diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3b837e2a..60c9c778 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
 
 - The `VSMSolution` docstring gives `lift_dist`, `drag_dist` and `panel_moment_dist` in
   the per-unit-span units they hold, [N/m] and [Nm/m], instead of [N] and [Nm].
+- `fit_kulfan_parameters` with `LeastSquaresFit` drops singular values below `1e-4`
+  times the largest, so a contour whose stations crowd into a narrow band of the chord
+  fits to an airfoil-sized shape instead of weights that resample it to 1e4 scale.
+  Fits of well-spread stations are unchanged.
 
 ## VortexStepMethod v5.1.1 2026-09-12
 
diff --git a/src/airfoil_aero/kulfan.jl b/src/airfoil_aero/kulfan.jl
index dce90044..c7488b0b 100644
--- a/src/airfoil_aero/kulfan.jl
+++ b/src/airfoil_aero/kulfan.jl
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ function leading_edge_basis(x::AbstractVector{T}, n_weights::Int) where T
     return x .* max.(1 .- x, zero(T)).^(n_weights + 0.5)
 end
 
+const KULFAN_FIT_RTOL = 1e-4 # [-] singular values dropped below this times the largest
+
 """
     fit_kulfan_parameters(x::Vector, y::Vector, method::KulfanFitMethod)
     fit_kulfan_parameters(x::Vector, y::Vector; n_weights=8)
@@ -128,7 +130,8 @@ end
 
 Least-squares fit matching AeroSandbox's `get_kulfan_parameters`: both surfaces
 share a single least-squares system with a shared leading-edge weight and a
-trailing-edge thickness.
+trailing-edge thickness. Singular values below `1e-4` times the largest are dropped, so
+stations crowded into part of the chord give bounded weights.
 """
 function fit_kulfan_parameters(x::Vector{T}, y::Vector{T},
                                method::LeastSquaresFit) where T
@@ -144,12 +147,11 @@ function fit_kulfan_parameters(x::Vector{T}, y::Vector{T},
     te_col = ifelse.(is_upper, xv ./ 2, .-xv ./ 2)
 
     A = hcat((.!is_upper) .* CS, is_upper .* CS, le_col, te_col)
-    coeffs = A \ y_norm
+    coeffs = pinv(A; rtol=KULFAN_FIT_RTOL) * y_norm
     TE_thickness = coeffs[end]
 
     if TE_thickness < 0
-        A = hcat((.!is_upper) .* CS, is_upper .* CS, le_col)
-        coeffs = A \ y_norm
+        coeffs = pinv(A[:, 1:end-1]; rtol=KULFAN_FIT_RTOL) * y_norm
         TE_thickness = zero(T)
     end
 
diff --git a/test/airfoil_aero/test_airfoil_aero.jl b/test/airfoil_aero/test_airfoil_aero.jl
index ac4b9363..e35a18a5 100644
--- a/test/airfoil_aero/test_airfoil_aero.jl
+++ b/test/airfoil_aero/test_airfoil_aero.jl
@@ -43,6 +43,18 @@ end
         @test params.TE_thickness ≈ 0.0 atol = 1e-12
     end
 
+    @testset "Fit to stations crowded into a narrow band stays airfoil-sized" begin
+        spread = (1 .- cos.(range(0, pi, 121))) ./ 2
+        crowded = vcat(0.0, range(0.30, 0.31, 118), 1.0)
+        surface(weights, xs) = class_function(xs) .* (bernstein_basis(xs, 7) * weights)
+        y_upper = surface(fill(0.2, 8), crowded) .+ 0.005 .* sin.(40pi .* crowded)
+        y_lower = surface(fill(-0.1, 8), spread)
+        x = vcat(reverse(crowded), spread[2:end])
+        y = vcat(reverse(y_upper), y_lower[2:end])
+        _, y_fit = kulfan_to_coordinates(fit_kulfan_parameters(x, y))
+        @test maximum(abs, y_fit) < 2 * maximum(abs, y)
+    end
+
     @testset "Shrink-wrap encloses points with clearance" begin
         xn, yn, _ = normalize_airfoil(collect(float.(xr)), collect(float.(yr)))
         cloud_to_wrap(xw, yw) = minimum(