diff --git a/datasketches/src/hll/list.rs b/datasketches/src/hll/list.rs
index 1f0b3e7..689e42c 100644
--- a/datasketches/src/hll/list.rs
+++ b/datasketches/src/hll/list.rs
@@ -82,13 +82,17 @@ impl List {
         empty: bool,
         compact: bool,
     ) -> Result<Self, Error> {
-        // Compute array size
-        let array_size = if compact { coupon_count } else { 1 << lg_arr };
-
-        // Read coupons
+        // Always allocate the full-sized array (1 << lg_arr) so Coupon::EMPTY sentinel
+        // slots are available for future update() calls. In compact format only
+        // coupon_count values are stored on disk, but memory must hold the full capacity
+        // so the linear scan in update() can find an empty slot to insert into.
+        let array_size = 1 << lg_arr;
+        let read_count = if compact { coupon_count } else { array_size };
+
+        // Read coupons into the front of the full-sized array; remaining slots stay Coupon::EMPTY.
         let mut coupons = vec![Coupon::EMPTY; array_size];
         if !empty && coupon_count > 0 {
-            for (i, coupon) in coupons.iter_mut().enumerate() {
+            for (i, coupon) in coupons.iter_mut().take(read_count).enumerate() {
                 let raw = cursor.read_u32_le().map_err(|_| {
                     Error::insufficient_data(format!(
                         "expect {coupon_count} coupons, failed at index {i}"
diff --git a/datasketches/tests/hll_serialization_test.rs b/datasketches/tests/hll_serialization_test.rs
index a7e00e6..4f7291b 100644
--- a/datasketches/tests/hll_serialization_test.rs
+++ b/datasketches/tests/hll_serialization_test.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use common::serialization_test_data;
 use datasketches::hll::HllSketch;
+use datasketches::hll::HllType;
 
 fn test_sketch_file(path: PathBuf, expected_cardinality: usize, expected_lg_k: u8) {
     let expected = expected_cardinality as f64;
@@ -102,6 +103,33 @@ fn test_sketch_file(path: PathBuf, expected_cardinality: usize, expected_lg_k: u
     );
 }
 
+/// Reproducer for https://github.com/apache/datasketches-rust/issues/115
+///
+/// A compact-serialized List has no trailing COUPON_EMPTY (0) sentinels.
+/// Before the fix, update() would scan the fully-packed array, find no
+/// empty slot, and silently drop the new value.
+#[test]
+fn test_update_after_deserialize_list_mode() {
+    const LG_K: u8 = 11;
+    for hll_type in [HllType::Hll4, HllType::Hll6, HllType::Hll8] {
+        let mut sketch = HllSketch::new(LG_K, hll_type);
+        sketch.update(1u64);
+
+        // Round-trip through serialization (compact format, List mode)
+        let bytes = sketch.serialize();
+        let mut sketch = HllSketch::deserialize(&bytes).unwrap();
+
+        // This update was silently dropped before the fix
+        sketch.update(2u64);
+
+        let est = sketch.estimate();
+        assert!(
+            (est - 2.0).abs() < 0.1,
+            "{hll_type:?}: expected estimate close to 2.0 after update post-deserialize, got {est}"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_java_hll4_compatibility() {
     let test_cases = [0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000];