diff --git a/src/domain/elfDeclaredRanges.ts b/src/domain/elfDeclaredRanges.ts
index d1812419bd..20a5859c7a 100644
--- a/src/domain/elfDeclaredRanges.ts
+++ b/src/domain/elfDeclaredRanges.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,22 @@ const extendedCounts = (
   return ok(counts);
 };
 
+/** A name index or extended count cannot refer to an absent section table. */
+export const validateElfSectionTablePresence = (tables: {
+  readonly programs: { readonly count: number };
+  readonly sections: {
+    readonly offset: bigint;
+    readonly count: number;
+    readonly namesIndex: number;
+  };
+}): Result<null, string> =>
+  tables.sections.offset === 0n &&
+  (tables.sections.count !== 0 ||
+    tables.sections.namesIndex !== 0 ||
+    tables.programs.count === 0xffff)
+    ? err("ELF section table is missing")
+    : ok(null);
+
 /** Canonical table declarations, including extended counts in inactive section zero. */
 export function* readElfTableDeclarations(
   bytes: Buffer,
@@ -122,11 +138,8 @@ export function* readElfTableDeclarations(
   let programCount = BigInt(programs.count);
   let sectionCount = BigInt(sections.count);
   let namesIndex = sections.namesIndex;
-  if (
-    sectionOffset === 0n &&
-    (sectionCount !== 0n || namesIndex !== 0 || programCount === 0xffffn)
-  )
-    return err("ELF section table is missing");
+  const presence = validateElfSectionTablePresence(raw.value);
+  if (!presence.ok) return presence;
   if (
     sectionOffset !== 0n &&
     (sectionCount === 0n || namesIndex === 0xffff || programCount === 0xffffn)
diff --git a/src/native/elf/ElfNoteParser.test.ts b/src/native/elf/ElfNoteParser.test.ts
index 5ce0c87a10..844edfbb36 100644
--- a/src/native/elf/ElfNoteParser.test.ts
+++ b/src/native/elf/ElfNoteParser.test.ts
@@ -695,3 +695,25 @@ it("keeps compressed-note refusal ahead of alignment precision admission", () =>
     "Compressed ELF note sections are unsupported",
   );
 });
+
+it.each([
+  { bits: 32, little: true },
+  { bits: 32, little: false },
+  { bits: 64, little: true },
+  { bits: 64, little: false },
+] as const)(
+  "rejects dangling section names with and without notes (ELF$bits $little)",
+  ({ bits, little }) => {
+    for (const ownership of ["program", "none"] as const) {
+      const bytes = elfNoteFixture({ bits, little, ownership });
+      const before = parse(bytes);
+      const nameOffset = bits === 64 ? 62 : 50;
+      if (little) bytes.writeUInt16LE(5, nameOffset);
+      else bytes.writeUInt16BE(5, nameOffset);
+      expect(() => parse(bytes)).toThrow("ELF section table is missing");
+      if (little) bytes.writeUInt16LE(0, nameOffset);
+      else bytes.writeUInt16BE(0, nameOffset);
+      expect(parse(bytes)).toEqual(before);
+    }
+  },
+);
diff --git a/src/native/elf/ElfNoteParser.ts b/src/native/elf/ElfNoteParser.ts
index f06ba6cca8..4112f9726d 100644
--- a/src/native/elf/ElfNoteParser.ts
+++ b/src/native/elf/ElfNoteParser.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
 } from "../../domain/elfStringTable.js";
 import { readElfSectionHeader } from "../../domain/elfSectionHeader.js";
 import { readElfProgramHeader } from "../../domain/elfProgramHeader.js";
+import { validateElfSectionTablePresence } from "../../domain/elfDeclaredRanges.js";
 import { readElfRawTableDeclarations } from "../../domain/elfRawTableDeclarations.js";
 import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
 import { ArtifactReaderFailure } from "../../artifacts/ArtifactReader.js";
@@ -308,6 +309,8 @@ export const parseElfNotes = (
     sections.offset > BigInt(Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER)
   )
     return fail("ELF offset or size exceeds a safe integer.");
+  const presence = validateElfSectionTablePresence(raw.value);
+  if (!presence.ok) return fail(presence.error);
   const phoff = Number(programs.offset);
   const shoff = Number(sections.offset);
   const phentsize = programs.width;
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/elfNotesCli.test.ts b/tests/acceptance/elfNotesCli.test.ts
index 13b31943a3..faffdd13aa 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/elfNotesCli.test.ts
+++ b/tests/acceptance/elfNotesCli.test.ts
@@ -160,3 +160,48 @@ cliTest(
     expect((await readFile(path)).equals(before)).toBe(true);
   },
 );
+
+cliTest(
+  "rejects dangling section-name references and preserves sectionless notes",
+  async ({ cli }) => {
+    const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-elf-notes-presence-cli-");
+    const path = join(root, "program");
+    for (const ownership of ["program", "none"] as const) {
+      const bytes = elfNoteFixture({ ownership });
+      bytes.writeUInt16LE(5, 62);
+      await writeFile(path, bytes);
+      const result = await cli.run({
+        arguments: ["inspect-elf-notes", path, "--json"],
+      });
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+      expect(result.json).toMatchObject({
+        code: "invalid_request",
+        category: "invalid_input",
+        details: {
+          operation: "inspect_elf_notes",
+          issues: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              path: ["path"],
+              reason: "invalid_format",
+              message: "ELF section table is missing",
+            }),
+          ],
+        },
+      });
+      expect((await readFile(path)).equals(bytes)).toBe(true);
+      bytes.writeUInt16LE(0, 62);
+      await writeFile(path, bytes);
+      const accepted = await cli.run({
+        arguments: ["inspect-elf-notes", path, "--json"],
+      });
+      expect(accepted.exitCode, accepted.stderr).toBe(0);
+      const evidence = toolContract("inspect_elf_notes").outputSchema.parse(
+        accepted.json,
+      );
+      expect(evidence.normalized_result.coverage.status).toBe("complete");
+      expect(evidence.normalized_result.tables).toHaveLength(
+        ownership === "none" ? 0 : 1,
+      );
+    }
+  },
+);
diff --git a/tests/boundary/mcp/elfNotesMcp.test.ts b/tests/boundary/mcp/elfNotesMcp.test.ts
index 63686bc91d..02325edde9 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/mcp/elfNotesMcp.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/mcp/elfNotesMcp.test.ts
@@ -163,3 +163,51 @@ mcpTest(
     }
   },
 );
+
+mcpTest(
+  "rejects dangling section-name references and recovers in the same session",
+  async ({ mcp }) => {
+    const { client, session } = await connect(mcp);
+    try {
+      const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-elf-notes-presence-mcp-");
+      const path = join(root, "program");
+      const bytes = elfNoteFixture({ ownership: "program" });
+      bytes.writeUInt16LE(5, 62);
+      await writeFile(path, bytes);
+      const rejected = await client.callTool({
+        name: "inspect_elf_notes",
+        arguments: { path },
+      });
+      expect(rejected.isError).toBe(true);
+      expect(parseMcpToolError(rejected).error).toMatchObject({
+        code: "invalid_request",
+        category: "invalid_input",
+        details: {
+          issues: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              path: ["path"],
+              reason: "invalid_format",
+              message: "ELF section table is missing",
+            }),
+          ],
+        },
+      });
+      expect((await readFile(path)).equals(bytes)).toBe(true);
+      bytes.writeUInt16LE(0, 62);
+      await writeFile(path, bytes);
+      const accepted = await client.callTool({
+        name: "inspect_elf_notes",
+        arguments: { path },
+      });
+      expect(accepted.isError).not.toBe(true);
+      const evidence = toolContract("inspect_elf_notes").outputSchema.parse(
+        accepted.structuredContent,
+      );
+      expect(evidence.normalized_result.entries[0]?.gnu?.build_id_hex).toBe(
+        "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567",
+      );
+    } finally {
+      await session.close();
+    }
+  },
+);