diff --git a/src/v/cloud_storage/remote_partition.cc b/src/v/cloud_storage/remote_partition.cc
index a3c0cc7683bad..02964280c723c 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_storage/remote_partition.cc
+++ b/src/v/cloud_storage/remote_partition.cc
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "cloud_storage/tx_range_manifest.h"
 #include "cloud_storage/types.h"
 #include "model/fundamental.h"
+#include "model/timestamp.h"
 #include "net/connection.h"
 #include "ssx/future-util.h"
 #include "ssx/watchdog.h"
@@ -605,27 +606,23 @@ class partition_record_batch_reader_impl final
                 [&](model::timestamp query_ts) {
                     // Special case, it can happen when a timequery falls below
                     // the clean offset. Caused when the query races with
-                    // retention/gc. log a warning, since the kafka client can
-                    // handle a failed query
+                    // retention/gc.
                     auto const& spillovers = _partition->_manifest_view
                                                ->stm_manifest()
                                                .get_spillover_map();
-                    if (
-                      spillovers.empty()
-                      || spillovers.get_max_timestamp_column()
-                             .last_value()
-                             .value_or(model::timestamp::max()())
-                           >= query_ts()) {
+
+                    bool timestamp_inside_spillover
+                      = query_ts() <= spillovers.get_max_timestamp_column()
+                                        .last_value()
+                                        .value_or(model::timestamp::min()());
+
+                    if (timestamp_inside_spillover) {
                         vlog(
                           _ctxlog.debug,
                           "Manifest query raced with retention and the result "
                           "is below the clean/start offset for {}",
                           query_ts);
-                        return true;
                     }
-
-                    // query was not meant for archive region. fallthrough and
-                    // log an error
                     return false;
                 })) {
                 // error was handled
diff --git a/src/v/cloud_storage/tests/remote_partition_test.cc b/src/v/cloud_storage/tests/remote_partition_test.cc
index 7bd90f8181108..caba7212298aa 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_storage/tests/remote_partition_test.cc
+++ b/src/v/cloud_storage/tests/remote_partition_test.cc
@@ -2417,9 +2417,17 @@ FIXTURE_TEST(test_out_of_range_spillover_query, cloud_storage_fixture) {
           return what.find("Failed to query spillover manifests") != what.npos;
       });
 
-    // BUG: This assertion is disabled because it currently fails.
-    // test_log.debug("Timestamp undershoots the partition");
-    // BOOST_TEST_REQUIRE(timequery(*this, model::timestamp(100), 3 * 6));
+    // Timestamp undershoots the partition.
+    // It shouldn't throw. But as an interim workaround we throw until
+    // clean offset catches up with start offset.
+    // The clients will retry.
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_EXCEPTION(
+      timequery(*this, model::timestamp(100), 3 * 6),
+      std::runtime_error,
+      [](const auto& ex) {
+          ss::sstring what{ex.what()};
+          return what.find("Failed to query spillover manifests") != what.npos;
+      });
 
     test_log.debug("Timestamp within valid spillover but below archive start");
     BOOST_TEST_REQUIRE(
@@ -2435,4 +2443,22 @@ FIXTURE_TEST(test_out_of_range_spillover_query, cloud_storage_fixture) {
 
     test_log.debug("Timestamp overshoots the partition");
     BOOST_TEST_REQUIRE(timequery(*this, model::timestamp::max(), 0));
+
+    // Rewrite the manifest with clean offset to match start offset.
+    manifest.set_archive_clean_offset(
+      archive_start, manifest.archive_size_bytes() / 2);
+    vlog(
+      test_util_log.info,
+      "Rewriting manifest at {}:\n{}",
+      manifest.get_manifest_path(),
+      ostr.str());
+
+    remove_expectations({manifest_url});
+    add_expectations({
+      cloud_storage_fixture::expectation{
+        .url = manifest_url, .body = serialize_manifest(manifest)},
+    });
+
+    // This query should now succeed.
+    BOOST_TEST_REQUIRE(timequery(*this, model::timestamp(100), 3 * 6));
 }