diff --git a/src/Psalm/Internal/Provider/ReturnTypeProvider/SprintfReturnTypeProvider.php b/src/Psalm/Internal/Provider/ReturnTypeProvider/SprintfReturnTypeProvider.php
index 0a3ac3b3b62..eb5076fa4c2 100644
--- a/src/Psalm/Internal/Provider/ReturnTypeProvider/SprintfReturnTypeProvider.php
+++ b/src/Psalm/Internal/Provider/ReturnTypeProvider/SprintfReturnTypeProvider.php
@@ -161,17 +161,20 @@ public static function getFunctionReturnType(FunctionReturnTypeProviderEvent $ev
                     return Type::getString('');
                 }
 
-                // these placeholders are too complex to handle for now
-                if (preg_match(
-                    '/%(?:\d+\$)?[-+]?(?:\d+|\*)(?:\.(?:\d+|\*))?[bcdouxXeEfFgGhHs]/',
+                // these placeholders still fall back to a generic return type,
+                // but we validate their format and argument count first
+                $has_complex_placeholder = preg_match(
+                    '/%(?:\d+\$)?[-+]?(?:'
+                    . '(?:\d+|\*(?:\d+\$)?)(?:\.(?:\d+|\*(?:\d+\$)?))?'
+                    . '|\.\*(?:\d+\$)?'
+                    . ')[bcdouxXeEfFgGhHs]/',
                     $type->getSingleStringLiteral()->value,
-                ) === 1) {
-                    return null;
-                }
+                ) === 1;
 
                 // assume a random, high number for tests
                 $provided_placeholders_count = $has_splat_args === true ? 100 : count($call_args) - 1;
-                $dummy = array_fill(0, $provided_placeholders_count, '');
+                // Use integer dummies for * width/precision so PHP validates arity without raising a false ValueError.
+                $dummy = array_fill(0, $provided_placeholders_count, $has_complex_placeholder ? 0 : '');
 
                 // check if we have enough/too many arguments and a valid format
                 $initial_result = null;
@@ -287,6 +290,10 @@ public static function getFunctionReturnType(FunctionReturnTypeProviderEvent $ev
                     }
                 }
 
+                if ($has_complex_placeholder) {
+                    return null;
+                }
+
                 if ($event->getFunctionId() === 'printf') {
                     // printf only has the format validated above
                     // don't change the return type
diff --git a/tests/ReturnTypeProvider/SprintfTest.php b/tests/ReturnTypeProvider/SprintfTest.php
index f6ece62f672..e1b9fda7513 100644
--- a/tests/ReturnTypeProvider/SprintfTest.php
+++ b/tests/ReturnTypeProvider/SprintfTest.php
@@ -195,6 +195,85 @@ public function providerValidCodeParse(): iterable
             'php_version' => '8.0',
         ];
 
+        yield 'sprintfComplexPlaceholderNotYetSupported4' => [
+            'code' => '<?php
+                $precision = 1;
+                $flt = 1.234;
+                $val = sprintf("%.*f", $precision, $flt);
+            ',
+            'assertions' => [
+                '$val===' => 'string',
+            ],
+            'ignored_issues' => [],
+            'php_version' => '8.0',
+        ];
+
+        yield 'printfComplexPlaceholderNotYetSupported4' => [
+            'code' => '<?php
+                $precision = 1;
+                $flt = 1.234;
+                $val = printf("%.*f", $precision, $flt);
+            ',
+            'assertions' => [
+                '$val===' => 'int<0, max>',
+            ],
+            'ignored_issues' => [],
+            'php_version' => '8.0',
+        ];
+
+        yield 'sprintfComplexPlaceholderNotYetSupported5' => [
+            'code' => '<?php
+                $flt = 1.234;
+                $precision = 1;
+                $val = sprintf("%1\$.*2\$f", $flt, $precision);
+            ',
+            'assertions' => [
+                '$val===' => 'string',
+            ],
+            'ignored_issues' => [],
+            'php_version' => '8.0',
+        ];
+
+        yield 'sprintfComplexPlaceholderNotYetSupported6' => [
+            'code' => '<?php
+                $precision = 1;
+                $flt = 1.234;
+                $val = sprintf("%2\$.*1\$f", $precision, $flt);
+            ',
+            'assertions' => [
+                '$val===' => 'string',
+            ],
+            'ignored_issues' => [],
+            'php_version' => '8.0',
+        ];
+
+        yield 'sprintfComplexPlaceholderNotYetSupported7' => [
+            'code' => '<?php
+                $flt = 1.234;
+                $precision = 1;
+                $val = sprintf("%10.*2\$f", $flt, $precision);
+            ',
+            'assertions' => [
+                '$val===' => 'string',
+            ],
+            'ignored_issues' => [],
+            'php_version' => '8.0',
+        ];
+
+        yield 'sprintfComplexPlaceholderNotYetSupported8' => [
+            'code' => '<?php
+                $precision = 1;
+                $width = 10;
+                $flt = 1.234;
+                $val = sprintf("%3\$*2\$.*1\$f", $precision, $width, $flt);
+            ',
+            'assertions' => [
+                '$val===' => 'string',
+            ],
+            'ignored_issues' => [],
+            'php_version' => '8.0',
+        ];
+
         yield 'sprintfSplatUnpackingArray' => [
             'code' => '<?php
                 $a = ["a", "b", "c"];
@@ -327,6 +406,72 @@ public function providerInvalidCodeParse(): iterable
                 ',
                 'error_message' => 'InvalidArgument',
             ],
+            'sprintfEscapedPercentLiteralStillReportsTooManyArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%%.*f", "a", "b");
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooManyArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfEscapedPercentThenPrecisionStarStillReportsTooFewArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%%%.*f", 1);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooFewArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfPositionalEscapedPercentThenPrecisionStarStillReportsTooFewArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%1$%%.*f", 1);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooFewArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfPrecisionStarTooFewArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%.*f", 1);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooFewArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfPrecisionStarTooManyArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%.*f", 1, 1.23, 99);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooManyArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfPositionalPrecisionStarTooFewArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%1\$.*2\$f", 1.23);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooFewArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfPositionalPrecisionStarTooManyArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%1\$.*2\$f", 1.23, 1, 99);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooManyArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfWidthAndPositionalPrecisionStarTooFewArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%10.*2\$f", 1.23);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooFewArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfWidthAndPositionalPrecisionStarTooManyArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%10.*2\$f", 1.23, 1, 99);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooManyArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfPositionalWidthAndPrecisionStarTooFewArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%3\$*2\$.*1\$f", 1, 10);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooFewArguments',
+            ],
+            'sprintfPositionalWidthAndPrecisionStarTooManyArguments' => [
+                'code' => '<?php
+                    $x = sprintf("%3\$*2\$.*1\$f", 1, 10, 1.23, 99);
+                ',
+                'error_message' => 'TooManyArguments',
+            ],
             'printfVariableFormat' => [
                 'code' => '<?php
                     /** @var string $bar */