diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 090d23494..31676b597 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/).
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Fixed
+- `socket scan create` now rejects every `--reach-*` modifier when `--reach` is not enabled. Previously flags such as `--reach-debug` were silently ignored, making a plain SBOM scan look like a reachability scan.
+
 ## [1.1.157](https://github.com/SocketDev/socket-cli/releases/tag/v1.1.157) - 2026-08-12
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/src/commands/scan/cmd-scan-create.mts b/src/commands/scan/cmd-scan-create.mts
index a7ff50d50..41564b50c 100644
--- a/src/commands/scan/cmd-scan-create.mts
+++ b/src/commands/scan/cmd-scan-create.mts
@@ -504,30 +504,28 @@ async function run(
   const isUsingNonDefaultConcurrency =
     reachConcurrency !== reachabilityFlags['reachConcurrency']?.default
 
-  const isUsingNonDefaultAnalytics =
-    reachDisableAnalytics !==
-    reachabilityFlags['reachDisableAnalytics']?.default
-
   const isUsingNonDefaultVersion =
     reachVersion !== reachabilityFlags['reachVersion']?.default
 
+  // Compare every boolean reach flag against its declared default so newly
+  // added flags require --reach automatically instead of relying on a
+  // hand-maintained list. The deprecated no-op
+  // --reach-disable-analysis-splitting is excluded on purpose.
+  const isUsingAnyBooleanReachFlag = Object.entries(reachabilityFlags).some(
+    ([name, flag]) =>
+      flag.type === 'boolean' &&
+      name !== 'reachDisableAnalysisSplitting' &&
+      cli.flags[name] !== flag.default,
+  )
+
   const isUsingAnyReachabilityFlags =
-    dynamicSbomInference ||
     hasReachEcosystems ||
     hasReachExcludePaths ||
-    isUsingNonDefaultAnalytics ||
+    isUsingAnyBooleanReachFlag ||
     isUsingNonDefaultConcurrency ||
     isUsingNonDefaultMemoryLimit ||
     isUsingNonDefaultTimeout ||
-    isUsingNonDefaultVersion ||
-    reachContinueOnAnalysisErrors ||
-    reachContinueOnInstallErrors ||
-    reachContinueOnMissingLockFiles ||
-    reachContinueOnNoSourceFiles ||
-    reachEnableAnalysisSplitting ||
-    reachLazyMode ||
-    reachSkipCache ||
-    reachUseOnlyPregeneratedSboms
+    isUsingNonDefaultVersion
 
   // Validate target constraints when --reach is enabled.
   const reachTargetValidation = reach
diff --git a/src/commands/scan/cmd-scan-create.test.mts b/src/commands/scan/cmd-scan-create.test.mts
index 39e2ab3b8..ddaaa47cd 100644
--- a/src/commands/scan/cmd-scan-create.test.mts
+++ b/src/commands/scan/cmd-scan-create.test.mts
@@ -187,6 +187,95 @@ describe('socket scan create', async () => {
     },
   )
 
+  cmdit(
+    [
+      'scan',
+      'create',
+      FLAG_ORG,
+      'fakeOrg',
+      'target',
+      FLAG_DRY_RUN,
+      '--repo',
+      'xyz',
+      '--branch',
+      'abc',
+      '--reach-debug',
+      FLAG_CONFIG,
+      '{"apiToken":"fakeToken"}',
+    ],
+    'should fail when --reach-debug is used without --reach',
+    async cmd => {
+      const { code, stderr, stdout } = await spawnSocketCli(binCliPath, cmd)
+      const output = stdout + stderr
+      expect(output).toContain(
+        'Reachability analysis flags require --reach to be enabled',
+      )
+      expect(output).toContain('add --reach flag to use --reach-* options')
+      expect(
+        code,
+        'should exit with non-zero code when validation fails',
+      ).not.toBe(0)
+    },
+  )
+
+  cmdit(
+    [
+      'scan',
+      'create',
+      FLAG_ORG,
+      'fakeOrg',
+      'target',
+      FLAG_DRY_RUN,
+      '--repo',
+      'xyz',
+      '--branch',
+      'abc',
+      '--reach-retain-facts-file',
+      FLAG_CONFIG,
+      '{"apiToken":"fakeToken"}',
+    ],
+    'should fail when --reach-retain-facts-file is used without --reach',
+    async cmd => {
+      const { code, stderr, stdout } = await spawnSocketCli(binCliPath, cmd)
+      const output = stdout + stderr
+      expect(output).toContain(
+        'Reachability analysis flags require --reach to be enabled',
+      )
+      expect(output).toContain('add --reach flag to use --reach-* options')
+      expect(
+        code,
+        'should exit with non-zero code when validation fails',
+      ).not.toBe(0)
+    },
+  )
+
+  cmdit(
+    [
+      'scan',
+      'create',
+      FLAG_ORG,
+      'fakeOrg',
+      'target',
+      FLAG_DRY_RUN,
+      '--repo',
+      'xyz',
+      '--branch',
+      'abc',
+      '--reach-disable-analysis-splitting',
+      FLAG_CONFIG,
+      '{"apiToken":"fakeToken"}',
+    ],
+    'should succeed when deprecated no-op --reach-disable-analysis-splitting is used without --reach',
+    async cmd => {
+      const { code, stdout } = await spawnSocketCli(binCliPath, cmd)
+      expect(stdout).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"[DryRun]: Bailing now"`)
+      expect(
+        code,
+        'should exit with code 0 for the deprecated no-op flag',
+      ).toBe(0)
+    },
+  )
+
   cmdit(
     [
       'scan',