diff --git a/crates/pyrefly_config/src/error_kind.rs b/crates/pyrefly_config/src/error_kind.rs
index 2da8b201b8..36f21ad5f1 100644
--- a/crates/pyrefly_config/src/error_kind.rs
+++ b/crates/pyrefly_config/src/error_kind.rs
@@ -347,6 +347,8 @@ pub enum ErrorKind {
     /// guaranteed. This is a separate error code from BadKeywordArgument to allow
     /// users to opt-in to this stricter check.
     PotentialBadKeywordArgument,
+    /// Accessing a protected class member from outside its defining class or a subclass.
+    PrivateUsage,
     /// A protocol attribute was first defined inside a method instead of the class body.
     ProtocolImplicitlyDefinedAttribute,
     /// Calling `.cuda()` on a `torch.Tensor` hard-codes the target device.
diff --git a/crates/pyrefly_config/src/migration/pyright.rs b/crates/pyrefly_config/src/migration/pyright.rs
index 9eeb992bcc..f16eb84024 100644
--- a/crates/pyrefly_config/src/migration/pyright.rs
+++ b/crates/pyrefly_config/src/migration/pyright.rs
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ impl RuleOverrides {
         add(self.report_operator_issue, ErrorKind::NotCallable);
         add(self.report_return_type, ErrorKind::BadReturn);
         add(self.report_return_type, ErrorKind::InvalidYield);
-        add(self.report_private_usage, ErrorKind::NoAccess);
+        add(self.report_private_usage, ErrorKind::PrivateUsage);
         add(self.report_deprecated, ErrorKind::Deprecated);
         add(
             self.report_incompatible_method_override,
@@ -739,4 +739,14 @@ executionEnvironments = [
         assert!(!config.project_includes.is_empty());
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_report_private_usage_mapping() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        let pyr = serde_json::from_str::<PyrightConfig>(r#"{"reportPrivateUsage": "warning"}"#)?;
+        let config = pyr.convert();
+        let errors = config.root.errors.expect("expected a diagnostic override");
+        assert_eq!(errors.severity(ErrorKind::PrivateUsage), Severity::Warn);
+        assert_eq!(errors.severity(ErrorKind::NoAccess), Severity::Error);
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/pyrefly_python/src/ast.rs b/crates/pyrefly_python/src/ast.rs
index 29ba1eb7d1..f0519c0c94 100644
--- a/crates/pyrefly_python/src/ast.rs
+++ b/crates/pyrefly_python/src/ast.rs
@@ -538,6 +538,10 @@ impl Ast {
         name.starts_with("__") && !name.ends_with("__")
     }
 
+    pub fn is_protected_attr(name: &Name) -> bool {
+        name.len() > 1 && name.starts_with('_') && !name.starts_with("__")
+    }
+
     // Parameters and variables that are prefixed (but not suffixed) with a single underscore
     // are potentially unused, so we should skip some diagnostics/errors.
     // Examples: `_`, `_x`
diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/alt/solve.rs b/pyrefly/lib/alt/solve.rs
index 69946cb869..0070ebf3bb 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/alt/solve.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/alt/solve.rs
@@ -2856,6 +2856,67 @@ impl<'a, Ans: LookupAnswer> AnswersSolver<'a, Ans> {
         ) {
             return;
         }
+        if Ast::is_protected_attr(&expect.attr.id) {
+            if let Some(class_idx) = expect.class_idx {
+                let class_binding = self.get_idx(class_idx);
+                if let Some(owner) = class_binding.0.as_ref() {
+                    let mut found_declaration = false;
+                    let mut access_allowed = true;
+                    for ty in value_type.clone().into_unions() {
+                        let accessed_class = match ty {
+                            Type::ClassDef(cls) => Some(cls),
+                            Type::ClassType(cls) | Type::SelfType(cls) => {
+                                Some(cls.into_class_object())
+                            }
+                            Type::Type(inner) => match *inner {
+                                Type::ClassType(cls) | Type::SelfType(cls) => {
+                                    Some(cls.into_class_object())
+                                }
+                                _ => None,
+                            },
+                            _ => None,
+                        };
+                        let Some(accessed_class) = accessed_class else {
+                            continue;
+                        };
+                        let Some(member) = self
+                            .get_class_member_with_defining_class(&accessed_class, &expect.attr.id)
+                        else {
+                            continue;
+                        };
+                        found_declaration = true;
+                        if member.defining_class.module_path().is_interface() {
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        if member.defining_class != *owner
+                            && !self
+                                .get_mro_for_class(owner)
+                                .ancestors_no_object()
+                                .iter()
+                                .any(|ancestor| ancestor.class_object() == &member.defining_class)
+                        {
+                            access_allowed = false;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    if found_declaration && access_allowed {
+                        return;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            if !self.has_static_attr(&value_type, &expect.attr.id) {
+                return;
+            }
+            self.error(
+                errors,
+                expect.attr.range(),
+                ErrorKind::PrivateUsage,
+                format!(
+                    "Protected attribute `{}` cannot be accessed outside of its defining class or a subclass",
+                    expect.attr.id
+                ),
+            );
+            return;
+        }
         if let Some(class_idx) = expect.class_idx {
             let class_binding = self.get_idx(class_idx);
             let Some(owner) = class_binding.0.as_ref() else {
diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/binding/expr.rs b/pyrefly/lib/binding/expr.rs
index 62ac38c619..ce7c7e0ab7 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/binding/expr.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/binding/expr.rs
@@ -1183,13 +1183,16 @@ impl<'a> BindingsBuilder<'a> {
     }
 
     fn check_private_attribute_usage(&mut self, attr: &ExprAttribute) {
-        if !Ast::is_mangled_attr(&attr.attr.id) {
+        if !Ast::is_mangled_attr(&attr.attr.id) && !Ast::is_protected_attr(&attr.attr.id) {
             return;
         }
         let expect = PrivateAttributeAccessCheck {
             value: (*attr.value).clone(),
             attr: attr.attr.clone(),
-            class_idx: self.scopes.current_method_context(),
+            class_idx: self
+                .scopes
+                .current_class_key()
+                .or_else(|| self.scopes.current_method_context()),
         };
         self.insert_binding(
             KeyExpect::PrivateAttributeAccess(attr.attr.range()),
diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/test/attributes.rs b/pyrefly/lib/test/attributes.rs
index 6c19c98ca9..b33c7d826b 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/test/attributes.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/test/attributes.rs
@@ -1470,6 +1470,45 @@ class C:
 "#,
 );
 
+testcase!(
+    test_protected_attribute_access,
+    r#"
+class A:
+    _protected: int = 0
+
+    def reveal(self, other: "A") -> int:
+        return self._protected + other._protected
+
+outside_instance = A()._protected  # E: Protected attribute `_protected` cannot be accessed outside of its defining class or a subclass
+outside_class = A._protected  # E: Protected attribute `_protected` cannot be accessed outside of its defining class or a subclass
+
+class B(A):
+    inherited = A._protected
+
+    def reveal(self, other: A) -> int:
+        return self._protected + other._protected
+
+class Unrelated:
+    def leak(self, a: A) -> int:
+        return a._protected  # E: Protected attribute `_protected` cannot be accessed outside of its defining class or a subclass
+"#,
+);
+
+testcase!(
+    test_same_named_protected_attribute_from_unrelated_class,
+    r#"
+class A:
+    _protected: int = 0
+
+class B(A):
+    def leak(self, other: "Unrelated") -> int:
+        return other._protected  # E: Protected attribute `_protected` cannot be accessed outside of its defining class or a subclass
+
+class Unrelated:
+    _protected: int = 0
+"#,
+);
+
 testcase!(
     test_private_attribute_inside_class,
     r#"
diff --git a/website/docs/error-kinds.mdx b/website/docs/error-kinds.mdx
index 9b09e988e2..9ab1193ea4 100644
--- a/website/docs/error-kinds.mdx
+++ b/website/docs/error-kinds.mdx
@@ -1690,6 +1690,21 @@ opts: Options = {}
 f(name="test", **opts)  # E: Multiple values for argument `name`
 ```
 
+## private-usage
+
+The `private-usage` error is reported when a protected class member, whose name starts with a
+single underscore, is accessed from outside its defining class or a subclass.
+
+```python
+class Service:
+    def _reset(self) -> None: ...
+
+Service()._reset()  # private-usage
+```
+
+Protected member access is allowed within the defining class and its subclasses. Double-underscore
+private attributes are checked separately under [`no-access`](#no-access).
+
 ## protocol-implicitly-defined-attribute
 
 Protocols must declare the attributes they require directly in the class body. Assigning to a new `self` attribute inside a protocol method introduces a member that implementations of the protocol would never be required to provide.
diff --git a/website/docs/migrating-from-pyright.mdx b/website/docs/migrating-from-pyright.mdx
index 8c00281b53..f892b8ef13 100644
--- a/website/docs/migrating-from-pyright.mdx
+++ b/website/docs/migrating-from-pyright.mdx
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ and pyrefly's [error kinds](error-kinds.mdx).
 | reportNoOverloadImplementation | invalid-overload |
 | reportOperatorIssue | unsupported-operation |
 | reportPossiblyUnboundVariable | unbound-name |
-| reportPrivateUsage | no-access |
+| reportPrivateUsage | private-usage |
 | reportReturnType | bad-return |
 | reportUnboundVariable | unbound-name |
 | reportUndefinedVariable | unknown-name |