diff --git a/runtime/src/dirty_ram_interp.c b/runtime/src/dirty_ram_interp.c
index b52072bf..bfebac42 100644
--- a/runtime/src/dirty_ram_interp.c
+++ b/runtime/src/dirty_ram_interp.c
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ extern void psx_dispatch_call(CPUState* cpu, uint32_t addr, uint32_t return_addr
 
 /* Forward decls from memory.c — used to read instruction bytes. */
 extern uint8_t *memory_get_ram_ptr(void);
+extern void dirty_ram_mark_executable_range(uint32_t phys, uint32_t len);
 
 /* MIPS instruction field decoders. */
 static inline uint32_t op_field    (uint32_t i) { return (i >> 26) & 0x3Fu; }
@@ -2210,7 +2211,19 @@ static int dirty_ram_dispatch_inner(CPUState* cpu, uint32_t addr, uint32_t stop_
     }
 #define OV_FPLOG_RET1() do { if (_ovfp) overlay_fp_log(addr, _in_regs, cpu, 0); return 1; } while (0)
 
-    if (!dirty_ram_is_dirty(phys) && !clean_game_text_miss) return 0;
+    if (!dirty_ram_is_dirty(phys) && !clean_game_text_miss) {
+        /* Some games populate post-EXE overlays through bulk host transfers that
+         * do not pass through the normal RAM write hooks. A real control transfer
+         * to decodable code above the configured boot-EXE text end is sufficient
+         * evidence that the page is executable; mark it so local overlay flow can
+         * remain in the interpreter. Invalid/data targets still fail dispatch. */
+        if (phys < (2u * 1024u * 1024u) && phys >= g_overlay_region_floor &&
+            dirty_ram_word_looks_decodable(fetch_word(phys))) {
+            dirty_ram_mark_executable_range(phys, 4u);
+        } else {
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
 
     /* Interp-pressure signal for variant-capture automation (step 2.8):
      * counts dispatches the interpreter actually handles inside a capture
diff --git a/runtime/src/overlay_loader.c b/runtime/src/overlay_loader.c
index 4c674bae..485049c6 100644
--- a/runtime/src/overlay_loader.c
+++ b/runtime/src/overlay_loader.c
@@ -2298,6 +2298,7 @@ static int overlay_find_by_range(uint32_t phys) {
 
 int overlay_loader_dispatch(CPUState *cpu, uint32_t addr) {
     uint32_t phys = addr & 0x1FFFFFFFu;
+    if (!s_active) return 0;
     int lazy_loaded = 0;
 retry_candidates:
     int head = idx_head(phys);
@@ -2791,6 +2792,7 @@ static FpEnt    s_fp[FP_CAP];
 static uint64_t s_fp_seq = 0;
 
 int overlay_loader_is_candidate(uint32_t phys) {
+    if (!s_active) return 0;
     phys &= 0x1FFFFFFFu;
     return idx_head(phys) >= 0 || lazy_has_exact_entry(phys);
 }
@@ -3137,7 +3139,8 @@ void overlay_fp_log(uint32_t addr, const uint32_t *in_regs,
  * leaks (root cause of the dwarf->overworld native blue screen).
  * Returns 1 iff a native candidate ran. */
 int overlay_loader_call_native(CPUState *cpu, uint32_t addr) {
-    if (!s_native_exec) return 0;  /* interp mode: keep the legacy inline path */
+    if (!s_active || !s_native_exec)
+        return 0;  /* inactive/interp mode: keep the legacy inline path */
     uint32_t phys = addr & 0x1FFFFFFFu;
     if (idx_head(phys) < 0 && !lazy_has_exact_entry(phys))
         return 0; /* neither a registered nor an exact cached entry */