diff --git a/backends/p4tools/p4tools.def b/backends/p4tools/p4tools.def
index 062a7db451b..205c7b4dc22 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/p4tools.def
+++ b/backends/p4tools/p4tools.def
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class StateVariable : Expression {
 
     isSemanticallyLess {
         if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;
-        if (node_type_name() != a_.node_type_name()) return node_type_name() < a_.node_type_name();
+        if (typeId() != a_.typeId()) return typeId() < a_.typeId();
         auto &a = static_cast<const StateVariable &>(a_);
         return compare(ref, a.ref) < 0;
     }
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class SymbolicVariable : Expression {
 
     isSemanticallyLess {
         if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;
-        if (node_type_name() !=  a_.node_type_name()) return node_type_name() <  a_.node_type_name();
+        if (typeId() !=  a_.typeId()) return typeId() <  a_.typeId();
         auto &a = static_cast<const SymbolicVariable &>(a_);
         return label < a.label; /* ignore type */
     }
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ public:
 
     isSemanticallyLess {
         if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;
-        if (node_type_name() !=  a_.node_type_name()) return node_type_name() <  a_.node_type_name();
+        if (typeId() !=  a_.typeId()) return typeId() <  a_.typeId();
         auto &a = static_cast<const ConcolicVariable &>(a_);
         return label < a.label; /* ignore type */
     }
diff --git a/ir/base.def b/ir/base.def
index 58e7a3ef94a..1b4452f74fd 100644
--- a/ir/base.def
+++ b/ir/base.def
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ class AnnotationToken {
     dbprint { out << text; }
     isSemanticallyLess {
         if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;
-        if (node_type_name() != a_.node_type_name()) return node_type_name() < a_.node_type_name();
+        if (typeId() != a_.typeId()) return typeId() < a_.typeId();
         auto &a = static_cast<const AnnotationToken &>(a_);
         return IR::isSemanticallyLess(token_type, a.token_type)
         || IR::isSemanticallyLess(text, a.text)
diff --git a/ir/expression.def b/ir/expression.def
index 4dbcbdfbe95..f39491876f2 100644
--- a/ir/expression.def
+++ b/ir/expression.def
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ class Constant : Literal {
     visit_children { v.visit(type, "type"); }
     isSemanticallyLess {
         if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;
-        if (node_type_name() != a_.node_type_name()) return node_type_name() < a_.node_type_name();
+        if (typeId() != a_.typeId()) return typeId() < a_.typeId();
         if (Literal::isSemanticallyLess(a_)) return true;
         auto &a = static_cast<const Constant &>(a_);
         return value < a.value; /* ignore base */
diff --git a/ir/node.h b/ir/node.h
index e1ae698ec8e..a3a8df5924f 100644
--- a/ir/node.h
+++ b/ir/node.h
@@ -153,9 +153,9 @@ class Node : public virtual INode {
     virtual bool operator==(const Node &a) const { return this->typeId() == a.typeId(); }
     /* 'equiv' does a deep-equals comparison, comparing all non-pointer fields and recursing
      * though all Node subclass pointers to compare them with 'equiv' as well. */
-    virtual bool equiv(const Node &a) const { return this->typeId() == a.typeId(); }
-    virtual bool isSemanticallyLess(const Node &a) const {
-        return node_type_name() < a.node_type_name();
+    [[nodiscard]] virtual bool equiv(const Node &a) const { return this->typeId() == a.typeId(); }
+    [[nodiscard]] virtual bool isSemanticallyLess(const Node &a) const {
+        return this->typeId() < a.typeId();
     }
 #define DEFINE_OPEQ_FUNC(CLASS, BASE) \
     virtual bool operator==(const CLASS &) const { return false; }
diff --git a/ir/type.def b/ir/type.def
index c181906178f..ad81c4513dc 100644
--- a/ir/type.def
+++ b/ir/type.def
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class Type_Any : Type, ITypeVar {
     isSemanticallyLess {
         if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;
         if (Type::isSemanticallyLess(a_)) return true;
-        return node_type_name() < a_.node_type_name(); /* ignore declid */
+        return typeId() < a_.typeId(); /* ignore declid */
     }
 }
 
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ class Type_InfInt : Type, ITypeVar {
     isSemanticallyLess {
         if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;
         if (Type::isSemanticallyLess(a_)) return true;
-        return node_type_name() < a_.node_type_name(); /* ignore declid */
+        return typeId() < a_.typeId(); /* ignore declid */
     }
     const Type* getP4Type() const override { return this; }
 }
diff --git a/ir/v1.def b/ir/v1.def
index 75f05390793..f756a3a49fa 100644
--- a/ir/v1.def
+++ b/ir/v1.def
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class CalculatedField : IAnnotated {
         v.visit(annotations, "annotations"); }
      isSemanticallyLess {
             if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;
-            if (node_type_name() != a_.node_type_name()) return node_type_name() < a_.node_type_name();
+            if (typeId() != a_.typeId()) return typeId() < a_.typeId();
             auto &a = static_cast<const CalculatedField &>(a_);
             return (field != nullptr ? a.field != nullptr ? field->isSemanticallyLess(*a.field) : false : a.field != nullptr)
             || std::lexicographical_compare(specs.begin(), specs.end(), a.specs.begin(), a.specs.end(), [](const update_or_verify &a, const update_or_verify &b) { return a.isSemanticallyLess(b); })
diff --git a/test/gtest/semantically_less_test.cpp b/test/gtest/semantically_less_test.cpp
index eb75ee96ee3..c8e82fc8c2e 100644
--- a/test/gtest/semantically_less_test.cpp
+++ b/test/gtest/semantically_less_test.cpp
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ TEST(OperatorLess, Types) {
     CHECK_EQUALITY_FOR_P4C_TYPE(a, c);
 
     auto *d = new IR::Type_Boolean();
-    CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_TYPE(a, d);
-    CHECK_GREATER_FOR_P4C_TYPE(d, a);
+    CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_TYPE(d, a);
+    CHECK_GREATER_FOR_P4C_TYPE(a, d);
 
     auto *e = new IR::Type_InfInt();
     CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_TYPE(a, e);
@@ -153,8 +153,8 @@ TEST(OperatorLess, MixedConstants) {
 
     CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_EXPRESSION(d, a);
     CHECK_GREATER_FOR_P4C_EXPRESSION(a, d);
-    CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_EXPRESSION(d, b);
-    CHECK_GREATER_FOR_P4C_EXPRESSION(b, d);
+    CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_EXPRESSION(b, d);
+    CHECK_GREATER_FOR_P4C_EXPRESSION(d, b);
 }
 
 TEST(OperatorLess, ConstantVectors) {
@@ -190,8 +190,8 @@ TEST(OperatorLess, ConstantVectors) {
     auto *p5 = new IR::IndexedVector<IR::Node>(new IR::Constant(t, 0));
     auto *p6 = new IR::IndexedVector<IR::Node>(new IR::StringLiteral(new IR::Type_String(), "a"));
 
-    CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_NODE_VECTOR(p4, p5);
-    CHECK_GREATER_FOR_P4C_NODE_VECTOR(p5, p4);
+    CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_NODE_VECTOR(p5, p4);
+    CHECK_GREATER_FOR_P4C_NODE_VECTOR(p4, p5);
     CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_NODE_VECTOR(p4, p6);
     CHECK_GREATER_FOR_P4C_NODE_VECTOR(p6, p4);
     CHECK_LESS_FOR_P4C_NODE_VECTOR(p5, p6);
diff --git a/tools/ir-generator/methods.cpp b/tools/ir-generator/methods.cpp
index 3e5126b62eb..71065f11422 100644
--- a/tools/ir-generator/methods.cpp
+++ b/tools/ir-generator/methods.cpp
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ const ordered_map<cstring, IrMethod::info_t> IrMethod::Generate = {
               << "if (static_cast<const Node *>(this) == &a_) return false;\n";
           if (auto parent = cl->getParent()) {
               buf << cl->indent << cl->indent
-                  << "if (node_type_name() != a_.node_type_name()) "
-                     "return node_type_name() < a_.node_type_name();\n";
+                  << "if (typeId() != a_.typeId()) "
+                     "return typeId() < a_.typeId();\n";
               if (parent->name != "Node") {
                   buf << cl->indent << cl->indent << "if ("
                       << parent->qualified_name(cl->containedIn)
@@ -174,8 +174,7 @@ const ordered_map<cstring, IrMethod::info_t> IrMethod::Generate = {
                   }
               }
               if (first) {  // no fields?
-                  buf << cl->indent << cl->indent
-                      << "return node_type_name() < a_.node_type_name()";
+                  buf << cl->indent << cl->indent << "return typeId() < a_.typeId()";
               }
               buf << ";" << std::endl;
           }