diff --git a/contracts/scripts/check-storage-layout-negative.sh b/contracts/scripts/check-storage-layout-negative.sh
index 18d842cf..be79ba9b 100755
--- a/contracts/scripts/check-storage-layout-negative.sh
+++ b/contracts/scripts/check-storage-layout-negative.sh
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ if [ "$EXIT_CODE" -eq 0 ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-if ! printf '%s\n' "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "ERROR: Storage layout has changed!"; then
+if ! printf '%s\n' "$OUTPUT" | grep -qE "ERROR: (Storage layout has changed!|__GAP invariant violated!)"; then
     echo "ERROR: Storage layout check failed, but not for the expected reason."
     echo ""
     echo "Output:"
diff --git a/contracts/scripts/check-storage-layout.sh b/contracts/scripts/check-storage-layout.sh
index 8e2aeb09..390f3298 100755
--- a/contracts/scripts/check-storage-layout.sh
+++ b/contracts/scripts/check-storage-layout.sh
@@ -59,4 +59,26 @@ if ! diff -q /tmp/snap_normalized.json /tmp/curr_normalized.json > /dev/null 2>&
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# Verify gap invariant: __GAP slot + array size must equal a fixed constant.
+# This catches cases where a new variable is added but __GAP is not shrunk accordingly.
+EXPECTED_GAP_TOTAL=151
+GAP_SLOT=$(jq '.storage[] | select(.label == "__GAP") | .slot | tonumber' /tmp/current_layout.json)
+GAP_SIZE=$(jq -r '.storage[] | select(.label == "__GAP") | .type' /tmp/current_layout.json \
+           | grep -oE '[0-9]+' | tail -1)
+
+if [ -n "$GAP_SLOT" ] && [ -n "$GAP_SIZE" ]; then
+    GAP_TOTAL=$((GAP_SLOT + GAP_SIZE))
+    if [ "$GAP_TOTAL" -ne "$EXPECTED_GAP_TOTAL" ]; then
+        echo ""
+        echo "=========================================="
+        echo "ERROR: __GAP invariant violated!"
+        echo "=========================================="
+        echo ""
+        echo "  slot($GAP_SLOT) + size($GAP_SIZE) = $GAP_TOTAL, expected $EXPECTED_GAP_TOTAL"
+        echo ""
+        echo "If you added a new state variable, shrink __GAP by the same number of slots."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
 echo "Storage layout OK - no changes detected"