diff --git a/dashboard_api.py b/dashboard_api.py
index 9a0da30..9a265cc 100644
--- a/dashboard_api.py
+++ b/dashboard_api.py
@@ -33,7 +33,19 @@ def main() -> None:
     db_path = os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL") or os.environ.get(
         "WATCHER_EVENT_DB_PATH", "momentum")
     mode = os.environ.get("TRADING_EXECUTION_MODE", "alpaca_paper")
-    state = DashboardState(db_path, execution_service=None, execution_mode=mode)
+    # Sparklines: the standalone dashboard needs the SAME research-DB reader the
+    # embedded (orchestrator) mode passes — without it DashboardState.bars() short-
+    # circuits to []. The missing wire was purely that this entrypoint never built
+    # one (DATABASE_URL already reaches the market schema). Read-only use; degrade
+    # to None (charts show "no research db") if the connection can't be opened.
+    research_con = None
+    try:
+        from research.multi_schema import open_research_db
+        research_con = open_research_db("market")
+    except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
+        print(f"[dashboard] research DB unavailable, sparklines disabled: {exc}")
+    state = DashboardState(db_path, execution_service=None, execution_mode=mode,
+                           research_con=research_con)
     server = create_server(state, host, port)
     db_disp = db_path.split("@")[-1] if "@" in db_path else db_path
     print(f"[dashboard] serving http://{host}:{port} (event db: {db_disp}, mode: {mode})")
diff --git a/tests/unit/api/test_dashboard_sparklines.py b/tests/unit/api/test_dashboard_sparklines.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b08f91f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/api/test_dashboard_sparklines.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+"""Standalone dashboard sparklines: the fix is a NON-None research reader
+(plan 007 step 5). Without it bars() short-circuits; with one it runs the query
+(an empty array on a bare DB is still a PASS)."""
+
+import pandas as pd
+
+from api.main import DashboardState
+
+
+class _FakeResult:
+    def df(self):
+        return pd.DataFrame()
+
+    def fetchone(self):
+        return [None]
+
+
+class _FakeResearchCon:
+    def execute(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return _FakeResult()
+
+
+def test_bars_without_reader_reports_missing_db():
+    out = DashboardState("momentum", research_con=None).bars("AAPL")
+    assert out["bars"] == []
+    assert out.get("reason") == "no research db attached"
+
+
+def test_bars_with_reader_runs_query():
+    out = DashboardState("momentum", research_con=_FakeResearchCon()).bars("AAPL")
+    # the reader path ran (empty DB -> empty array, but NOT the "no db" short-circuit)
+    assert out["bars"] == []
+    assert "reason" not in out
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    import pytest
+    pytest.main([__file__, "-q"])