diff --git a/alternator/executor.cc b/alternator/executor.cc
index 842925b28a..4e495cbd64 100644
--- a/alternator/executor.cc
+++ b/alternator/executor.cc
@@ -3621,7 +3621,7 @@ static rjson::value encode_paging_state(const schema& schema, const service::pag
     // We conditionally include these fields when reading CQL tables through alternator.
     if (!is_alternator_keyspace(schema.ks_name()) && (!pos.has_key() || pos.get_bound_weight() != bound_weight::equal)) {
         rjson::add_with_string_name(last_evaluated_key, scylla_paging_region, rjson::empty_object());
-        rjson::add(last_evaluated_key[scylla_paging_region.data()], "S", rjson::from_string(to_string(pos.region())));
+        rjson::add(last_evaluated_key[scylla_paging_region.data()], "S", rjson::from_string(fmt::to_string(pos.region())));
         rjson::add_with_string_name(last_evaluated_key, scylla_paging_weight, rjson::empty_object());
         rjson::add(last_evaluated_key[scylla_paging_weight.data()], "N", static_cast<int>(pos.get_bound_weight()));
     }
diff --git a/mutation/mutation_fragment.cc b/mutation/mutation_fragment.cc
index 1a0e18f8bc..2fb494c6aa 100644
--- a/mutation/mutation_fragment.cc
+++ b/mutation/mutation_fragment.cc
@@ -38,16 +38,6 @@ operator<<(std::ostream& os, const partition_end& eop) {
     return os << "{partition_end}";
 }
 
-std::string_view to_string(partition_region r) {
-    switch (r) {
-        case partition_region::partition_start: return "partition_start";
-        case partition_region::static_row: return "static_row";
-        case partition_region::clustered: return "clustered";
-        case partition_region::partition_end: return "partition_end";
-    }
-    std::abort(); // compiler will error before we reach here
-}
-
 partition_region parse_partition_region(std::string_view s) {
     if (s == "partition_start") {
         return partition_region::partition_start;
@@ -63,7 +53,8 @@ partition_region parse_partition_region(std::string_view s) {
 }
 
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, partition_region r) {
-    return out << to_string(r);
+    fmt::print(out, "{}", r);
+    return out;
 }
 
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, position_in_partition_view::printer p) {
diff --git a/mutation/position_in_partition.hh b/mutation/position_in_partition.hh
index f53ed93081..653396e656 100644
--- a/mutation/position_in_partition.hh
+++ b/mutation/position_in_partition.hh
@@ -82,8 +82,25 @@ enum class partition_region : uint8_t {
 
 struct view_and_holder;
 
+template <>
+struct fmt::formatter<partition_region> : fmt::formatter<std::string_view> {
+    template <typename FormatContext>
+    auto format(const ::partition_region& r, FormatContext& ctx) const {
+        switch (r) {
+            case partition_region::partition_start:
+                return formatter<std::string_view>::format("partition_start", ctx);
+            case partition_region::static_row:
+                return formatter<std::string_view>::format("static_row", ctx);
+            case partition_region::clustered:
+                return formatter<std::string_view>::format("clustered", ctx);
+            case partition_region::partition_end:
+                return formatter<std::string_view>::format("partition_end", ctx);
+        }
+        std::abort(); // compiler will error before we reach here
+    }
+};
+
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream&, partition_region);
-std::string_view to_string(partition_region);
 partition_region parse_partition_region(std::string_view);
 
 class position_in_partition_view {