic1000WithSTDeltaSamples,
+		testrecord.Realistic1000WithVariableSTSamples,
 		testrecord.Realistic1000WithConstSTSamples,
 		testrecord.WorstCase1000,
 		testrecord.WorstCase1000WithSTSamples,
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func BenchmarkEncode_Samples(b *testing.B) {
 
 // func TestEncode(t *testing.T) {
 // 	var (
-// 		samples = testrecord.GenTestRefSamplesCase(t,testrecord.Realistic1000WithSTDeltaSamples)
+// 		samples = testrecord.GenTestRefSamplesCase(t, testrecord.Realistic1000WithVariableSTSamples)
 // 		enc     = record.Encoder{STPerSample: UseV2}
 // 		buf     []byte
 // 		cBuf    []byte
diff --git a/tsdb/record/record.go b/tsdb/record/record.go
index 485faa5ab3..0b2772d30e 100644
--- a/tsdb/record/record.go
+++ b/tsdb/record/record.go
@@ -396,7 +396,8 @@ func (*Decoder) samplesV2(dec *encoding.Decbuf, samples []RefSample) ([]RefSampl
 		case sameST:
 			ST = prev.ST
 		default:
-			ST = firstT + dec.Varint64()
+			v := dec.Varint64()
+			ST = firstT - v
 		}
 
 		val = dec.Be64()
@@ -833,7 +834,7 @@ func (*Encoder) samplesV2(samples []RefSample, b []byte) []byte {
 		buf.PutByte(0)
 	} else {
 		buf.PutByte(explicitST)
-		buf.PutVarint64(first.ST - first.T)
+		buf.PutVarint64(first.T - first.ST)
 	}
 	buf.PutBE64(math.Float64bits(first.V))
 
@@ -854,7 +855,7 @@ func (*Encoder) samplesV2(samples []RefSample, b []byte) []byte {
 			buf.PutByte(sameST)
 		default:
 			buf.PutByte(explicitST)
-			buf.PutVarint64(s.ST - first.T)
+			buf.PutVarint64(first.T - s.ST)
 		}
 		buf.PutBE64(math.Float64bits(s.V))
 	}
diff --git a/util/testrecord/record.go b/util/testrecord/record.go
index 9c3061c1d1..e5071d42c8 100644
--- a/util/testrecord/record.go
+++ b/util/testrecord/record.go
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ import (
 type RefSamplesCase string
 
 const (
-	Realistic1000Samples            RefSamplesCase = "real1000"
-	Realistic1000WithSTDeltaSamples RefSamplesCase = "real1000-dst"
-	Realistic1000WithConstSTSamples RefSamplesCase = "real1000-cst"
-	WorstCase1000                   RefSamplesCase = "worst1000"
-	WorstCase1000WithSTSamples      RefSamplesCase = "worst1000-st"
+	Realistic1000Samples               RefSamplesCase = "real1000"
+	Realistic1000WithVariableSTSamples RefSamplesCase = "real1000-vst"
+	Realistic1000WithConstSTSamples    RefSamplesCase = "real1000-cst"
+	WorstCase1000                      RefSamplesCase = "worst1000"
+	WorstCase1000WithSTSamples         RefSamplesCase = "worst1000-st"
 )
 
 func GenTestRefSamplesCase(t testing.TB, c RefSamplesCase) []record.RefSample {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func GenTestRefSamplesCase(t testing.TB, c RefSamplesCase) []record.RefSample {
 			ret[i].V = highVarianceFloat(i)
 		}
 	// Likely the start times will all be the same with deltas.
-	case Realistic1000WithSTDeltaSamples:
+	case Realistic1000WithConstSTSamples:
 		for i := range ret {
 			ret[i].Ref = chunks.HeadSeriesRef(i)
 			ret[i].ST = int64(12423423)
@@ -52,11 +52,11 @@ func GenTestRefSamplesCase(t testing.TB, c RefSamplesCase) []record.RefSample {
 			ret[i].V = highVarianceFloat(i)
 		}
 	// Maybe series have different start times though
-	case Realistic1000WithConstSTSamples:
+	case Realistic1000WithVariableSTSamples:
 		for i := range ret {
 			ret[i].Ref = chunks.HeadSeriesRef(i)
-			ret[i].ST = int64(12423423 + (i / 100))
-			ret[i].T = int64(12423423 + 2000)
+			ret[i].ST = int64((12423423 / 9) * (i % 10))
+			ret[i].T = int64(12423423)
 			ret[i].V = highVarianceFloat(i)
 		}
 	case WorstCase1000: