This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatuses for protecting against transmit power violations in a radio unit (RU) of a disaggregated base station. For example, when a distributed unit (DU) provides frequency domain samples to the RU, the DU may set a reference input level that causes the RU scale a gain lineup to avoid saturation or sensitivity issues in a signal processing chain while ramping up to a required transmit power. Accordingly, to avoid signal saturation or clipping at the RU, the RU may monitor energy estimation measurements and take remedial action when a transmit power violation occurs. For example, the RU may provide one or more system alarms to the DU or prevent transmission over an air interface in cases where the energy estimation measurements fail to satisfy one or more thresholds.