diff --git a/src/lean_spec/spec/ssz/collections.py b/src/lean_spec/spec/ssz/collections.py
index 24bcb545c..f7785545b 100644
--- a/src/lean_spec/spec/ssz/collections.py
+++ b/src/lean_spec/spec/ssz/collections.py
@@ -599,7 +599,13 @@ def deserialize(cls, stream: IO[bytes], scope: int) -> Self:
                 f"{cls.__name__}: scope {scope} too small for variable-size list"
             )
         first_offset = int(Uint32.deserialize(stream, BYTES_PER_LENGTH_OFFSET))
-        if first_offset > scope or first_offset % BYTES_PER_LENGTH_OFFSET != 0:
+        # A non-empty variable-size list carries at least one offset word before any body.
+        # A zero first offset is contradictory: it means zero elements yet one full-scope element.
+        if (
+            first_offset < BYTES_PER_LENGTH_OFFSET
+            or first_offset > scope
+            or first_offset % BYTES_PER_LENGTH_OFFSET != 0
+        ):
             raise SSZSerializationError(f"{cls.__name__}: invalid offset {first_offset}")
         num_elements = first_offset // BYTES_PER_LENGTH_OFFSET
         if num_elements > cls.LIMIT:
diff --git a/tests/spec/ssz/test_collections.py b/tests/spec/ssz/test_collections.py
index dccbfc3af..9bfd0f195 100644
--- a/tests/spec/ssz/test_collections.py
+++ b/tests/spec/ssz/test_collections.py
@@ -850,6 +850,12 @@ def test_variable_size_list_rejects_misaligned_first_offset(self) -> None:
             VariableContainerList2.decode_bytes(b"\x05\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00")
         assert str(exception_info.value) == "VariableContainerList2: invalid offset 5"
 
+    def test_variable_size_list_rejects_zero_first_offset(self) -> None:
+        """A zero first offset is contradictory and rejected before building the boundary list."""
+        with pytest.raises(SSZSerializationError) as exception_info:
+            VariableContainerList2.decode_bytes(bytes.fromhex("00000000aabbccdd"))
+        assert str(exception_info.value) == "VariableContainerList2: invalid offset 0"
+
     def test_variable_size_list_rejects_count_beyond_limit(self) -> None:
         """A first offset that implies more than LIMIT elements is rejected."""
         # Layout: