diff --git a/crates/core/src/rpc/surfnet_cheatcodes.rs b/crates/core/src/rpc/surfnet_cheatcodes.rs
index 930c83c2..41d50178 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/rpc/surfnet_cheatcodes.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/rpc/surfnet_cheatcodes.rs
@@ -1860,7 +1860,7 @@ mod tests {
     use solana_pubkey::Pubkey;
     use solana_signer::Signer;
     use solana_system_interface::instruction::create_account;
-    use solana_transaction::Transaction;
+    use solana_transaction::{Transaction, versioned::VersionedTransaction};
     use spl_associated_token_account_interface::{
         address::get_associated_token_address_with_program_id,
         instruction::create_associated_token_account,
@@ -3984,4 +3984,206 @@ mod tests {
 
         println!("✅ Response context is valid");
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+    async fn test_write_program_small_no_minimum_program_artifacts() {
+        // Regression test: writing a program smaller than minimum_program.so (3312 bytes)
+        // should not leave leftover minimum_program.so bytes in the account.
+        let client = TestSetup::new(SurfnetCheatcodesRpc);
+        let program_id = Keypair::new();
+
+        let program_data = vec![0xAB; 100];
+        let result = client
+            .rpc
+            .write_program(
+                Some(client.context.clone()),
+                program_id.pubkey().to_string(),
+                hex::encode(&program_data),
+                0,
+                None,
+            )
+            .await;
+
+        assert!(
+            result.is_ok(),
+            "Failed to write program: {:?}",
+            result.err()
+        );
+
+        let program_data_address =
+            solana_loader_v3_interface::get_program_data_address(&program_id.pubkey());
+        let account = client.context.svm_locker.with_svm_reader(|svm_reader| {
+            svm_reader
+                .inner
+                .get_account(&program_data_address)
+                .unwrap()
+                .unwrap()
+        });
+
+        let metadata_size =
+            solana_loader_v3_interface::state::UpgradeableLoaderState::size_of_programdata_metadata(
+            );
+
+        // Account data length should be exactly metadata + program data, not metadata + 3312
+        assert_eq!(
+            account.data.len(),
+            metadata_size + 100,
+            "Account data length should be metadata_size ({}) + 100 = {}, but was {}",
+            metadata_size,
+            metadata_size + 100,
+            account.data.len()
+        );
+
+        // Verify written content matches exactly
+        let written_data = &account.data[metadata_size..];
+        assert_eq!(
+            written_data, &program_data,
+            "Written data should match exactly"
+        );
+
+        // Verify no trailing non-zero bytes beyond written data
+        assert!(
+            account.data[metadata_size + 100..].is_empty(),
+            "There should be no trailing bytes beyond the written data"
+        );
+
+        println!("✅ Small program has no minimum_program.so artifacts");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+    async fn test_write_program_exact_account_size() {
+        // Regression test: verify account size is exactly correct for various data sizes,
+        // including sizes around the minimum_program.so boundary (3312 bytes).
+        let client = TestSetup::new(SurfnetCheatcodesRpc);
+
+        let metadata_size =
+            solana_loader_v3_interface::state::UpgradeableLoaderState::size_of_programdata_metadata(
+            );
+
+        for data_len in [1usize, 100, 3311, 3312, 3313, 5000] {
+            let program_id = Keypair::new();
+            let program_data: Vec<u8> = (0..data_len).map(|i| (i % 256) as u8).collect();
+
+            let result = client
+                .rpc
+                .write_program(
+                    Some(client.context.clone()),
+                    program_id.pubkey().to_string(),
+                    hex::encode(&program_data),
+                    0,
+                    None,
+                )
+                .await;
+
+            assert!(
+                result.is_ok(),
+                "Failed to write program of size {}: {:?}",
+                data_len,
+                result.err()
+            );
+
+            let program_data_address =
+                solana_loader_v3_interface::get_program_data_address(&program_id.pubkey());
+            let account = client.context.svm_locker.with_svm_reader(|svm_reader| {
+                svm_reader
+                    .inner
+                    .get_account(&program_data_address)
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .unwrap()
+            });
+
+            assert_eq!(
+                account.data.len(),
+                metadata_size + data_len,
+                "For data_len={}, account data length should be {} but was {}",
+                data_len,
+                metadata_size + data_len,
+                account.data.len()
+            );
+
+            let written_data = &account.data[metadata_size..metadata_size + data_len];
+            assert_eq!(
+                written_data, &program_data,
+                "For data_len={}, written content should match exactly",
+                data_len
+            );
+        }
+
+        println!("✅ All program sizes produce exact account sizes");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+    async fn test_write_program_execution_uses_written_bytes_not_noop() {
+        // Regression test: after write_program, executing the program should use
+        // the written bytes, not the noop placeholder from init_programdata_account.
+        let client = TestSetup::new(SurfnetCheatcodesRpc);
+        let program_id = Keypair::new();
+
+        // Create an "error program" ELF: identical to noop but returns r0=1 (error)
+        // instead of r0=0 (success). This lets us distinguish noop vs real execution.
+        let mut error_program_elf = crate::surfnet::noop_program::NOOP_PROGRAM_ELF.to_vec();
+        // Byte 124 is the first byte of the imm field in `mov64 r0, 0` at .text offset.
+        // Changing it to 1 makes the instruction `mov64 r0, 1` (program returns error).
+        error_program_elf[124] = 0x01;
+
+        // Write the error program
+        let result = client
+            .rpc
+            .write_program(
+                Some(client.context.clone()),
+                program_id.pubkey().to_string(),
+                hex::encode(&error_program_elf),
+                0,
+                None,
+            )
+            .await;
+        assert!(
+            result.is_ok(),
+            "Failed to write program: {:?}",
+            result.err()
+        );
+
+        // Create a payer and fund it
+        let payer = Keypair::new();
+        client
+            .context
+            .svm_locker
+            .airdrop(&payer.pubkey(), 1_000_000_000)
+            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap();
+
+        // Build a transaction invoking the written program
+        let recent_blockhash = client
+            .context
+            .svm_locker
+            .with_svm_reader(|svm_reader| svm_reader.latest_blockhash());
+        // Build a minimal instruction that invokes the written program
+        let invoke_ix = solana_instruction::Instruction {
+            program_id: program_id.pubkey(),
+            accounts: vec![],
+            data: vec![],
+        };
+        let message = solana_message::Message::new_with_blockhash(
+            &[invoke_ix],
+            Some(&payer.pubkey()),
+            &recent_blockhash,
+        );
+        let tx = VersionedTransaction::try_new(
+            solana_message::VersionedMessage::Legacy(message),
+            &[&payer],
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        // Simulate the transaction
+        let sim_result = client.context.svm_locker.simulate_transaction(tx, false);
+
+        // The error program returns r0=1, which should cause an InstructionError.
+        // If the noop (r0=0) is still cached, this would incorrectly succeed.
+        assert!(
+            sim_result.is_err(),
+            "Transaction should fail because the written program returns error (r0=1). \
+             If it succeeded, the noop placeholder is still being executed instead of \
+             the written program bytes."
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/core/src/surfnet/locker.rs b/crates/core/src/surfnet/locker.rs
index 138631c0..6ba2ba0f 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/surfnet/locker.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/surfnet/locker.rs
@@ -3410,11 +3410,10 @@ impl SurfnetSvmLocker {
     ) -> SurfpoolResult<()> {
         let program_data_address = get_program_data_address(&program_id);
 
-        let _ = self
+        let program_account = self
             .get_or_create_program_account(program_id, program_data_address, remote_ctx)
             .await?;
 
-        // Get or create program data account
         let _ = self
             .write_program_data_account_with_offset(
                 program_id,
@@ -3426,6 +3425,21 @@ impl SurfnetSvmLocker {
             )
             .await?;
 
+        // Re-set the program account to force LiteSVM to recompile the program
+        // from the updated programdata. Without this, the program cache retains
+        // the noop placeholder compiled during initial program account creation.
+        // Errors are expected for incomplete ELF (multi-chunk writes) and are
+        // logged but not propagated.
+        let set_result = self.with_svm_writer(|svm_writer| {
+            svm_writer.set_account(&program_id, program_account.clone())
+        });
+        if let Err(e) = set_result {
+            let _ = self.simnet_events_tx().send(SimnetEvent::info(format!(
+                "Program cache update deferred for {}: {}",
+                program_id, e
+            )));
+        }
+
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -3630,6 +3644,16 @@ impl SurfnetSvmLocker {
             SurfpoolError::internal(format!("Failed to serialize program data metadata: {}", e))
         })?;
 
+        // Strip the minimum_program.so placeholder if it was pre-filled by
+        // init_programdata_account during program account creation. This prevents
+        // leftover placeholder bytes when the actual program is smaller than 3312 bytes.
+        let minimum_program_bytes = crate::surfnet::noop_program::NOOP_PROGRAM_ELF;
+        if program_data_account.data.len() == metadata_size + minimum_program_bytes.len()
+            && program_data_account.data[metadata_size..] == *minimum_program_bytes
+        {
+            program_data_account.data.truncate(metadata_size);
+        }
+
         // Calculate absolute offset in account data (metadata + offset)
         let absolute_offset = metadata_size + offset;
         let end_offset = absolute_offset + data.len();
diff --git a/crates/core/src/surfnet/mod.rs b/crates/core/src/surfnet/mod.rs
index 08646137..87ab3a70 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/surfnet/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/surfnet/mod.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ use crate::{
 };
 
 pub mod locker;
+pub mod noop_program;
 pub mod remote;
 pub mod surfnet_lite_svm;
 pub mod svm;
diff --git a/crates/core/src/surfnet/noop_program.rs b/crates/core/src/surfnet/noop_program.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef3c40a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/core/src/surfnet/noop_program.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+/// Minimal valid SBF ELF (352 bytes) — just returns SUCCESS (r0=0).
+///
+/// Used as a placeholder in `init_programdata_account` to satisfy LiteSVM's
+/// ELF validation when bootstrapping program accounts. This gets stripped
+/// by `write_program_data_account_with_offset` before actual program data
+/// is written.
+///
+/// Layout (352 bytes):
+///   0x000..0x040  ELF64 header (ET_DYN, EM_SBPF=0x107, SBPFv0, entry=0x78)
+///   0x040..0x078  1× PT_LOAD program header (text at 0x78, 16 bytes, RX)
+///   0x078..0x088  .text section: mov64 r0,0 ; exit
+///   0x088..0x099  .shstrtab contents: "\0.text\0.shstrtab\0"
+///   0x099..0x0A0  padding (7 bytes, align section headers to 8)
+///   0x0A0..0x0E0  Section header [0]: SHT_NULL
+///   0x0E0..0x120  Section header [1]: .text
+///   0x120..0x160  Section header [2]: .shstrtab
+pub const NOOP_PROGRAM_ELF: &[u8] = &[
+    // ===== ELF64 Header (64 bytes) =====
+    // e_ident: EI_MAG0..3, EI_CLASS=2(64-bit), EI_DATA=1(LE), EI_VERSION=1,
+    //          EI_OSABI=0, padding
+    0x7F, b'E', b'L', b'F', 0x02, 0x01, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+    // e_type=ET_DYN(3), e_machine=EM_SBPF(0x107)
+    0x03, 0x00, 0x07, 0x01, // e_version=1
+    0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // e_entry=0x78 (start of .text)
+    0x78, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+    // e_phoff=0x40 (program headers right after ELF header)
+    0x40, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+    // e_shoff=0xA0 (section headers at offset 160)
+    0xA0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // e_flags=0 (SBPFv0)
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // e_ehsize=64
+    0x40, 0x00, // e_phentsize=56
+    0x38, 0x00, // e_phnum=1
+    0x01, 0x00, // e_shentsize=64
+    0x40, 0x00, // e_shnum=3
+    0x03, 0x00, // e_shstrndx=2
+    0x02, 0x00, // ===== Program Header (56 bytes) =====
+    // p_type=PT_LOAD(1)
+    0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // p_flags=PF_R|PF_X(5)
+    0x05, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // p_offset=0x78
+    0x78, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // p_vaddr=0x78
+    0x78, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // p_paddr=0x78
+    0x78, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // p_filesz=16
+    0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // p_memsz=16
+    0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // p_align=8
+    0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+    // ===== .text section (16 bytes at 0x78) =====
+    // mov64 r0, 0  (opcode=0xb7, dst=r0, src=0, off=0, imm=0)
+    0xB7, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+    // exit         (opcode=0x95, dst=0, src=0, off=0, imm=0)
+    0x95, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+    // ===== .shstrtab contents (17 bytes at 0x88) =====
+    // "\0.text\0.shstrtab\0"
+    0x00, b'.', b't', b'e', b'x', b't', 0x00, b'.', b's', b'h', b's', b't', b'r', b't', b'a', b'b',
+    0x00, // ===== Padding to align section headers to 8 bytes (7 bytes) =====
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+    // ===== Section Header [0]: SHT_NULL (64 bytes at 0xA0) =====
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_name=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_type=SHT_NULL(0)
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_flags=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_addr=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_offset=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_size=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_link=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_info=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_addralign=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_entsize=0
+    // ===== Section Header [1]: .text (64 bytes at 0xE0) =====
+    0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_name=1 (index into .shstrtab: ".text")
+    0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_type=SHT_PROGBITS(1)
+    0x06, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_flags=SHF_ALLOC|SHF_EXECINSTR(6)
+    0x78, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_addr=0x78
+    0x78, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_offset=0x78
+    0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_size=16
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_link=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_info=0
+    0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_addralign=8
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_entsize=0
+    // ===== Section Header [2]: .shstrtab (64 bytes at 0x120) =====
+    0x07, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_name=7 (index into .shstrtab: ".shstrtab")
+    0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_type=SHT_STRTAB(3)
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_flags=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_addr=0
+    0x88, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_offset=0x88
+    0x11, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_size=17
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_link=0
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_info=0
+    0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_addralign=1
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, // sh_entsize=0
+];
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_noop_program_elf_size() {
+        assert_eq!(NOOP_PROGRAM_ELF.len(), 352);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/core/src/surfnet/svm.rs b/crates/core/src/surfnet/svm.rs
index 556c92e4..8cec6643 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/surfnet/svm.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/surfnet/svm.rs
@@ -1779,7 +1779,7 @@ impl SurfnetSvm {
             };
             let mut data = bincode::serialize(&programdata_state).unwrap();
 
-            data.extend_from_slice(&include_bytes!("../tests/assets/minimum_program.so").to_vec());
+            data.extend_from_slice(crate::surfnet::noop_program::NOOP_PROGRAM_ELF);
             let lamports = self.inner.minimum_balance_for_rent_exemption(data.len());
             Some((
                 programdata_address,
@@ -3830,7 +3830,7 @@ mod tests {
             )
             .unwrap();
 
-            let mut bin = include_bytes!("../tests/assets/minimum_program.so").to_vec();
+            let mut bin = crate::surfnet::noop_program::NOOP_PROGRAM_ELF.to_vec();
             data.append(&mut bin); // push our binary after the state data
             let lamports = svm.inner.minimum_balance_for_rent_exemption(data.len());
             let default_program_data_account = Account {
diff --git a/crates/core/src/tests/assets/minimum_program.so b/crates/core/src/tests/assets/minimum_program.so
deleted file mode 100755
index 8d3ef457..00000000
Binary files a/crates/core/src/tests/assets/minimum_program.so and /dev/null differ