diff --git a/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/internals/AbstractStickyAssignor.java b/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/internals/AbstractStickyAssignor.java
index d4e023cc098a8..0ba87c9783d9c 100644
--- a/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/internals/AbstractStickyAssignor.java
+++ b/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/clients/consumer/internals/AbstractStickyAssignor.java
@@ -121,6 +121,13 @@ private boolean allSubscriptionsEqual(Set<String> allTopics,
             if (memberData.generation.isPresent() && memberData.generation.get() >= maxGeneration
                 || !memberData.generation.isPresent() && maxGeneration == DEFAULT_GENERATION) {
 
+                // If the current member's generation is higher, all the previously owned partitions are invalid
+                if (memberData.generation.isPresent() && memberData.generation.get() > maxGeneration) {
+                    membersWithOldGeneration.addAll(membersOfCurrentHighestGeneration);
+                    membersOfCurrentHighestGeneration.clear();
+                    maxGeneration = memberData.generation.get();
+                }
+
                 membersOfCurrentHighestGeneration.add(consumer);
                 for (final TopicPartition tp : memberData.partitions) {
                     // filter out any topics that no longer exist or aren't part of the current subscription
@@ -128,13 +135,6 @@ private boolean allSubscriptionsEqual(Set<String> allTopics,
                         ownedPartitions.add(tp);
                     }
                 }
-
-                // If the current member's generation is higher, all the previous owned partitions are invalid
-                if (memberData.generation.isPresent() && memberData.generation.get() > maxGeneration) {
-                    membersWithOldGeneration.addAll(membersOfCurrentHighestGeneration);
-                    membersOfCurrentHighestGeneration.clear();
-                    maxGeneration = memberData.generation.get();
-                }
             }
         }