diff --git a/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage.go b/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage.go
index f7c1daca5..f97075208 100644
--- a/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage.go
+++ b/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage.go
@@ -508,18 +508,17 @@ func mergeSortBlocks(dst *Result, sbh sortBlocksHeap, dedupInterval int64) {
 		}
 		sbNext := sbh.getNextBlock()
 		tsNext := sbNext.Timestamps[sbNext.NextIdx]
-		topTimestamps := top.Timestamps
 		topNextIdx := top.NextIdx
-		if n := equalTimestampsPrefix(topTimestamps[topNextIdx:], sbNext.Timestamps[sbNext.NextIdx:]); n > 0 && dedupInterval > 0 {
+		if n := equalSamplesPrefix(top, sbNext); n > 0 && dedupInterval > 0 {
 			// Skip n replicated samples at top if deduplication is enabled.
 			top.NextIdx = topNextIdx + n
 		} else {
 			// Copy samples from top to dst with timestamps not exceeding tsNext.
-			top.NextIdx = topNextIdx + binarySearchTimestamps(topTimestamps[topNextIdx:], tsNext)
-			dst.Timestamps = append(dst.Timestamps, topTimestamps[topNextIdx:top.NextIdx]...)
+			top.NextIdx = topNextIdx + binarySearchTimestamps(top.Timestamps[topNextIdx:], tsNext)
+			dst.Timestamps = append(dst.Timestamps, top.Timestamps[topNextIdx:top.NextIdx]...)
 			dst.Values = append(dst.Values, top.Values[topNextIdx:top.NextIdx]...)
 		}
-		if top.NextIdx < len(topTimestamps) {
+		if top.NextIdx < len(top.Timestamps) {
 			heap.Fix(&sbh, 0)
 		} else {
 			heap.Pop(&sbh)
@@ -535,6 +534,14 @@ func mergeSortBlocks(dst *Result, sbh sortBlocksHeap, dedupInterval int64) {
 
 var dedupsDuringSelect = metrics.NewCounter(`vm_deduplicated_samples_total{type="select"}`)
 
+func equalSamplesPrefix(a, b *sortBlock) int {
+	n := equalTimestampsPrefix(a.Timestamps[a.NextIdx:], b.Timestamps[b.NextIdx:])
+	if n == 0 {
+		return 0
+	}
+	return equalValuesPrefix(a.Values[a.NextIdx:a.NextIdx+n], b.Values[b.NextIdx:b.NextIdx+n])
+}
+
 func equalTimestampsPrefix(a, b []int64) int {
 	for i, v := range a {
 		if i >= len(b) || v != b[i] {
@@ -544,6 +551,15 @@ func equalTimestampsPrefix(a, b []int64) int {
 	return len(a)
 }
 
+func equalValuesPrefix(a, b []float64) int {
+	for i, v := range a {
+		if i >= len(b) || v != b[i] {
+			return i
+		}
+	}
+	return len(a)
+}
+
 func binarySearchTimestamps(timestamps []int64, ts int64) int {
 	// The code has been adapted from sort.Search.
 	n := len(timestamps)
diff --git a/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage_test.go b/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage_test.go
index 4b20553be..a6ea47892 100644
--- a/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage_test.go
+++ b/app/vmselect/netstorage/netstorage_test.go
@@ -102,21 +102,35 @@ func TestMergeSortBlocks(t *testing.T) {
 		Values:     []float64{9, 4.2, 2.1, 5.2, 42, 6.1},
 	})
 
-	// Multiple blocks with identical timestamps.
+	// Multiple blocks with identical timestamps and identical values.
 	f([]*sortBlock{
+		{
+			Timestamps: []int64{1, 2, 4, 5},
+			Values:     []float64{9, 5.2, 6.1, 9},
+		},
 		{
 			Timestamps: []int64{1, 2, 4},
 			Values:     []float64{9, 5.2, 6.1},
 		},
+	}, 1, &Result{
+		Timestamps: []int64{1, 2, 4, 5},
+		Values:     []float64{9, 5.2, 6.1, 9},
+	})
+
+	// Multiple blocks with identical timestamps.
+	f([]*sortBlock{
+		{
+			Timestamps: []int64{1, 2, 4, 5},
+			Values:     []float64{9, 5.2, 6.1, 9},
+		},
 		{
 			Timestamps: []int64{1, 2, 4},
 			Values:     []float64{4.2, 2.1, 42},
 		},
 	}, 1, &Result{
-		Timestamps: []int64{1, 2, 4},
-		Values:     []float64{4.2, 2.1, 42},
+		Timestamps: []int64{1, 2, 4, 5},
+		Values:     []float64{9, 5.2, 42, 9},
 	})
-
 	// Multiple blocks with identical timestamps, disabled deduplication.
 	f([]*sortBlock{
 		{
diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index f5f27a701..e80e4c591 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ The following tip changes can be tested by building VictoriaMetrics components f
 * BUGFIX: [vmagent](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmagent.html): [dockerswarm_sd_configs](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/sd_configs.html#dockerswarm_sd_configs): properly encode `filters` field. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/3579).
 * BUGFIX: [vmagent](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmagent.html): fix possible resource leak after hot reload of the updated [consul_sd_configs](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/sd_configs.html#consul_sd_configs). See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/3468).
 * BUGFIX: properly return label names starting from uppercase such as `CamelCaseLabel` from [/api/v1/labels](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/url-examples.html#apiv1labels). See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/3566).
+* BUGFIX: consistently select the sample with the biggest value out of samples with identical timestamps during querying when the [deduplication](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#deduplication) is enabled according to [this feature request](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/3333). Previously random samples could be selected during querying.
 
 
 ## [v1.85.3](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases/tag/v1.85.3)