diff --git a/docs/uf2-dfuse.md b/docs/uf2-dfuse.md
index 6eadfd3c43..209b221fff 100644
--- a/docs/uf2-dfuse.md
+++ b/docs/uf2-dfuse.md
@@ -127,13 +127,13 @@ its declaration, so the same bytes moved to another device memory are
 
 Root `format_metadata` (`dfuse`) records:
 
-| Field                                                | Meaning                                                                         |
-| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `image_size`, `target_count`                         | `DFUImageSize` and `bTargets` from the prefix                                   |
-| `element_count`, `empty_element_count`, `data_bytes` | All elements, elements of 0 bytes (which have no entry), and element data bytes |
-| `overlapping_element_count`                          | Elements that overlap an earlier element of the same alternate setting          |
-| `device_version`, `product_id`, `vendor_id`          | `bcdDevice`, `idProduct` and `idVendor` from the suffix                         |
-| `suffix_crc`, `computed_crc`                         | The stored `dwCRC`, and the same CRC computed over every byte before it         |
+| Field                                                | Meaning                                                                                     |
+| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `image_size`, `target_count`                         | `DFUImageSize` and `bTargets` from the prefix                                               |
+| `element_count`, `empty_element_count`, `data_bytes` | All elements, elements of 0 bytes (which have no entry), and element data bytes             |
+| `overlapping_element_count`                          | Elements that overlap an earlier element in address order within the same alternate setting |
+| `device_version`, `product_id`, `vendor_id`          | `bcdDevice`, `idProduct` and `idVendor` from the suffix                                     |
+| `suffix_crc`, `computed_crc`                         | The stored `dwCRC`, and the same CRC computed over every byte before it                     |
 
 Recognition already requires `bVersion` 1 and `bcdDFU` `0x011A`, so they are
 not repeated. The DFU suffix CRC is CRC-32 without the final inversion, as
diff --git a/src/domain/firmware/dfuse.ts b/src/domain/firmware/dfuse.ts
index 3a0f01dfb3..df9e8d3817 100644
--- a/src/domain/firmware/dfuse.ts
+++ b/src/domain/firmware/dfuse.ts
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ const parseDfuSe = (
       ...(overlaps.length === 0
         ? []
         : [
-            `${String(overlaps.length)} DfuSe element(s) overlap an earlier element of the same alternate setting; each stays a separate entry and no bytes were merged: ${named(overlaps)}.`,
+            `${String(overlaps.length)} DfuSe element(s) overlap an element earlier in address order within the same alternate setting; each stays a separate entry and no bytes were merged: ${named(overlaps)}.`,
           ]),
       ...(walk.unlistedCount === 0
         ? []
diff --git a/src/domain/firmware/uf2.ts b/src/domain/firmware/uf2.ts
index c906123ab6..d5ea5a4b76 100644
--- a/src/domain/firmware/uf2.ts
+++ b/src/domain/firmware/uf2.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { UF2_FAMILY_REGISTRY, uf2FamilyName } from "./uf2Families.js";
 export const UF2_BLOCK_BYTES = 512;
 const UF2_DATA_OFFSET = 32;
 const UF2_DATA_BYTES = 476;
+const UF2_MD5_BYTES = 24;
 const UF2_MAGIC_START0 = 0x0a32_4655;
 const UF2_MAGIC_START1 = 0x9e5d_5157;
 const UF2_MAGIC_END = 0x0ab1_6f30;
@@ -236,9 +237,12 @@ class StreamingUf2Decoder implements RegionDecoder<Uf2Image> {
           ? "end magic number does not match"
           : size > UF2_DATA_BYTES
             ? `payload size ${String(size)} exceeds the ${String(UF2_DATA_BYTES)}-byte data area`
-            : address + size > ADDRESS_SPACE
-              ? `payload at ${hex32(address)} with ${String(size)} bytes wraps past 0xffffffff`
-              : undefined;
+            : (flags & UF2_FLAG_MD5) !== 0 &&
+                size > UF2_DATA_BYTES - UF2_MD5_BYTES
+              ? "payload overlaps the reserved MD5 checksum metadata"
+              : address + size > ADDRESS_SPACE
+                ? `payload at ${hex32(address)} with ${String(size)} bytes wraps past 0xffffffff`
+                : undefined;
     if (fault !== undefined) {
       this.#invalid += 1;
       this.#firstInvalid ??= { block: index, reason: fault };
diff --git a/tests/boundary/mcp/firmwareContainersMcp.test.ts b/tests/boundary/mcp/firmwareContainersMcp.test.ts
index dcbd447de5..577dac3213 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/mcp/firmwareContainersMcp.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/mcp/firmwareContainersMcp.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { artifactInspectionResultSchema } from "../../../src/domain/artifactInsp
 import { dfuseFile } from "../../../src/domain/firmware/dfuse.fixture.js";
 import {
   RP2040_FAMILY,
+  UF2_FLAGS,
   RP2XXX_ABSOLUTE_FAMILY,
   patternBytes,
   uf2Block,
@@ -113,6 +114,74 @@ it.each(["full", "compact"] as const)(
   },
 );
 
+it("preserves valid regions while excluding a UF2 payload overlapping MD5 metadata", async () => {
+  const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-uf2-md5-mcp-");
+  const path = join(root, "firmware.uf2");
+  const valid = patternBytes(452, 1);
+  const plain = patternBytes(476, 2);
+  await writeFile(
+    path,
+    uf2File([
+      uf2Block({
+        address: 0x1000,
+        payload: valid,
+        blockNo: 0,
+        numBlocks: 3,
+        flags: UF2_FLAGS.md5,
+      }),
+      uf2Block({
+        address: 0x2000,
+        payload: patternBytes(453, 3),
+        blockNo: 1,
+        numBlocks: 3,
+        flags: UF2_FLAGS.md5,
+      }),
+      uf2Block({ address: 0x3000, payload: plain, blockNo: 2, numBlocks: 3 }),
+    ]),
+  );
+  const { call } = await connectLocalToolsMcp({});
+  let outputRoot: string | undefined;
+  try {
+    const opened = await call("open_binary", { path });
+    expect(opened.isError, JSON.stringify(opened)).not.toBe(true);
+    const inspected = await call("inspect_artifact", {});
+    expect(inspected.isError, JSON.stringify(inspected)).not.toBe(true);
+    const inspection = artifactInspectionResultSchema.parse(
+      parseEvidence(inspected.structuredContent).normalized_result,
+    );
+    expect(inspection.coverage.status).toBe("partial");
+    expect(inspection.limitations).toContainEqual(
+      expect.stringMatching(/invalid.*block 1.*MD5/iu),
+    );
+    const extracted = await call("extract_artifact", {});
+    expect(extracted.isError, JSON.stringify(extracted)).not.toBe(true);
+    const result = artifactExtractionResultSchema.parse(
+      parseEvidence(extracted.structuredContent).normalized_result,
+    );
+    outputRoot = result.output_root;
+    expect(result.coverage.status).toBe("unknown");
+    expect(
+      Buffer.compare(
+        await readFile(join(outputRoot, "no-family/0x00001000-0x000011c3.bin")),
+        valid,
+      ),
+    ).toBe(0);
+    expect(
+      Buffer.compare(
+        await readFile(join(outputRoot, "no-family/0x00003000-0x000031db.bin")),
+        plain,
+      ),
+    ).toBe(0);
+    await expect(
+      readFile(join(outputRoot, "no-family/0x00002000-0x000021c4.bin")),
+    ).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: "ENOENT" });
+    await call("close_binary", {});
+  } finally {
+    if (outputRoot !== undefined)
+      await rm(outputRoot, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
 it("delivers a DfuSe CRC contradiction under both integrity policies through MCP", async () => {
   const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-dfuse-mcp-");
   const path = join(root, "firmware.dfu");