diff --git a/docs/language-reference.md b/docs/language-reference.md
index d3f4441..37c5891 100644
--- a/docs/language-reference.md
+++ b/docs/language-reference.md
@@ -125,8 +125,9 @@ exponent form such as `1E-03` or `1.23456789E+09`.
 Commas advance to 14-column print zones. `TAB(n)` advances when `n` is to the
 right of the current output column and otherwise emits no spacing. `SPC(n)`
 emits `n` spaces regardless of the current column, and `POS(x)` reports that
-column as a number. Both truncate their argument toward zero; a negative `SPC`
-count is a runtime error. `TAB` and `SPC` are print-list directives rather than
+column as a number. `TAB` and `SPC` truncate their argument toward zero and
+accept `0` through `255`, the byte range Microsoft takes; anything outside it
+is a runtime error. `TAB` and `SPC` are print-list directives rather than
 values, so using either outside `PRINT` is a type error.
 
 ## Annotated structured-source extension
diff --git a/pkg/interpreter/evaluator.go b/pkg/interpreter/evaluator.go
index 9b45fa9..a40f8ae 100644
--- a/pkg/interpreter/evaluator.go
+++ b/pkg/interpreter/evaluator.go
@@ -807,6 +807,11 @@ func (e *Evaluator) evalSleepStatement(statement *SleepStatement) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// maxPrintPadding is the widest padding TAB and SPC accept. Microsoft BASIC
+// takes both arguments as a byte, so a wider request is an illegal quantity
+// rather than a very large allocation.
+const maxPrintPadding = 255
+
 // TabValue represents a target output column from TAB.
 type TabValue struct {
 	Pos int
@@ -1096,6 +1101,12 @@ func (e *Evaluator) evalCallExpression(expression *CallExpression) (any, error)
 		if argument < 0 {
 			return nil, errors.New("TAB position cannot be negative")
 		}
+		// Anything below the next whole value truncates into range. Comparing
+		// before the conversion also avoids int() of an out-of-range float,
+		// which is undefined in Go.
+		if argument >= maxPrintPadding+1 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("TAB position cannot exceed %d", maxPrintPadding)
+		}
 		return TabValue{Pos: int(argument)}, nil
 	case "SPC":
 		argument, err := e.singleNumberArgument(expression)
@@ -1105,6 +1116,9 @@ func (e *Evaluator) evalCallExpression(expression *CallExpression) (any, error)
 		if argument < 0 {
 			return nil, errors.New("SPC count cannot be negative")
 		}
+		if argument >= maxPrintPadding+1 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("SPC count cannot exceed %d", maxPrintPadding)
+		}
 		return SpcValue{Count: int(argument)}, nil
 	case "POS":
 		if _, err := e.singleNumberArgument(expression); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/interpreter/evaluator_test.go b/pkg/interpreter/evaluator_test.go
index 81c2290..bb2e59a 100644
--- a/pkg/interpreter/evaluator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/interpreter/evaluator_test.go
@@ -399,6 +399,22 @@ func TestEvaluatorFormatsNumbersLikeMicrosoft(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestEvaluatorAcceptsTabAndSpcAtTheByteBoundary(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	program := mustParse(t, `10 PRINT SPC(255);"A"
+20 PRINT TAB(255);"B"
+`)
+	var output bytes.Buffer
+	if err := NewEvaluator(program, &output).Run(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("run: %v", err)
+	}
+	want := strings.Repeat(" ", 255) + "A\n" + strings.Repeat(" ", 255) + "B\n"
+	if got := output.String(); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("output: got %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestEvaluatorNamedNextUnwindsAbandonedInnerLoops(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -673,6 +689,8 @@ func TestEvaluatorReportsRuntimeErrors(t *testing.T) {
 		{name: "negative sleep", program: mustParse(t, "10 SLEEP -1\n"), want: "SLEEP duration cannot be negative"},
 		{name: "negative tab", program: mustParse(t, "10 PRINT TAB(-1)\n"), want: "TAB position cannot be negative"},
 		{name: "negative spc", program: mustParse(t, "10 PRINT SPC(-1)\n"), want: "SPC count cannot be negative"},
+		{name: "tab beyond line width", program: mustParse(t, "10 PRINT TAB(256)\n"), want: "TAB position cannot exceed 255"},
+		{name: "spc beyond line width", program: mustParse(t, "10 PRINT SPC(256)\n"), want: "SPC count cannot exceed 255"},
 		{name: "spc argument count", program: mustParse(t, "10 PRINT SPC(1,2)\n"), want: "SPC expects 1 argument, got 2"},
 		{name: "pos argument count", program: mustParse(t, "10 PRINT POS(0,1)\n"), want: "POS expects 1 argument, got 2"},
 		{name: "string arithmetic", program: mustParse(t, "10 PRINT \"x\"+1\n"), want: "expected number"},