diff --git a/changelog.d/213-reference-optional-fields.fixed.md b/changelog.d/213-reference-optional-fields.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ad0f1dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/213-reference-optional-fields.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- RFC-005 references now drop overlong optional `name`, `mimeType`, and `expiresAt` fields instead of retaining truncated testimony. Their schema limits count Unicode code points. Reference blocks and subtractive disposition remain valid; admitted display labels retain independent sanitization and truncation.
diff --git a/src/mcpl/references.ts b/src/mcpl/references.ts
index 03ec5fac4..acadd26ae 100644
--- a/src/mcpl/references.ts
+++ b/src/mcpl/references.ts
@@ -56,12 +56,20 @@ function isRecord(x: unknown): x is Record<string, unknown> {
 
 function takeString(
   raw: unknown, field: keyof typeof REFERENCE_LIMITS & string,
-  out: { rejected: string[]; truncated: string[] },
+  out: { rejected: string[] },
 ): string | undefined {
   if (raw === undefined) return undefined;
   if (typeof raw !== 'string') { out.rejected.push(field); return undefined; }
-  const limit = REFERENCE_LIMITS[field];
-  if (raw.length > limit) { out.truncated.push(field); return raw.slice(0, limit); }
+  // JSON Schema maxLength counts Unicode code points, not UTF-16 units.
+  // Stop as soon as the optional field is invalid, without allocating a copy
+  // of an arbitrarily large server string. Display truncation happens later.
+  let length = 0;
+  for (const _codePoint of raw) {
+    if (++length > REFERENCE_LIMITS[field]) {
+      out.rejected.push(field);
+      return undefined;
+    }
+  }
   return raw;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/mcpl-reference-fields.test.ts b/test/mcpl-reference-fields.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a54680aa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mcpl-reference-fields.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import {
+  buildReferenceStub, classifyBlock, isReferenceExpired, REFERENCE_LIMITS,
+  referenceRegistry, referenceStubOrNull,
+} from '../src/mcpl/references.js';
+
+const fields = ['name', 'mimeType', 'expiresAt'] as const;
+const types = ['resource', 'image', 'audio'] as const;
+function reference(type: string, extra: Record<string, unknown> = {}) {
+  const block = { type, uri: 'https://example.test/optional-fields', disposition: 'never', ...extra };
+  const parsed = classifyBlock(block);
+  assert.equal(parsed.kind, 'reference');
+  if (parsed.kind !== 'reference') throw new Error('expected reference');
+  return { block, testimony: parsed.testimony };
+}
+
+for (const field of fields) {
+  test('drops overlong optional ' + field + ' while preserving each reference block and disposition', () => {
+    for (const type of types) {
+      const { block, testimony } = reference(type, { [field]: 'x'.repeat(REFERENCE_LIMITS[field] + 1) });
+      assert.equal(testimony[field], undefined, 'invalid optional metadata is absent, not repaired');
+      assert.deepEqual(testimony.rejectedFields, [field]);
+      assert.deepEqual(testimony.truncatedFields, []);
+      assert.equal(testimony.uri, block.uri);
+      assert.equal(testimony.disposition, 'never');
+      assert.ok(referenceStubOrNull(block)?.startsWith('[ref_'));
+      assert.ok(!referenceStubOrNull(block)?.includes(block.uri));
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('admits ' + field + ' exactly at its JSON Schema code-point limit without changing it', () => {
+    for (const value of ['', 'x'.repeat(REFERENCE_LIMITS[field]), '🪶'.repeat(REFERENCE_LIMITS[field])]) {
+      const { testimony } = reference('resource', { [field]: value });
+      assert.equal(testimony[field], value);
+      assert.deepEqual(testimony.rejectedFields, []);
+      assert.deepEqual(testimony.truncatedFields, []);
+    }
+    const { testimony } = reference('resource', { [field]: '🪶'.repeat(REFERENCE_LIMITS[field]) + 'x' });
+    assert.equal(testimony[field], undefined);
+    assert.deepEqual(testimony.rejectedFields, [field]);
+  });
+}
+
+test('wrong-type optional fields are dropped while a bad required URI rejects the block', () => {
+  const { testimony } = reference('resource', { name: 123, mimeType: null, expiresAt: [] });
+  assert.equal(testimony.name, undefined);
+  assert.equal(testimony.mimeType, undefined);
+  assert.equal(testimony.expiresAt, undefined);
+  assert.deepEqual(testimony.rejectedFields.sort(), ['expiresAt', 'mimeType', 'name']);
+  assert.equal(testimony.disposition, 'never');
+  for (const uri of [undefined, null, '', 'x'.repeat(REFERENCE_LIMITS.uri + 1)]) {
+    assert.equal(classifyBlock({ type: 'resource', uri, disposition: 'never' }).kind, 'invalid');
+  }
+});
+
+test('schema-admitted metadata still uses independent sanitized and bounded display labels', () => {
+  const name = 'A'.repeat(REFERENCE_LIMITS.name - 2) + '\u202E\n';
+  const mimeType = 'B'.repeat(REFERENCE_LIMITS.mimeType);
+  const { testimony } = reference('resource', { name, mimeType });
+  const stub = buildReferenceStub(testimony);
+  const record = referenceRegistry.findByUri(testimony.uri)!;
+  assert.equal(record.testimony.name, name, 'display bounds do not alter admitted testimony');
+  assert.equal(record.testimony.mimeType, mimeType);
+  assert.ok(stub.includes('A'.repeat(119) + '…'));
+  assert.ok(stub.includes('B'.repeat(119) + '…'));
+  assert.ok(!stub.includes('\u202E') && !stub.includes('\n'));
+  assert.ok(!stub.includes(testimony.uri));
+  assert.ok(stub.length < 350);
+});
+
+test('an admitted but unparseable expiry still fails closed; schema-invalid expiry is absent', () => {
+  const validShape = reference('resource', { expiresAt: 'not-a-date' }).testimony;
+  assert.equal(isReferenceExpired(validShape), true);
+  const invalidShape = reference('resource', { expiresAt: 'x'.repeat(REFERENCE_LIMITS.expiresAt + 1) }).testimony;
+  assert.equal(invalidShape.expiresAt, undefined);
+  assert.deepEqual(invalidShape.rejectedFields, ['expiresAt']);
+});
+
+test('large invalid labels cannot change the bounded model-visible stub', () => {
+  const { testimony } = reference('audio', {
+    name: 'x'.repeat(1024 * 1024), mimeType: 'y'.repeat(1024 * 1024), sizeBytes: 1024,
+  });
+  assert.equal(testimony.name, undefined);
+  assert.equal(testimony.mimeType, undefined);
+  const stub = buildReferenceStub(testimony, 'server');
+  assert.ok(stub.length < 150);
+  assert.ok(stub.includes('claimed'));
+  assert.ok(!stub.includes(testimony.uri));
+});