diff --git a/ISSUES.md b/ISSUES.md
index 5f3039f..81e8808 100644
--- a/ISSUES.md
+++ b/ISSUES.md
@@ -71,12 +71,12 @@ Legend: `[ ]` open · `[x]` resolved · `[~]` won't fix / by design.
 
 ## P4 — Display & docs
 
-- [ ] **E1 · `format_sql` splits `LEFT/RIGHT/FULL OUTER JOIN` across two lines.**
+- [x] **E1 · `format_sql` splits `LEFT/RIGHT/FULL OUTER JOIN` across two lines.**
   The keyword list processes bare `JOIN` before the multi-word forms, so the
   newline is inserted mid-keyword. Cosmetic but mangles a teaching artifact.
   *Fix:* order the keyword list longest-first (or special-case `… OUTER JOIN`).
 
-- [ ] **E2 · README overstates SQLite zero-setup for outer joins.** `RIGHT`/`FULL
+- [x] **E2 · README overstates SQLite zero-setup for outer joins.** `RIGHT`/`FULL
   OUTER JOIN` require SQLite ≥ 3.39 (2022); older platform Pythons raise
   `OperationalError`. *Fix:* add a one-line version caveat near the outer-join
   docs / backend-coverage note.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a6f4a34..294d3e7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -218,6 +218,10 @@ s.outer_join(sp, how="right")  # all shipments, even without suppliers
 s.outer_join(sp, how="full")   # both
 ```
 
+> **Note:** `how="right"` and `how="full"` require **SQLite 3.39+** (2022),
+> when SQLite added `RIGHT`/`FULL OUTER JOIN`. `how="left"` works on all
+> supported versions. PostgreSQL and MySQL support all three.
+
 ### Set Operations
 
 These require both relations to have *identical schemas* (same attribute
@@ -409,6 +413,9 @@ identifier quoting, and introspects table schemas from the database.
 > schema introspection branches all exist — but are not currently run
 > against live databases in CI. If you use coddpiece on PG or MySQL and
 > spot a regression in those paths, please open an issue.
+>
+> Note that `RIGHT`/`FULL OUTER JOIN` require **SQLite 3.39+** (2022);
+> older SQLite builds will reject those queries.
 
 ### Complete Operation Reference
 
diff --git a/coddpiece/display.py b/coddpiece/display.py
index 36f252a..030be20 100644
--- a/coddpiece/display.py
+++ b/coddpiece/display.py
@@ -486,9 +486,28 @@ def format_sql(sql: str) -> str:
     for kw in ["FROM", "WHERE", "JOIN", "LEFT OUTER JOIN", "RIGHT OUTER JOIN",
                "FULL OUTER JOIN", "GROUP BY", "HAVING", "ORDER BY",
                "UNION", "INTERSECT", "EXCEPT"]:
-        # Only break before top-level clauses (not inside subqueries)
+        # Only break before top-level clauses (not inside subqueries).
+        #
+        # The bare "JOIN" keyword is a space-delimited substring of every
+        # multi-word form ("LEFT OUTER JOIN", etc.). Without the guard below,
+        # this loop's bare-JOIN pass matches the space *inside* an already
+        # emitted "LEFT OUTER JOIN" and splits it across two lines
+        # ("LEFT OUTER\nJOIN ..."). Crucially, reordering the list so the
+        # multi-word forms run first does NOT help: the later bare-JOIN pass
+        # re-splits them regardless. The negative lookbehind makes bare JOIN
+        # decline to match a JOIN that belongs to a compound keyword, leaving
+        # the dedicated multi-word rules to break those clauses as one unit.
+        if kw == "JOIN":
+            pattern = (
+                r'\s+'
+                r'(?<!OUTER )(?<!INNER )(?<!LEFT )'
+                r'(?<!RIGHT )(?<!FULL )(?<!CROSS )'
+                r'(JOIN)\b'
+            )
+        else:
+            pattern = rf'\s+({kw})\b'
         formatted = re.sub(
-            rf'\s+({kw})\b',
+            pattern,
             r'\n\1',
             formatted,
         )
diff --git a/tests/test_all.py b/tests/test_all.py
index 276c62e..dc1bdca 100644
--- a/tests/test_all.py
+++ b/tests/test_all.py
@@ -1130,3 +1130,54 @@ def test_compound_and_not_sql_still_compiles(self, sp_data):
         not_sql = s.select(~(s.city == "London")).sql()
         assert "NOT" in not_sql
         assert "params:" in not_sql
+
+
+class TestOuterJoinFormatting:
+    # format_sql() used to split multi-word OUTER JOIN keywords across two
+    # lines, because the bare-JOIN rewrite matched the space inside
+    # "LEFT OUTER JOIN". A negative lookbehind now keeps compound keywords
+    # intact while bare JOIN (natural/theta/equijoin) still breaks correctly.
+    def test_outer_join_keyword_not_split(self, sp_data):
+        s, p, sp, engine = sp_data
+        cases = {
+            "left": "LEFT OUTER JOIN",
+            "right": "RIGHT OUTER JOIN",
+            "full": "FULL OUTER JOIN",
+        }
+        for how, keyword in cases.items():
+            sql = s.outer_join(sp, how=how).sql()
+            # Contiguous one-line substring (the headline assertion).
+            assert keyword in sql, (how, sql)
+            # Never split as "... OUTER\nJOIN ...".
+            assert "OUTER\nJOIN" not in sql, (how, sql)
+            # Exactly one line begins with the compound keyword.
+            keyword_lines = [
+                ln for ln in sql.split("\n") if ln.strip().startswith(keyword)
+            ]
+            assert len(keyword_lines) == 1, (how, sql)
+
+    def test_bare_join_still_breaks(self, sp_data):
+        # The lookbehind that protects compound keywords must NOT suppress the
+        # bare JOIN that natural/theta/equijoin emit — it should still start
+        # its own line.
+        s, p, sp, engine = sp_data
+        sql = sp.join(s).sql()
+        join_lines = [
+            ln for ln in sql.split("\n") if ln.strip().startswith("JOIN")
+        ]
+        assert len(join_lines) == 1, sql
+
+    def test_division_subquery_indentation_preserved(self, sp_data):
+        # The fix touches only the bare-JOIN rule; the paren-counting indenter
+        # that lays out division's nested subqueries must be untouched.
+        s, p, sp, engine = sp_data
+        red_parts = p.select(p.color == "Red").project("pno")
+        sql = sp.project("sno", "pno").divide(red_parts).sql()
+        assert "NOT EXISTS" in sql
+        assert "EXCEPT" in sql
+        assert "OUTER\nJOIN" not in sql
+        # At least one nested FROM is indented (subquery layout intact).
+        assert any(
+            ln.startswith("  ") and ln.strip().startswith("FROM")
+            for ln in sql.split("\n")
+        ), sql