diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 50ddd43..d1c6737 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ version next
 - Fix "Underfull \hbox (badness 10000)" warning in banking \subsection dotted
   rules by adding \hss glue as in \dotfill (#307)
 - Update "circle" option to allow for half-filled circles in skill matrix (#309)
+- Fix orphaned \section and \subsection headings in the casual, classic and
+  contemporary styles: the trailing \addvspace of the \cvitem used to typeset
+  the heading allowed a page break between the heading and its first entry
+  (#226)
 
 version 2.6.1 (24 Jun 2026)
 - Allow the customisation of the contemporary style (#297)
diff --git a/moderncv.cls b/moderncv.cls
index 1bc93cf..7cfaafd 100644
--- a/moderncv.cls
+++ b/moderncv.cls
@@ -567,6 +567,16 @@
 % usage: \cvitem[spacing]{header}{text}
 \newcommand*{\cvitem}[3][.25em]{}
 
+% typesets a (sub)section heading as a \cvitem, without the trailing vertical
+% space \cvitem normally adds
+% usage: \@cvheadingitem{header}{text}
+% the trailing \addvspace of \cvitem would contribute glue right after the
+% heading box and before the \nobreak of the heading definition; glue after a
+% box is a legal page breakpoint, so LaTeX could leave the heading orphaned at
+% the bottom of a page.  Gobbling it makes \nobreak the first item following
+% the heading box, so the page can only break before the heading
+\newcommand*{\@cvheadingitem}[2]{{\let\addvspace\@gobble\cvitem[0ex]{#1}{#2}}}
+
 % makes a resume line 2 headers and their corresponding text
 % usage: \cvdoubleitem[spacing]{header1}{text1}{header2}{text2}
 \newcommand*{\cvdoubleitem}[5][.25em]{}
diff --git a/moderncvbodyi.sty b/moderncvbodyi.sty
index b1155d2..3de93c6 100644
--- a/moderncvbodyi.sty
+++ b/moderncvbodyi.sty
@@ -78,14 +78,14 @@
   \par\addvspace{2.5ex}%
   \phantomsection{}% reset the anchor for hyperrefs
   \addcontentsline{toc}{section}{#2}%
-  \cvitem[0ex]{\strut\raggedleft\raisebox{\baseletterheight}{\color{bodyrulecolor}\rule{\hintscolumnwidth}{0.95ex}}}{\strut\sectionstyle{#2}}%
+  \@cvheadingitem{\strut\raggedleft\raisebox{\baseletterheight}{\color{bodyrulecolor}\rule{\hintscolumnwidth}{0.95ex}}}{\strut\sectionstyle{#2}}%
   \par\nobreak\addvspace{1ex}\@afterheading}% to avoid a pagebreak after the heading
 
 \RenewDocumentCommand{\subsection}{sm}{%
   \par\addvspace{1ex}%
   \phantomsection{}% reset the anchor for hyperrefs
   \addcontentsline{toc}{subsection}{#2}%
-  \cvitem[0ex]{}{\strut\subsectionstyle{#2}}%
+  \@cvheadingitem{}{\strut\subsectionstyle{#2}}%
   \par\nobreak\addvspace{.5ex}\@afterheading}% to avoid a pagebreak after the heading
 
 \renewcommand*{\cvitem}[3][.25em]{%
diff --git a/moderncvbodyvi.sty b/moderncvbodyvi.sty
index 79b9d3f..58ab97a 100644
--- a/moderncvbodyvi.sty
+++ b/moderncvbodyvi.sty
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
   \par\addvspace{1ex}%
   \phantomsection{}% reset the anchor for hyperrefs
   \addcontentsline{toc}{subsection}{#2}%
-  \cvitem[0ex]{}{\strut\subsectionstyle{#2}}%
+  \@cvheadingitem{}{\strut\subsectionstyle{#2}}%
   \par\nobreak\addvspace{.5ex}\@afterheading}% to avoid a pagebreak after the heading
 
 \renewcommand*{\cvitem}[3][.25em]{%