diff --git a/tests/api.c b/tests/api.c
index 238ea67397..c08df43043 100644
--- a/tests/api.c
+++ b/tests/api.c
@@ -27309,6 +27309,7 @@ static int test_wolfSSL_dup_CA_list(void)
     return res;
 }
 
+#ifndef WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO
 static int test_ForceZero(void)
 {
     EXPECT_DECLS;
@@ -27339,6 +27340,7 @@ static int test_ForceZero(void)
 
     return EXPECT_RESULT();
 }
+#endif /* !WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO */
 
 #ifndef NO_BIO
 
@@ -36864,7 +36866,9 @@ TEST_CASE testCases[] = {
      * wolfcrypt
      *********************************/
 
+#ifndef WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO
     TEST_DECL(test_ForceZero),
+#endif
 
     TEST_DECL(test_wolfCrypt_Init),
 
diff --git a/tests/api/test_aes.c b/tests/api/test_aes.c
index 6c2adab96f..ed078ef648 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_aes.c
+++ b/tests/api/test_aes.c
@@ -10583,7 +10583,9 @@ static int test_CryptoCb_Aes_Cb(int devId, wc_CryptoInfo* info, void* ctx)
 
         if (aes != NULL && aes->devCtx == cryptoCbAesMockHandle) {
             /* "Delete" key from simulated SE */
+#ifndef WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO
             ForceZero(&mockSeKey, sizeof(mockSeKey));
+#endif
             cryptoCbAesFreeCalled++;
         }
 
@@ -10963,7 +10965,9 @@ static int test_CryptoCb_AesGcm_Offload_Cb(int devId, wc_CryptoInfo* info, void*
 
         if (aes != NULL && aes->devCtx == cryptoCbAesGcmMockHandle) {
             /* "Delete" key from simulated SE */
+#ifndef WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO
             ForceZero(&mockSeKeyOffload, sizeof(mockSeKeyOffload));
+#endif
             cryptoCbAesGcmFreeCalled++;
         }
 
@@ -11619,8 +11623,11 @@ static int test_Tls13Zero_CryptoCb(int devId, wc_CryptoInfo* info, void* ctx)
 
         Aes* aes = (Aes*)info->free.obj;
         if (aes != NULL && aes->devCtx != NULL) {
+#ifndef WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO
             Tls13ZeroKeySlot* slot = (Tls13ZeroKeySlot*)aes->devCtx;
+            /* slot is static; zero, don't free. */
             ForceZero(slot, sizeof(*slot));
+#endif
             aes->devCtx = NULL;
         }
         return 0;
diff --git a/tests/api/test_tls13.c b/tests/api/test_tls13.c
index ed5ce88edc..f3349865e8 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_tls13.c
+++ b/tests/api/test_tls13.c
@@ -7111,12 +7111,16 @@ int test_tls13_fragmented_session_ticket(void)
     if (EXPECT_SUCCESS() && ssl_c->arrays != NULL) {
         /* Zero before freeing so WOLFSSL_CHECK_MEM_ZERO builds don't abort. */
         if (ssl_c->arrays->preMasterSecret != NULL) {
+#ifndef WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO
             ForceZero(ssl_c->arrays->preMasterSecret, ENCRYPT_LEN);
+#endif
             XFREE(ssl_c->arrays->preMasterSecret, ssl_c->heap,
                   DYNAMIC_TYPE_SECRET);
             ssl_c->arrays->preMasterSecret = NULL;
         }
+#ifndef WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO
         ForceZero(ssl_c->arrays, sizeof(Arrays));
+#endif
         XFREE(ssl_c->arrays, ssl_c->heap, DYNAMIC_TYPE_ARRAYS);
         ssl_c->arrays = NULL;
     }
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/misc.c b/wolfcrypt/src/misc.c
index 1642f9b1ca..efc14e4926 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/misc.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/misc.c
@@ -693,10 +693,12 @@ WC_MISC_STATIC WC_INLINE void xorbuf(void* buf, const void* mask, word32 count)
    with zeros. It ensures compiler optimization doesn't skip it. */
 WC_MISC_STATIC WC_INLINE void ForceZero(void* mem, size_t len)
 {
-    byte *zb = (byte *)mem;
-    unsigned long *zl;
+    /* Volatile pointers prevent dead-store elimination.
+     * WC_BARRIER() prevents compiler reordering. */
+    volatile byte *zb = (volatile byte *)mem;
+    volatile unsigned long *zl;
 
-    XFENCE();
+    WC_BARRIER();
 
     while ((wc_ptr_t)zb & (wc_ptr_t)(sizeof(unsigned long) - 1U)) {
         if (len == 0)
@@ -705,21 +707,21 @@ WC_MISC_STATIC WC_INLINE void ForceZero(void* mem, size_t len)
         --len;
     }
 
-    zl = (unsigned long *)zb;
+    zl = (volatile unsigned long *)zb;
 
     while (len >= sizeof(unsigned long)) {
         *zl++ = 0;
         len -= sizeof(unsigned long);
     }
 
-    zb = (byte *)zl;
+    zb = (volatile byte *)zl;
 
     while (len) {
         *zb++ = 0;
         --len;
     }
 
-    XFENCE();
+    WC_BARRIER();
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/test/test.c b/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
index e346fc47f4..f2d76ec58c 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
@@ -772,6 +772,11 @@ typedef struct testVector {
 #ifndef WC_TEST_EXPORT_SUBTESTS
 
 WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  macro_test(void);
+/* Under NO_INLINE, ForceZero() is WOLFSSL_LOCAL (hidden visibility) inside
+ * libwolfssl and unreachable from this separate test binary. */
+#if !defined(WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO) && !defined(NO_INLINE)
+WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  forcezero_test(void);
+#endif
 WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  error_test(void);
 WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  base64_test(void);
 WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  base16_test(void);
@@ -2409,6 +2414,13 @@ options: [-s max_relative_stack_bytes] [-m max_relative_heap_memory_bytes]\n\
     else
         TEST_PASS("macro    test passed!\n");
 
+#if !defined(WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO) && !defined(NO_INLINE)
+    if ( (ret = forcezero_test()) != 0)
+        TEST_FAIL("forcezero test failed!\n", ret);
+    else
+        TEST_PASS("forcezero test passed!\n");
+#endif
+
     if ( (ret = error_test()) != 0)
         TEST_FAIL("error    test failed!\n", ret);
     else
@@ -4097,6 +4109,47 @@ WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t macro_test(void)
     return ret;
 }
 
+/* Under NO_INLINE, ForceZero() is WOLFSSL_LOCAL (hidden visibility) inside
+ * libwolfssl and unreachable from this separate test binary. */
+#if !defined(WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO) && !defined(NO_INLINE)
+WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t forcezero_test(void)
+{
+    /* Test unaligned offsets and lengths. Oversized buffer prevents OOB writes. */
+    byte buf[64];
+    static const size_t offsets[] = { 0, 1, 2, 3, 7 };
+    static const size_t lens[] = { 0, 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 16, 31 };
+    size_t oi, li;
+    ForceZero(NULL, 0);
+
+    for (oi = 0; oi < XELEM_CNT(offsets); oi++) {
+        for (li = 0; li < XELEM_CNT(lens); li++) {
+            size_t off = offsets[oi];
+            size_t len = lens[li];
+            size_t i;
+
+            XMEMSET(buf, 0xA5, sizeof(buf));
+            ForceZero(buf + off, len);
+
+            for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+                if (buf[off + i] != 0x00)
+                    return WC_TEST_RET_ENC_NC;
+            }
+            /* bytes outside [off, off+len) must be untouched */
+            for (i = 0; i < off; i++) {
+                if (buf[i] != (byte)0xA5)
+                    return WC_TEST_RET_ENC_NC;
+            }
+            for (i = off + len; i < sizeof(buf); i++) {
+                if (buf[i] != (byte)0xA5)
+                    return WC_TEST_RET_ENC_NC;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
 WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t error_test(void)
 {
     const char* errStr;
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/test/test.h b/wolfcrypt/test/test.h
index eab78ac9ce..56b527590e 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/test/test.h
+++ b/wolfcrypt/test/test.h
@@ -115,6 +115,11 @@ wc_static_assert(-(long)MIN_CODE_E < 0x7ffL);
 #endif
 
 extern WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  macro_test(void);
+/* Under NO_INLINE, ForceZero() is WOLFSSL_LOCAL (hidden visibility) inside
+ * libwolfssl and unreachable from this separate test binary. */
+#if !defined(WOLFSSL_NO_FORCE_ZERO) && !defined(NO_INLINE)
+extern WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  forcezero_test(void);
+#endif
 extern WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  error_test(void);
 extern WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  base64_test(void);
 extern WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t  base16_test(void);
diff --git a/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/wc_port.h b/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/wc_port.h
index e84b724ae0..3dd82b104f 100644
--- a/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/wc_port.h
+++ b/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/wc_port.h
@@ -1919,14 +1919,17 @@ WOLFSSL_ABI WOLFSSL_API int wolfCrypt_Cleanup(void);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef WOLF_C99
-    /* use alternate keyword for compatibility with -std=c99 */
-    #define XASM_VOLATILE(a) __asm__ volatile(a)
+    /* -std=c99 compat; "memory" clobber creates a compiler barrier. */
+    #define XASM_VOLATILE(a) __asm__ volatile(a ::: "memory") /* NOLINT(bugprone-macro-parentheses) */
 #elif defined(__IAR_SYSTEMS_ICC__)
-    #define XASM_VOLATILE(a) asm volatile(a)
+    #define XASM_VOLATILE(a) asm volatile(a) /* NOLINT(bugprone-macro-parentheses) */
 #elif defined(__KEIL__)
-    #define XASM_VOLATILE(a) __asm volatile(a)
+    /* No "memory" clobber: ARM Compiler 5 inline asm rejects GCC clobber
+     * syntax. */
+    #define XASM_VOLATILE(a) __asm volatile(a) /* NOLINT(bugprone-macro-parentheses) */
 #else
-    #define XASM_VOLATILE(a) __asm__ __volatile__(a)
+    /* "memory" clobber strengthens XFENCE() into a full compiler barrier. */
+    #define XASM_VOLATILE(a) __asm__ __volatile__(a ::: "memory") /* NOLINT(bugprone-macro-parentheses) */
 #endif
 
 #ifndef WOLFSSL_NO_FENCE