diff --git a/src/V3Force.cpp b/src/V3Force.cpp
index 3a97ddf53..6039efc85 100644
--- a/src/V3Force.cpp
+++ b/src/V3Force.cpp
@@ -1389,7 +1389,12 @@ class ForceReplaceVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
 
     void visit(AstVarRef* nodep) override {
         if (ForceState::isNotReplaceable(nodep)) return;
-        if (nodep->backp() && VN_IS(nodep->backp(), ArraySel)) return;
+        // The array an ArraySel selects from is left to visit(AstArraySel), which builds
+        // the force-aware read for the whole select. The index is an ordinary read and
+        // must still be substituted here, so check which child this is.
+        if (const AstArraySel* const backSelp = VN_CAST(nodep->backp(), ArraySel)) {
+            if (backSelp->fromp() == nodep) return;
+        }
 
         const ForceState::VarForceInfo* const varInfo = m_state.getVarInfo(nodep->varScopep());
         if (!varInfo) return;
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_force_unpacked_index.py b/test_regress/t/t_force_unpacked_index.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..8a938befd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_force_unpacked_index.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# DESCRIPTION: Verilator: Verilog Test driver/expect definition
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+# under the terms of either the GNU Lesser General Public License Version 3
+# or the Perl Artistic License Version 2.0.
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Wilson Snyder
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-only OR Artistic-2.0
+
+import vltest_bootstrap
+
+test.scenarios('simulator')
+
+test.compile()
+
+test.execute()
+
+test.passes()
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_force_unpacked_index.v b/test_regress/t/t_force_unpacked_index.v
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..94a27b284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_force_unpacked_index.v
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+// DESCRIPTION: Verilator: Verilog Test module
+//
+// This file ONLY is placed under the Creative Commons Public Domain.
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Wilson Snyder
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
+
+// A forced signal used as the index of an unpacked array select must read as
+// forced, exactly as it does everywhere else (IEEE 1800-2023 10.6.2).
+//
+// Before the accompanying fix the array select kept reading the unforced
+// value, while arithmetic on the same signal read the forced one.
+//
+// Both the continuous and the procedural read of the array are checked.  The
+// controls are arithmetic on the same signal and a packed select on it, both
+// of which were already correct.
+
+// verilog_format: off
+`define stop $stop
+`define checkh(gotv,expv) do if ((gotv) !== (expv)) begin $write("%%Error: %s:%0d:  got=%0x exp=%0x\n", `__FILE__,`__LINE__, (gotv), (expv)); `stop; end while(0);
+// verilog_format: on
+
+module rf (
+    input logic [3:0] raddr_i,
+    output logic [7:0] rdata_o,
+    output logic [7:0] plus_o,
+    output logic [7:0] proc_o,
+    output logic [7:0] packed_o
+);
+  logic [7:0] mem[16];
+  logic [127:0] packed_mem;
+
+  initial begin
+    for (int i = 0; i < 16; ++i) mem[i] = 8'h10 + i[7:0];
+    packed_mem = 128'h1f1e1d1c_1b1a1918_17161514_13121110;
+  end
+
+  // Array select on the forced index.
+  assign rdata_o = mem[raddr_i];
+  // Arithmetic on the same forced index, as the reference.
+  assign plus_o = {4'h0, raddr_i} + 8'h1;
+  // Packed select on the same forced index, as a second reference.
+  assign packed_o = packed_mem[8*raddr_i+:8];
+
+  // The same array select read procedurally rather than continuously.
+  always_comb proc_o = mem[raddr_i];
+endmodule
+
+module t (
+    input clk
+);
+  int cyc = 0;
+  logic [3:0] addr;
+  logic [7:0] rdata, plus, proc, packd;
+
+  rf u_rf (
+      .raddr_i(addr),
+      .rdata_o(rdata),
+      .plus_o(plus),
+      .proc_o(proc),
+      .packed_o(packd)
+  );
+
+  // Runtime-varying so the reads cannot be constant folded.
+  assign addr = cyc[3:0];
+
+  always @(posedge clk) begin
+    cyc <= cyc + 1;
+    if (cyc == 4) force u_rf.raddr_i = 4'h7;
+    if (cyc == 8) force u_rf.raddr_i = 4'ha;
+    if (cyc == 12) release u_rf.raddr_i;
+  end
+
+  always @(negedge clk) begin
+    case (cyc)
+      2: begin  // Unforced: addr follows cyc.
+        `checkh(rdata, 8'h12)
+        `checkh(proc, 8'h12)
+        `checkh(plus, 8'h03)
+        `checkh(packd, 8'h12)
+      end
+      6: begin  // Forced to 7 while cyc says 6.
+        `checkh(plus, 8'h08)
+        `checkh(packd, 8'h17)
+        `checkh(rdata, 8'h17)
+        `checkh(proc, 8'h17)
+      end
+      10: begin  // Re-forced to 10 while cyc says 10, so only the value proves it.
+        `checkh(plus, 8'h0b)
+        `checkh(packd, 8'h1a)
+        `checkh(rdata, 8'h1a)
+        `checkh(proc, 8'h1a)
+      end
+      14: begin  // Released: back to following cyc.
+        `checkh(plus, 8'h0f)
+        `checkh(packd, 8'h1e)
+        `checkh(rdata, 8'h1e)
+        `checkh(proc, 8'h1e)
+        $write("*-* All Finished *-*\n");
+        $finish;
+      end
+      default: ;
+    endcase
+  end
+endmodule