diff --git a/Complexity.lean b/Complexity.lean
index f08f52b9d..8143dcf33 100644
--- a/Complexity.lean
+++ b/Complexity.lean
@@ -2403,6 +2403,7 @@ public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.LpNormMeasure
 public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.MarkovBrothersInequality
 public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.RootError
 public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.RowCompression
+public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.RowCompression.FalseOverflow
 public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.RowCompression.Floors
 public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.RowCompression.Iteration
 public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.RowCompression.Preloss
diff --git a/Complexity/Foundations/Analysis/RowCompression/FalseOverflow.lean b/Complexity/Foundations/Analysis/RowCompression/FalseOverflow.lean
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..35d292f0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Complexity/Foundations/Analysis/RowCompression/FalseOverflow.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,198 @@
+/-
+Copyright (c) 2026 Samuel Schlesinger. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+Authors: Samuel Schlesinger
+-/
+
+module
+-- upstream: candidate
+
+public import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.RowCompression.Preloss
+import Mathlib.Tactic.FieldSimp
+import Mathlib.Tactic.Linarith
+import Mathlib.Tactic.Positivity
+import Mathlib.Tactic.Ring
+
+/-!
+# Charging a first overflow to errors at light targets
+
+At the first group whose compression threshold exceeds its floor, sufficiently many real entries
+exceed that floor: the preceding default is too small to cause the overflow. If fewer than half
+as many true endpoints are heavy, at least half the overflowing entries are light. At each light
+endpoint, a large input and small preceding compression loss force a large raw-prefix error.
+
+This module proves the deterministic counting and charging assertion of
+[OpenAI2026LogSpace, Section 8.4, (8.12)]. For a floor `0 < ρ ≤ 1`, a true first coordinate in
+`[0, ρ / 4]`, a zero true second coordinate, and preloss at most `ρ / 100`, an input of size
+greater than `ρ` has clipped error at least `ρ / 2`. Thus a false-type overflow satisfies
+`1 ≤ 2 ^ (p + 1) / (n * ρ ^ p) * ∑ y, error y ^ p`, for every natural moment exponent `p`.
+
+The final theorem applies this to the actual iterated compression with the explicit dyadic
+floors and zero initial default. It derives the previous-default and preloss bounds from the
+absence of earlier overflow. The error is taken from the uncompressed prefix at `j + 1`, not
+from the compressed row. The first-overflow index is also proved unique.
+
+This is the pointwise false-overflow charge. Conditional rarity of true heavy counts, stability
+after overflow, and the integrated compression theorem remain separate obligations.
+
+## Main results
+
+* `Cslib.RowCompression.IsFirstOverflow.unique`: first-overflow events are disjoint.
+* `Cslib.RowCompression.half_floor_le_clippedError`: a large light entry forces raw-prefix error.
+* `Cslib.RowCompression.one_le_sum_clippedError_pow_of_overflow`: the explicit moment charge.
+* `Cslib.RowCompression.one_le_sum_clippedError_pow_of_firstOverflow_dyadic`: the charge for the
+  actual compression recursion, with numerical floor conditions discharged.
+
+## References
+
+* [OpenAI, *Exact Derandomization of Logarithmic Space: L = RL = BPL*][OpenAI2026LogSpace],
+  Section 8.4, equation labelled `buf-false-charge`
+  (23 September 2026, revision `7ef5c0cc`, not peer reviewed).
+-/
+
+public section
+
+namespace Cslib.RowCompression
+
+open Finset
+
+variable {ι : Type*}
+
+/-- Group `j` is the first whose actual threshold exceeds its prescribed floor. -/
+@[expose] def IsFirstOverflow (s : Finset ι) (n K : ℕ → ℕ) (ρ : ℕ → ℝ)
+    (Δ : ℕ → ι → Fin 2 → ℝ) (a : State ι) (j : ℕ) : Prop :=
+  (∀ i < j, stepThreshold s n K ρ Δ a i ≤ ρ i) ∧ ρ j < stepThreshold s n K ρ Δ a j
+
+/-- A run cannot have two different first-overflow groups. -/
+theorem IsFirstOverflow.unique {s : Finset ι} {n K : ℕ → ℕ} {ρ : ℕ → ℝ}
+    {Δ : ℕ → ι → Fin 2 → ℝ} {a : State ι} {j k : ℕ}
+    (hj : IsFirstOverflow s n K ρ Δ a j) (hk : IsFirstOverflow s n K ρ Δ a k) : j = k := by
+  rcases lt_trichotomy j k with h | h | h
+  · exact False.elim (not_lt_of_ge (hk.1 j h) hj.2)
+  · exact h
+  · exact False.elim (not_lt_of_ge (hj.1 k h) hk.2)
+
+/-- A light true target cannot produce a large compression input without a large raw error.
+Both input channels may have either sign. -/
+theorem half_floor_le_clippedError {ρ d v : ℝ} {w raw : Fin 2 → ℝ}
+    (hρ : 0 < ρ) (hρ1 : ρ ≤ 1) (hd : 0 ≤ d) (hdρ : d ≤ ρ / 4) (hv : v = 0)
+    (hprev : ∀ ν, |w ν - raw ν| ≤ ρ / 100) (hsize : ρ < entrySize w) :
+    ρ / 2 ≤ clippedError d v raw := by
+  have hsmall : ρ / 2 ≤ 1 := by linarith
+  rcases lt_max_iff.mp hsize with hfirst | hsecond
+  · have hraw : |w 0| ≤ ρ / 100 + (|raw 0 - d| + d) := by
+      calc
+        _ ≤ |w 0 - raw 0| + |raw 0| := by
+          simpa only [sub_zero] using abs_sub_le (w 0) (raw 0) 0
+        _ ≤ ρ / 100 + (|raw 0 - d| + d) := by
+          apply add_le_add (hprev 0)
+          simpa only [sub_zero, abs_of_nonneg hd] using abs_sub_le (raw 0) d 0
+    have hden : 0 < 1 + d := by linarith
+    have hrel : ρ / 2 ≤ |raw 0 - d| / (1 + d) := by
+      apply (le_div_iff₀ hden).2
+      calc
+        _ ≤ (ρ / 2) * (5 / 4) := mul_le_mul_of_nonneg_left (by linarith) (by positivity)
+        _ ≤ _ := by linarith
+    exact (le_min hsmall hrel).trans (le_max_left _ _)
+  · have hraw : |w 1| ≤ ρ / 100 + |raw 1| := by
+      have h : |w 1| ≤ |w 1 - raw 1| + |raw 1| := by
+        simpa only [sub_zero] using abs_sub_le (w 1) (raw 1) 0
+      exact h.trans (add_le_add (hprev 1) le_rfl)
+    have hrel : ρ / 2 ≤ |raw 1 - v| := by rw [hv, sub_zero]; linarith
+    exact (le_min hsmall hrel).trans (le_max_right _ _)
+
+/-- If the old default is below the floor, an overflow needs at least `n` real large entries. -/
+theorem le_card_large_of_overflow {s : Finset ι} {n : ℕ} {ρ z : ℝ}
+    {w : ι → Fin 2 → ℝ} (hn : 0 < n) (hρ : 0 ≤ ρ) (hz : z ≤ ρ)
+    (hover : ρ < threshold s n ρ z w) :
+    n ≤ #{y ∈ s | ρ < entrySize (w y)} := by
+  apply (lt_kthLargest_iff hn hρ).mp
+  unfold threshold at hover
+  rcases lt_max_iff.mp hover with h | h
+  · exact False.elim (not_lt_of_ge hz h)
+  · simpa only [lt_max_iff, lt_self_iff_false, false_or] using h
+
+/-- The moment sum pays for an overflow unless at least half its capacity is truly heavy.
+The constant is explicit, and the bound allows arbitrary dependence between entries. -/
+theorem one_le_sum_clippedError_pow_of_overflow {s : Finset ι} {n : ℕ} {ρ z : ℝ}
+    {w raw truth : ι → Fin 2 → ℝ} (hn : 0 < n) (hρ : 0 < ρ) (hρ1 : ρ ≤ 1)
+    (hz : z ≤ ρ) (hover : ρ < threshold s n ρ z w)
+    (hfirst : ∀ y ∈ s, 0 ≤ truth y 0)
+    (hsecond : ∀ y ∈ s, truth y 0 ≤ ρ / 4 → truth y 1 = 0)
+    (hprev : ∀ y ∈ s, ∀ ν, |w y ν - raw y ν| ≤ ρ / 100)
+    (hheavy : 2 * #{y ∈ s | ρ / 4 < truth y 0} < n) (p : ℕ) :
+    1 ≤ (2 : ℝ) ^ (p + 1) / ((n : ℝ) * ρ ^ p) *
+      ∑ y ∈ s, clippedError (truth y 0) (truth y 1) (raw y) ^ p := by
+  classical
+  let large := {y ∈ s | ρ < entrySize (w y)}
+  let heavy := {y ∈ s | ρ / 4 < truth y 0}
+  let light := {y ∈ large | truth y 0 ≤ ρ / 4}
+  have hnlarge : n ≤ #large := le_card_large_of_overflow hn hρ.le hz hover
+  have hcover : large ⊆ light ∪ heavy := by
+    intro y hy
+    by_cases hd : truth y 0 ≤ ρ / 4
+    · exact mem_union_left _ (mem_filter.mpr ⟨hy, hd⟩)
+    · exact mem_union_right _ (mem_filter.mpr ⟨(mem_filter.mp hy).1, lt_of_not_ge hd⟩)
+  have hcount : n ≤ 2 * #light := by
+    have hcard := (card_le_card hcover).trans (card_union_le light heavy)
+    change 2 * #heavy < n at hheavy
+    omega
+  have hhalf : (n : ℝ) / 2 ≤ #light := by
+    have hc : (n : ℝ) ≤ 2 * (#light : ℝ) := by exact_mod_cast hcount
+    linarith
+  have hsubset : light ⊆ s := fun _ hy => (mem_filter.mp (mem_filter.mp hy).1).1
+  have hsum : (#light : ℝ) * (ρ / 2) ^ p ≤
+      ∑ y ∈ s, clippedError (truth y 0) (truth y 1) (raw y) ^ p := by
+    calc
+      _ = ∑ _y ∈ light, (ρ / 2) ^ p := by simp
+      _ ≤ ∑ y ∈ light, clippedError (truth y 0) (truth y 1) (raw y) ^ p := by
+        apply sum_le_sum
+        intro y hy
+        have hys := hsubset hy
+        exact pow_le_pow_left₀ (by positivity) (half_floor_le_clippedError hρ hρ1
+          (hfirst y hys) (mem_filter.mp hy).2 (hsecond y hys (mem_filter.mp hy).2)
+          (hprev y hys) (mem_filter.mp (mem_filter.mp hy).1).2) p
+      _ ≤ _ := sum_le_sum_of_subset_of_nonneg hsubset fun y _ _ =>
+        pow_nonneg (clippedError_nonneg _ _ _) _
+  have hcharge := (mul_le_mul_of_nonneg_right hhalf
+    (pow_nonneg (by positivity : 0 ≤ ρ / 2) p)).trans hsum
+  have hn' : (0 : ℝ) < n := by exact_mod_cast hn
+  have hden : 0 < (n : ℝ) / 2 * (ρ / 2) ^ p := by positivity
+  calc
+    1 ≤ (∑ y ∈ s, clippedError (truth y 0) (truth y 1) (raw y) ^ p) /
+        ((n : ℝ) / 2 * (ρ / 2) ^ p) := (le_div_iff₀ hden).2 (by simpa using hcharge)
+    _ = _ := by
+      rw [div_pow, pow_succ]
+      field_simp
+
+/-- The false-overflow charge for the actual dyadic compression run. Earlier non-overflow and
+the explicit floor separation imply all default and preloss hypotheses of the local charge. -/
+theorem one_le_sum_clippedError_pow_of_firstOverflow_dyadic {s : Finset ι}
+    {n K : ℕ → ℕ} {Δ : ℕ → ι → Fin 2 → ℝ} {a : State ι} {truth : ι → Fin 2 → ℝ}
+    {η : ℝ} (hη : 0 < η) (hη1 : η ≤ 1) (ha : a.defaultValue = 0)
+    (m j : ℕ) (hj : j < m) (hn : 0 < n j)
+    (hover : IsFirstOverflow s n K (dyadicFloor η m) Δ a j)
+    (hfirst : ∀ y ∈ s, 0 ≤ truth y 0)
+    (hsecond : ∀ y ∈ s, truth y 0 ≤ dyadicFloor η m j / 4 → truth y 1 = 0)
+    (hheavy : 2 * #{y ∈ s | dyadicFloor η m j / 4 < truth y 0} < n j) (p : ℕ) :
+    1 ≤ (2 : ℝ) ^ (p + 1) / ((n j : ℝ) * dyadicFloor η m j ^ p) *
+      ∑ y ∈ s, clippedError (truth y 0) (truth y 1)
+        (uncompressedRow Δ a.row (j + 1) y) ^ p := by
+  have hρ := dyadicFloor_pos hη m j
+  have hρ1 : dyadicFloor η m j ≤ 1 := by
+    have h := dyadicFloor_le_scale_div hη.le m j
+    linarith
+  have hsum := six_sum_range_dyadicFloor_le hη.le hj
+  have hzabs := abs_iterate_defaultValue_sub_le_of_no_overflow
+    (show 0 ≤ a.defaultValue by rw [ha]) j hover.1
+  rw [ha, sub_zero] at hzabs
+  have hz : (iterate s n K (dyadicFloor η m) Δ a j).defaultValue ≤ dyadicFloor η m j := by
+    have h := le_abs_self (iterate s n K (dyadicFloor η m) Δ a j).defaultValue
+    linarith
+  apply one_le_sum_clippedError_pow_of_overflow hn hρ hρ1 hz hover.2 hfirst hsecond ?_ hheavy p
+  intro y _ ν
+  rw [uncompressedRow_succ]
+  simp only [inputRow, Pi.add_apply, add_sub_add_right_eq_sub]
+  exact (abs_iterate_sub_uncompressed_le_of_no_overflow j hover.1 y ν).trans hsum
+
+end Cslib.RowCompression
diff --git a/ComplexityTests/RowCompressionFalseOverflow.lean b/ComplexityTests/RowCompressionFalseOverflow.lean
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..55ef176c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ComplexityTests/RowCompressionFalseOverflow.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/-
+Copyright (c) 2026 Samuel Schlesinger. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+Authors: Samuel Schlesinger
+-/
+import Complexity.Foundations.Analysis.RowCompression.FalseOverflow
+import Mathlib.LinearAlgebra.Matrix.Notation
+import Mathlib.Tactic.FinCases
+import Mathlib.Tactic.NormNum
+
+/-!
+# Tests for charging false overflows
+
+An actual two-group run first compresses a zero row to a nonzero default, then receives a negative
+first-channel increment at one endpoint and a positive second-channel increment at another.
+The first overflow is group one. Neither true target is heavy, and the charge is verified using
+the actual raw prefix, despite the nonzero preceding compression loss.
+-/
+
+namespace ComplexityTests.RowCompressionFalseOverflow
+
+open Finset Cslib.RowCompression
+
+-- A negative first channel can cause the light-target error just as a positive one can.
+example : (1 / 2 : ℝ) ≤ clippedError (1 / 4) 0 ![-2, 0] := by
+  apply half_floor_le_clippedError (w := ![-2, 0]) (by norm_num) le_rfl
+    (by norm_num) le_rfl rfl
+  · intro ν
+    norm_num
+  · norm_num [entrySize]
+
+-- The second-channel case does not rely on the first coordinate being large.
+example : (1 / 2 : ℝ) ≤ clippedError 0 0 ![0, -2] := by
+  apply half_floor_le_clippedError (w := ![0, -2]) (by norm_num) le_rfl
+    le_rfl (by norm_num) rfl
+  · intro ν
+    norm_num
+  · norm_num [entrySize]
+
+private def initial : State (Fin 2) := { defaultValue := 0, row := 0 }
+
+private noncomputable def increments (i : ℕ) (y : Fin 2) : Fin 2 → ℝ :=
+  if i = 0 then 0 else if y = 0 then ![-1 / 512, 0] else ![0, 1 / 512]
+
+private noncomputable def run : ℕ → State (Fin 2) :=
+  iterate univ (fun _ => 2) (fun _ => 1) (dyadicFloor 1 2) increments initial
+
+private theorem first_state : (run 1).defaultValue = 1 / 1048576 ∧
+    (run 1).row = fun _ => defaultEntry (1 / 1048576) := by
+  constructor
+  · norm_num [run, iterate, advance, initial, increments, dyadicFloor, dyadicSlack,
+      newDefault, threshold, kthLargest, entrySize, Fin.univ_succ, filter_insert, filter_singleton]
+  · funext y ν
+    fin_cases y <;> fin_cases ν <;>
+      norm_num [run, iterate, advance, initial, increments, dyadicFloor, dyadicSlack,
+        newDefault, threshold, kthLargest, entrySize, update, updateEntry, radius, defaultEntry,
+        Fin.univ_succ, filter_insert, filter_singleton]
+
+private theorem first_overflow :
+    IsFirstOverflow univ (fun _ => 2) (fun _ => 1) (dyadicFloor 1 2) increments initial 1 := by
+  constructor
+  · intro i hi
+    have hi0 : i = 0 := by omega
+    subst i
+    norm_num [stepThreshold, inputRow, iterate, initial, increments, dyadicFloor, dyadicSlack,
+      threshold, kthLargest, entrySize, Fin.univ_succ, filter_insert, filter_singleton]
+  · change dyadicFloor 1 2 1 < threshold univ 2 (dyadicFloor 1 2 1)
+      (run 1).defaultValue ((run 1).row + increments 1)
+    rw [first_state.1, first_state.2]
+    have hlarge : ∀ y ∈ (univ : Finset (Fin 2)), dyadicFloor 1 2 1 <
+        entrySize (defaultEntry (1 / 1048576) + increments 1 y) := by
+      intro y _
+      fin_cases y <;> norm_num [increments, dyadicFloor, dyadicSlack, entrySize, defaultEntry]
+    have hcard : 2 ≤ #{y ∈ (univ : Finset (Fin 2)) | dyadicFloor 1 2 1 <
+        entrySize (defaultEntry (1 / 1048576) + increments 1 y)} := by
+      rw [filter_eq_self.mpr hlarge]
+      norm_num
+    have hrank := (lt_kthLargest_iff (by norm_num : 0 < 2)
+      (dyadicFloor_nonneg (by norm_num : (0 : ℝ) ≤ 1) 2 1)).mpr hcard
+    exact hrank.trans_le ((le_max_right _ _).trans (le_max_right _ _))
+
+-- There is genuine preloss at the previous group, so the zero-loss case is insufficient.
+example : (run 1).row 0 0 - uncompressedRow increments initial.row 1 0 0 = 1 / 1048576 := by
+  rw [first_state.2]
+  norm_num [uncompressedRow, increments, initial, defaultEntry]
+
+-- First-overflow events are disjoint for this concrete run as well.
+example (j : ℕ)
+    (hj : IsFirstOverflow univ (fun _ => 2) (fun _ => 1) (dyadicFloor 1 2) increments initial j) :
+    j = 1 := hj.unique first_overflow
+
+-- The actual moment theorem applies, discharging every earlier-threshold and light-target premise.
+example : 1 ≤ (2 : ℝ) ^ (4 + 1) / (2 * dyadicFloor 1 2 1 ^ 4) *
+    ∑ y : Fin 2, clippedError 0 0 (uncompressedRow increments initial.row 2 y) ^ 4 := by
+  apply one_le_sum_clippedError_pow_of_firstOverflow_dyadic (truth := fun _ => 0)
+    (by norm_num) le_rfl rfl 2 1 (by norm_num) (by norm_num) first_overflow
+  · intro y _
+    exact le_rfl
+  · intro y _ _
+    rfl
+  · norm_num [dyadicFloor, dyadicSlack]
+
+-- Both endpoints contribute exactly (1/512)^4; the error is measured before compression.
+example : (∑ y : Fin 2,
+    clippedError 0 0 (uncompressedRow increments initial.row 2 y) ^ 4) = 1 / 34359738368 := by
+  norm_num [uncompressedRow, increments, initial, clippedError, Fin.sum_univ_two, sum_range_succ]
+
+example : (2 : ℝ) ^ (4 + 1) / (2 * dyadicFloor 1 2 1 ^ 4) *
+    ∑ y : Fin 2, clippedError 0 0 (uncompressedRow increments initial.row 2 y) ^ 4 = 512 := by
+  norm_num [uncompressedRow, increments, initial, clippedError, dyadicFloor, dyadicSlack,
+    Fin.sum_univ_two, sum_range_succ]
+
+end ComplexityTests.RowCompressionFalseOverflow