diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index ec41f8f..a303a7d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -61,3 +61,15 @@ jobs:
           cd test
           idf.py set-target esp32s3
           idf.py build
+
+      - name: Assert K_ISR_SAFE helpers are IRAM-resident (issue #53)
+        # A K_ISR_SAFE (IRAM_ATTR) function that reaches a flash-resident
+        # helper cache-faults when called from an IRAM ISR during a flash
+        # op. The host suite cannot see this; verify symbol placement on
+        # the target ELF. OBJDUMP is set explicitly so the check does not
+        # depend on `file` being present in the image.
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          . /opt/esp/idf/export.sh
+          OBJDUMP=xtensa-esp32s3-elf-objdump \
+            tools/check_iram_symbols.sh test/build/boreas_test.elf
diff --git a/components/zkernel/src/k_event.c b/components/zkernel/src/k_event.c
index ca16c2f..b3aa932 100644
--- a/components/zkernel/src/k_event.c
+++ b/components/zkernel/src/k_event.c
@@ -29,7 +29,13 @@ struct z_event_waiter {
 	bool woken;       /* a post/set targeted this waiter */
 };
 
-static uint32_t z_event_match(uint32_t current, uint32_t mask, bool all)
+/* K_ISR_SAFE (IRAM): called on both ISR-safe paths -- the post family
+ * (z_event_post_internal) and the wait family's fast path
+ * (z_event_wait_internal). A flash-resident helper here would fault with
+ * a cache-access error when reached from an IRAM ISR during a concurrent
+ * flash op (the z_sem_pop_waiter class, issue #53). Pure arithmetic, no
+ * FreeRTOS calls -- safe in IRAM. */
+static uint32_t K_ISR_SAFE z_event_match(uint32_t current, uint32_t mask, bool all)
 {
 	uint32_t hit = current & mask;
 
diff --git a/components/zkernel/src/k_sem.c b/components/zkernel/src/k_sem.c
index 7f6847f..666add9 100644
--- a/components/zkernel/src/k_sem.c
+++ b/components/zkernel/src/k_sem.c
@@ -44,8 +44,14 @@ int k_sem_init(struct k_sem *sem, unsigned int initial_count, unsigned int limit
 
 /* Pop the wake target: highest cached priority, FIFO among equals
  * (upstream wakes the highest-priority waiter). Caller holds the lock.
- * Plain code over the caller-owned list -- no FreeRTOS calls. */
-static struct z_sem_waiter *z_sem_pop_waiter(struct k_sem *sem)
+ * Plain code over the caller-owned list -- no FreeRTOS calls.
+ *
+ * K_ISR_SAFE (IRAM): on k_sem_give's hot path, which is ISR-safe and may
+ * run while the flash cache is disabled. A flash-resident helper here
+ * would fault with a cache-access error when the give comes from an IRAM
+ * ISR during a concurrent flash op (issue #53). k_sem_reset is
+ * flash-resident, but flash code calling an IRAM helper is fine. */
+static K_ISR_SAFE struct z_sem_waiter *z_sem_pop_waiter(struct k_sem *sem)
 {
 	struct z_sem_waiter *best = NULL;
 	sys_dnode_t *n;
diff --git a/tools/check_iram_symbols.sh b/tools/check_iram_symbols.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b56a226
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/check_iram_symbols.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+# Copyright 2026 Intercreate
+#
+# Assert that K_ISR_SAFE helpers land in IRAM (.iram0.text), not in a
+# flash-mapped text section. A K_ISR_SAFE (IRAM_ATTR) function that calls
+# a flash-resident helper faults with a cache-access error when reached
+# from an IRAM ISR during a flash-cache-disabled window (issue #53).
+#
+# The host (linux) build cannot observe this -- it is a target-only
+# memory-placement property -- so this guard runs against a real target
+# ELF. Section names (.iram0.text vs .flash.text/.text) are consistent
+# across Xtensa and RISC-V targets, so the check is ISA-agnostic.
+#
+# The symbol set is DERIVED from source: every function carrying the
+# K_ISR_SAFE attribute in components/*/src/*.c must be IRAM-resident, so a
+# newly-added ISR-safe helper is covered automatically with no edit here.
+# A symbol the compiler inlined into its IRAM caller has no out-of-line
+# symbol and is reported as "skip" (safe). Override the derived set with
+# IRAM_SYMBOLS="a b c" if you ever need to.
+#
+# Usage: tools/check_iram_symbols.sh <firmware.elf> [src-root]
+#   OBJDUMP=<triple>-objdump   override toolchain autodetect
+#   IRAM_SYMBOLS="sym1 sym2"   override the derived symbol set
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+ELF="${1:?usage: check_iram_symbols.sh <firmware.elf> [src-root]}"
+SRC_ROOT="${2:-$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)}"
+
+# Derive the K_ISR_SAFE function set from source. A definition line
+# carries the attribute and opens a parameter list; the function name is
+# the identifier just before '('. Drop comment lines and the macro
+# #define (the only other places the token appears).
+derive_symbols() {
+	grep -hE 'K_ISR_SAFE' "$SRC_ROOT"/components/*/src/*.c |
+		grep -vE '^[[:space:]]*([*]|/[*]|//|#)' |
+		grep -E '\(' |
+		sed -E 's/.*[^A-Za-z0-9_]([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)[[:space:]]*\(.*/\1/' |
+		sort -u
+}
+
+SYMBOLS="${IRAM_SYMBOLS:-$(derive_symbols)}"
+if [ -z "${SYMBOLS//[[:space:]]/}" ]; then
+	echo "error: no K_ISR_SAFE symbols found under $SRC_ROOT/components" >&2
+	exit 2
+fi
+
+# Pick the toolchain objdump if not supplied.
+if [ -z "${OBJDUMP:-}" ]; then
+	case "$(file -b "$ELF")" in
+	*RISC-V*) OBJDUMP=riscv32-esp-elf-objdump ;;
+	*Tensilica* | *Xtensa*) OBJDUMP="xtensa-${IDF_TARGET:-esp32s3}-elf-objdump" ;;
+	*)
+		echo "error: cannot determine toolchain for $ELF (set OBJDUMP=)" >&2
+		exit 2
+		;;
+	esac
+fi
+command -v "$OBJDUMP" >/dev/null || {
+	echo "error: $OBJDUMP not on PATH (run . \$IDF_PATH/export.sh)" >&2
+	exit 2
+}
+
+# One symbol-table dump, reused per symbol.
+SYMTAB="$("$OBJDUMP" -t "$ELF")"
+
+fail=0
+checked=0
+while IFS= read -r sym; do
+	[ -n "$sym" ] || continue
+	checked=$((checked + 1))
+
+	# A symbol-table entry's line names exactly one section.
+	line="$(printf '%s\n' "$SYMTAB" | grep -E "[[:space:]]${sym}\$" || true)"
+
+	if [ -z "$line" ]; then
+		# Inlined into its IRAM caller (no out-of-line symbol) or not
+		# linked into this image -- both safe. Report, don't fail.
+		echo "skip  $sym (no out-of-line symbol -- inlined or not linked)"
+	elif [[ "$line" == *".iram0.text"* ]]; then
+		echo "ok    $sym -> .iram0.text"
+	else
+		sec="$(printf '%s\n' "$line" | awk '{print $(NF-1)}')"
+		echo "FAIL  $sym -> ${sec} (expected .iram0.text; flash-resident would cache-fault from an IRAM ISR)"
+		fail=1
+	fi
+done <<<"$SYMBOLS"
+
+echo "---"
+echo "checked $checked K_ISR_SAFE symbol(s) in $(basename "$ELF")"
+exit "$fail"