diff --git a/ceno_zkvm/src/instructions/riscv/jump/jalr.rs b/ceno_zkvm/src/instructions/riscv/jump/jalr.rs
index a80e11c4a..39ee50458 100644
--- a/ceno_zkvm/src/instructions/riscv/jump/jalr.rs
+++ b/ceno_zkvm/src/instructions/riscv/jump/jalr.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use crate::{
     Value,
     circuit_builder::CircuitBuilder,
     error::ZKVMError,
-    expression::{ToExpr, WitIn},
+    expression::{Expression, ToExpr, WitIn},
     instructions::{
         Instruction,
         riscv::{constants::UInt, i_insn::IInstructionConfig, insn_base::MemAddr},
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ pub struct JalrConfig<E: ExtensionField> {
     pub rs1_read: UInt<E>,
     pub imm: WitIn,
     pub next_pc_addr: MemAddr<E>,
-    pub overflow: WitIn,
+    pub overflow: Option<(WitIn, WitIn)>,
     pub rd_written: UInt<E>,
 }
 
@@ -63,17 +63,25 @@ impl<E: ExtensionField> Instruction<E> for JalrInstruction<E> {
         //  3. next_pc = next_pc_addr aligned to even value (round down)
 
         let next_pc_addr = MemAddr::<E>::construct_unaligned(circuit_builder)?;
-        let overflow = circuit_builder.create_witin(|| "overflow");
+
+        let (overflow_expr, overflow) = if cfg!(feature = "forbid_overflow") {
+            (Expression::ZERO, None)
+        } else {
+            let overflow = circuit_builder.create_witin(|| "overflow");
+            let tmp = circuit_builder.create_witin(|| "overflow1");
+            circuit_builder.require_zero(|| "overflow_0_or_pm1", overflow.expr() * tmp.expr())?;
+            circuit_builder.require_equal(
+                || "overflow_tmp",
+                tmp.expr(),
+                (1 - overflow.expr()) * (1 + overflow.expr()),
+            )?;
+            (overflow.expr(), Some((overflow, tmp)))
+        };
 
         circuit_builder.require_equal(
             || "rs1+imm = next_pc_unrounded + overflow*2^32",
             rs1_read.value() + imm.expr(),
-            next_pc_addr.expr_unaligned() + overflow.expr() * (1u64 << 32),
-        )?;
-
-        circuit_builder.require_zero(
-            || "overflow_0_or_pm1",
-            overflow.expr() * (overflow.expr() - 1) * (overflow.expr() + 1),
+            next_pc_addr.expr_unaligned() + overflow_expr * (1u64 << 32),
         )?;
 
         circuit_builder.require_equal(
@@ -126,12 +134,18 @@ impl<E: ExtensionField> Instruction<E> for JalrInstruction<E> {
         config
             .next_pc_addr
             .assign_instance(instance, lk_multiplicity, sum)?;
-        let overflow: E::BaseField = match (overflowing, imm < 0) {
-            (false, _) => E::BaseField::ZERO,
-            (true, false) => E::BaseField::ONE,
-            (true, true) => -E::BaseField::ONE,
-        };
-        set_val!(instance, config.overflow, overflow);
+
+        if let Some((overflow_cfg, tmp_cfg)) = &config.overflow {
+            let (overflow, tmp) = match (overflowing, imm < 0) {
+                (false, _) => (E::BaseField::ZERO, E::BaseField::ONE),
+                (true, false) => (E::BaseField::ONE, E::BaseField::ZERO),
+                (true, true) => (-E::BaseField::ONE, E::BaseField::ZERO),
+            };
+            set_val!(instance, overflow_cfg, overflow);
+            set_val!(instance, tmp_cfg, tmp);
+        } else {
+            assert!(!overflowing, "overflow not allowed in JALR");
+        }
 
         config
             .i_insn
diff --git a/ceno_zkvm/src/instructions/riscv/jump/test.rs b/ceno_zkvm/src/instructions/riscv/jump/test.rs
index 887db8da3..4453f4c3a 100644
--- a/ceno_zkvm/src/instructions/riscv/jump/test.rs
+++ b/ceno_zkvm/src/instructions/riscv/jump/test.rs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ fn test_opcode_jalr() {
         .unwrap();
 
     let imm = -15i32;
-    let rs1_read: Word = 10u32;
+    let rs1_read: Word = 100u32;
     let new_pc: ByteAddr = ByteAddr(rs1_read.wrapping_add_signed(imm) & (!1));
     let insn_code = encode_rv32(InsnKind::JALR, 2, 0, 4, imm as u32);
 
diff --git a/ceno_zkvm/src/scheme/mock_prover.rs b/ceno_zkvm/src/scheme/mock_prover.rs
index 541236d28..257019513 100644
--- a/ceno_zkvm/src/scheme/mock_prover.rs
+++ b/ceno_zkvm/src/scheme/mock_prover.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 use strum::IntoEnumIterator;
 
+const MAX_CONSTRAINT_DEGREE: usize = 2;
 const MOCK_PROGRAM_SIZE: usize = 32;
 pub const MOCK_PC_START: ByteAddr = ByteAddr(CENO_PLATFORM.pc_base());
 
@@ -50,6 +51,11 @@ pub(crate) enum MockProverError<E: ExtensionField> {
         name: String,
         inst_id: usize,
     },
+    DegreeTooHigh {
+        expression: Expression<E>,
+        degree: usize,
+        name: String,
+    },
     LookupError {
         expression: Expression<E>,
         evaluated: E,
@@ -178,6 +184,18 @@ impl<E: ExtensionField> MockProverError<E> {
                     Inst[{inst_id}]:\n{wtns_fmt}\n",
                 );
             }
+            Self::DegreeTooHigh {
+                expression,
+                degree,
+                name,
+            } => {
+                let expression_fmt = fmt::expr(expression, &mut wtns, false);
+                println!(
+                    "\nDegreeTooHigh {name:?}: Expression degree is too high\n\
+                    Expression: {expression_fmt}\n\
+                    Degree: {degree} > {MAX_CONSTRAINT_DEGREE}\n",
+                );
+            }
             Self::LookupError {
                 expression,
                 evaluated,
@@ -251,6 +269,7 @@ impl<E: ExtensionField> MockProverError<E> {
             | Self::AssertEqualError { inst_id, .. }
             | Self::LookupError { inst_id, .. }
             | Self::LkMultiplicityError { inst_id, .. } => *inst_id,
+            Self::DegreeTooHigh { .. } => unreachable!(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -438,6 +457,14 @@ impl<'a, E: ExtensionField + Hash> MockProver<E> {
                     .chain(&cb.cs.assert_zero_sumcheck_expressions_namespace_map),
             )
         {
+            if expr.degree() > MAX_CONSTRAINT_DEGREE {
+                errors.push(MockProverError::DegreeTooHigh {
+                    expression: expr.clone(),
+                    degree: expr.degree(),
+                    name: name.clone(),
+                });
+            }
+
             // require_equal does not always have the form of Expr::Sum as
             // the sum of witness and constant is expressed as scaled sum
             if name.contains("require_equal") && expr.unpack_sum().is_some() {
@@ -701,6 +728,7 @@ Hints:
             .collect_vec();
         Self::assert_satisfied(cb, &wits_in, programs, challenge, lkm);
     }
+
     pub fn assert_satisfied(
         cb: &CircuitBuilder<E>,
         wits_in: &[ArcMultilinearExtension<'a, E>],