diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/sheet.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/sheet.rs
index f05b77d91..14bb37f87 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/sheet.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/sheet.rs
@@ -427,6 +427,15 @@ fn insert_cells(s: &mut Session, p: &Json) -> Result<Json> {
     let sheet = target_sheet(s, p)?;
     if let Some(sh) = s.doc()?.wb.sheet(sheet) {
         check_table_shift(sh, &e)?;
+        // Refuse to push data off the sheet: cells in the last `width`/`height` positions would be dropped.
+        let doomed = if shift == "right" {
+            RangeRef::new(CellRef::new(r.start.row, r.start.col.max(MAX_COLS.saturating_sub(r.width()))), CellRef::new(r.end.row, MAX_COLS - 1))
+        } else {
+            RangeRef::new(CellRef::new(r.start.row.max(MAX_ROWS.saturating_sub(r.height())), r.start.col), CellRef::new(MAX_ROWS - 1, r.end.col))
+        };
+        if sh.cells.iter_range(doomed).any(|(_, x)| x.formula.is_some() || !x.value.is_empty()) {
+            return Err(EngineError::Other("To prevent possible loss of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off of the worksheet.".into()));
+        }
     }
     let right = shift == "right";
     let out = edit(s, |cx| {
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
index 33fdc113e..c1173fff4 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
@@ -1121,6 +1121,24 @@ fn a_whole_column_table_without_headers_stays_on_the_sheet() {
     assert!(e.to_string().contains("pushed off the end"), "{e}");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn inserting_cells_refuses_to_push_values_off_the_sheet() {
+    for (shift, edge, last_fit, last_ok) in [("right", "XFD1", "XFC1", "XFD1"), ("down", "A1048576", "A1048575", "A1048576")] {
+        let mut sess = s();
+        sess.execute("cell.set", json!({"cell": "A1", "input": "1"})).unwrap();
+        sess.execute("cell.set", json!({"cell": edge, "input": "2"})).unwrap();
+        let e = sess.execute("home.insertCells", json!({"range": "A1", "shift": shift})).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(e.to_string().contains("loss of data"), "{e}");
+        assert_eq!(v(&sess, "A1"), Value::Number(1.0));
+        assert_eq!(v(&sess, edge), Value::Number(2.0));
+        // A value that still fits moves to the last valid cell.
+        let mut sess = s();
+        sess.execute("cell.set", json!({"cell": last_fit, "input": "2"})).unwrap();
+        sess.execute("home.insertCells", json!({"range": "A1", "shift": shift})).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(v(&sess, last_ok), Value::Number(2.0));
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn autosum_over_whole_rows_is_one_undo_step_within_the_data() {
     // Found by the command-sequence fuzzer: AutoSum over rows `3:5` ran one `cell.set` per column