diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/scripts/test_chonk_standalone_vks_havent_changed.sh b/barretenberg/cpp/scripts/test_chonk_standalone_vks_havent_changed.sh
index 554805e35eea..29a2d87a43dd 100755
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/scripts/test_chonk_standalone_vks_havent_changed.sh
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/scripts/test_chonk_standalone_vks_havent_changed.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ cd ..
 # - Generate a hash for versioning: sha256sum bb-chonk-inputs.tar.gz
 # - Upload the compressed results: aws s3 cp bb-chonk-inputs.tar.gz s3://aztec-ci-artifacts/protocol/bb-chonk-inputs-[hash(0:8)].tar.gz
 # Note: In case of the "Test suite failed to run ... Unexpected token 'with' " error, need to run: docker pull aztecprotocol/build:3.0
-pinned_short_hash="f185b2ed"
+pinned_short_hash="e3757861"
 pinned_chonk_inputs_url="https://aztec-ci-artifacts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/protocol/bb-chonk-inputs-${pinned_short_hash}.tar.gz"
 
 script_path="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/scripts" && pwd)/$(basename "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/dsl/acir_format/gate_count_constants.hpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/dsl/acir_format/gate_count_constants.hpp
index 2ccfa0789bd2..3ce67a24edc7 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/dsl/acir_format/gate_count_constants.hpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/dsl/acir_format/gate_count_constants.hpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ template <typename Builder> inline constexpr size_t BIG_QUAD = 2 + ZERO_GATE + M
 template <typename Builder> inline constexpr size_t LOGIC_XOR_32 = 6 + ZERO_GATE + MEGA_OFFSET<Builder>;
 template <typename Builder> inline constexpr size_t LOGIC_AND_32 = 6 + ZERO_GATE + MEGA_OFFSET<Builder>;
 template <typename Builder> inline constexpr size_t RANGE_32 = 2744 + ZERO_GATE + MEGA_OFFSET<Builder>;
-template <typename Builder> inline constexpr size_t SHA256_COMPRESSION = 6695 + ZERO_GATE + MEGA_OFFSET<Builder>;
+template <typename Builder> inline constexpr size_t SHA256_COMPRESSION = 6702 + ZERO_GATE + MEGA_OFFSET<Builder>;
 template <typename Builder> inline constexpr size_t AES128_ENCRYPTION = 1432 + ZERO_GATE + MEGA_OFFSET<Builder>;
 
 // The mega offset works differently for ECDSA opcodes because of the use of ROM tables, which use indices that
diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.cpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.cpp
index 0f7f194357a5..33c275d1aa6b 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.cpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.cpp
@@ -67,30 +67,6 @@ SHA256<Builder>::sparse_witness_limbs SHA256<Builder>::convert_witness(const fie
     return result;
 }
 
-/**
- * @brief Apply an implicit 32-bit range constraint by performing a lookup on the input.
- *
- * @details This is more efficient in the context of SHA-256 operations than explicit 32-bit range constraints since the
- * lookup table is already in use. We use the SHA256_MAJ_INPUT MultiTable since it results in only 3 lookup gates per
- * lookup.
- *
- * @note The result of the lookup is not used, but the accumulator outputs are marked as intentionally unused to
- * avoid false positives in the boomerang value detection analysis.
- *
- * @param input The field element to constrain to 32 bits.
- */
-template <typename Builder>
-void SHA256<Builder>::apply_32_bit_range_constraint_via_lookup(const field_t<Builder>& input)
-{
-    auto lookup_data = plookup_read<Builder>::get_lookup_accumulators(MultiTableId::SHA256_MAJ_INPUT, input);
-    // Mark all accumulator outputs as intentionally unused (they exist only for the range constraint side-effect)
-    for (auto& col : lookup_data.columns) {
-        for (auto& elem : col) {
-            mark_witness_as_used(elem);
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * @brief Extend the 16-word message block to 64 words per SHA-256 specification.
  *
@@ -191,6 +167,15 @@ std::array<field_t<Builder>, 64> SHA256<Builder>::extend_witness(const std::arra
         w_sparse[i] = sparse_witness_limbs(w_out);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Explicitly constrain w[62] and w[63] to 32 bits. All other computed w_out values
+     * (w[16..61]) are implicitly constrained via lookups in convert_witness().
+     *
+     * While not strictly necessary for soundness, this simplifies security analysis at minimal cost.
+     */
+    w_sparse[62].normal.create_range_constraint(32);
+    w_sparse[63].normal.create_range_constraint(32);
+
     std::array<field_pt, 64> w_extended;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < 64; ++i) {
         w_extended[i] = w_sparse[i].normal;
@@ -335,8 +320,9 @@ field_t<Builder> SHA256<Builder>::majority_with_sigma0(sparse_value& a, const sp
  * This is the only public entry point for the stdlib SHA-256 implementation. We implement only the compression function
  * (rather than a full hash) because this is all that is required in DSL.
  *
- * @note It is assumed that all 24 inputs (8 hash state + 16 message words) are 32-bit constrained externally so that
- * the input has a unique representation.
+ * @note All 24 inputs (8 hash state + 16 message words) are 32-bit range constrained to ensure unique representation.
+ * Most are implicitly constrained via lookup tables; only h_init[3], h_init[7], and input[0] require explicit
+ * constraints as they are used purely in arithmetic operations.
  *
  * @param h_init The 8-word (256-bit) initial hash state. For the first block of a message,
  *               this should be the standard SHA-256 IV. For subsequent blocks, this is the
@@ -350,6 +336,12 @@ std::array<field_t<Builder>, 8> SHA256<Builder>::sha256_block(const std::array<f
 {
     using field_pt = field_t<Builder>;
 
+    // Constrain inputs not implicitly constrained via lookups (h_init[3], h_init[7], input[0]).
+    // Other inputs are lookup-constrained in sparse form conversions or message extension.
+    h_init[3].create_range_constraint(32);
+    h_init[7].create_range_constraint(32);
+    input[0].create_range_constraint(32);
+
     /**
      * Initialize round variables with previous block output.
      * Note: We delay converting `a` and `e` into their respective sparse forms because it's done as part of the
@@ -400,8 +392,8 @@ std::array<field_t<Builder>, 8> SHA256<Builder>::sha256_block(const std::array<f
     // Apply range constraints to `a` and `e` which are the only outputs of the previous loop not already
     // lookup-constrained via sparse form conversion. Although not strictly necessary, this simplifies the analysis that
     // the output of compression is fully constrained at minimal cost.
-    apply_32_bit_range_constraint_via_lookup(a.normal);
-    apply_32_bit_range_constraint_via_lookup(e.normal);
+    a.normal.create_range_constraint(32);
+    e.normal.create_range_constraint(32);
 
     // Add round results into previous block output.
     // Overflow bits = 1 since each summand is constrained to 32 bits.
diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.hpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.hpp
index 1524636a24d8..6bf6c248b72a 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.hpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.hpp
@@ -139,8 +139,6 @@ template <typename Builder> class SHA256 {
 
     static sparse_witness_limbs convert_witness(const field_ct& input);
 
-    static void apply_32_bit_range_constraint_via_lookup(const field_ct& input);
-
     static field_ct choose_with_sigma1(sparse_value& e, const sparse_value& f, const sparse_value& g);
 
     static field_ct majority_with_sigma0(sparse_value& a, const sparse_value& b, const sparse_value& c);
diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.test.cpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.test.cpp
index 56f05a12802c..64ec9e1706ef 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.test.cpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/stdlib/hash/sha256/sha256.test.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ TYPED_TEST(Sha256Test, BlockNistVectorOne)
         EXPECT_EQ(circuit_val, EXPECTED[i]) << "Circuit mismatch at index " << i;
     }
 
-    check_circuit_and_gate_count(builder, 6695);
+    check_circuit_and_gate_count(builder, 6702);
     EXPECT_EQ(builder.get_tables_size(), 35992);
 }
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ TYPED_TEST(Sha256Test, BlockNistVectorTwo)
         EXPECT_EQ(circuit_val, EXPECTED[i]) << "Circuit mismatch at index " << i;
     }
 
-    check_circuit_and_gate_count(builder, 10633);
+    check_circuit_and_gate_count(builder, 10646);
     EXPECT_EQ(builder.get_tables_size(), 35992);
 }