diff --git a/dataframe-core/src-internal/DataFrame/Internal/Column/Operations.hs b/dataframe-core/src-internal/DataFrame/Internal/Column/Operations.hs
index 750ac9a7..76913cb5 100644
--- a/dataframe-core/src-internal/DataFrame/Internal/Column/Operations.hs
+++ b/dataframe-core/src-internal/DataFrame/Internal/Column/Operations.hs
@@ -248,7 +248,23 @@ sliceColumn start n (BoxedColumn bm xs) =
     BoxedColumn (fmap (bitmapSlice start n) bm) (VG.slice start n xs)
 sliceColumn start n (UnboxedColumn bm xs) =
     UnboxedColumn (fmap (bitmapSlice start n) bm) (VG.slice start n xs)
-sliceColumn start n c@(PackedText _ _) = sliceColumn start n (materializePacked c)
+sliceColumn start n (PackedText bm p)
+    -- packedGather decodes an out-of-range index as the empty string, where
+    -- the boxed and unboxed arms reject the slice, so check first.
+    | start < 0 || n < 0 || start + n > packedLength p =
+        errorWithoutStackTrace
+            ( "sliceColumn: invalid slice ("
+                ++ show start
+                ++ ","
+                ++ show n
+                ++ ","
+                ++ show (packedLength p)
+                ++ ")"
+            )
+    | otherwise =
+        PackedText
+            (fmap (bitmapSlice start n) bm)
+            (packedGather (VU.enumFromN start n) p)
 {-# INLINE sliceColumn #-}
 
 -- | O(n) Selects the elements at a given set of indices. Does not change the order.
diff --git a/tests/Internal/PackedText.hs b/tests/Internal/PackedText.hs
index e85c5637..2bc7a01e 100644
--- a/tests/Internal/PackedText.hs
+++ b/tests/Internal/PackedText.hs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import qualified Data.Text as T
 import qualified Data.Text.Array as A
 import qualified Data.Vector.Unboxed as VU
 
+import Control.Exception (SomeException, evaluate, try)
 import Control.Monad (zipWithM_)
 import qualified Data.ByteString as B
 import Data.Text.Encoding (encodeUtf8)
@@ -169,6 +170,40 @@ leftJoinSentinelPreservesPacked = TestCase $ do
         (DI.isPackedText (unsafeGetColumn "v" joinedP))
     assertBool "left join packed == boxed" (joinedP == joinedB)
 
+-- A slice of a packed column stays packed: decoding to Text would make a
+-- ten-row slice cost the whole frame.
+slicePreservesPacked :: Test
+slicePreservesPacked = TestCase $ do
+    let sp = DI.sliceColumn 3 4 packedCol
+        sb = DI.sliceColumn 3 4 boxedCol
+    assertBool "sliced packed stays PackedText" (DI.isPackedText sp)
+    assertBool "sliced packed == sliced boxed" (sp == sb)
+    assertEqual
+        "sliced packed toList == boxed"
+        (DI.toList @T.Text sb)
+        (DI.toList @T.Text sp)
+
+-- takeLastColumn is sliceColumn from an offset, so it must stay packed too.
+takeLastPreservesPacked :: Test
+takeLastPreservesPacked = TestCase $ do
+    let tp = DI.takeLastColumn 3 packedCol
+        tb = DI.takeLastColumn 3 boxedCol
+    assertBool "takeLast packed stays PackedText" (DI.isPackedText tp)
+    assertEqual
+        "takeLast packed toList == boxed"
+        (DI.toList @T.Text tb)
+        (DI.toList @T.Text tp)
+
+-- Every other representation rejects a slice running past the end; the packed
+-- arm must not quietly decode the overrun as empty strings.
+sliceRejectsInvalidBounds :: Test
+sliceRejectsInvalidBounds = TestCase $ do
+    r <- try (evaluate (DI.columnLength (DI.sliceColumn 8 5 packedCol)))
+    case r :: Either SomeException Int of
+        Left _ -> pure ()
+        Right len ->
+            assertFailure ("expected an invalid slice, got length " ++ show len)
+
 tests :: [Test]
 tests =
     [ TestLabel "PackedText display parity" displayParity
@@ -183,4 +218,7 @@ tests =
     , TestLabel
         "PackedText left-join sentinel preserves packed"
         leftJoinSentinelPreservesPacked
+    , TestLabel "PackedText slice preserves packed" slicePreservesPacked
+    , TestLabel "PackedText takeLast preserves packed" takeLastPreservesPacked
+    , TestLabel "PackedText slice rejects bad bounds" sliceRejectsInvalidBounds
     ]