diff --git a/.changeset/dashboard-self-contained-unreachable-arm-4620.md b/.changeset/dashboard-self-contained-unreachable-arm-4620.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d8e70c29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/dashboard-self-contained-unreachable-arm-4620.md
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+'@object-ui/plugin-dashboard': patch
+---
+
+`DashboardRenderer` drops the unreachable `DatasetWidget` fork from its self-contained
+(card-less) branch, leaving that branch to render `SchemaRenderer` unconditionally
+(objectui#4620).
+
+`isSelfContained` is defined as `widget.type === 'metric' && !datasetBound`, and the
+`isSelfContained` arm of `renderedNode` then forked on `datasetBound` a second time. The
+`datasetBound` side of that inner fork could never execute: reaching it required
+`isSelfContained` to be true, which requires `!datasetBound`. Behaviour is unchanged —
+the removed arm never ran, and the reachable fork in the Card branch (the one that gives
+a dataset-bound metric its title and border chrome) is untouched.
+
+The cost was to readers, not to users: the shape read as "both branches handle
+dataset-bound widgets" when only one can, and a previous PR mirroring this fork onto
+`DashboardGridLayout` had to pay for the reachability argument before it could decline to
+copy the dead limb. A comment now names the invariant in place so the arm is not re-added.
diff --git a/packages/plugin-dashboard/src/DashboardRenderer.tsx b/packages/plugin-dashboard/src/DashboardRenderer.tsx
index c49b5bbda..b0ea8c311 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-dashboard/src/DashboardRenderer.tsx
+++ b/packages/plugin-dashboard/src/DashboardRenderer.tsx
@@ -885,9 +885,11 @@ const DashboardRendererInner = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, DashboardRendererProps
                 style={innerGridSpanStyle}
                 {...designModeProps}
             >
-                 {datasetBound
-                   ? <div className={cn("h-full w-full", designMode && "pointer-events-none")}><DatasetWidget widget={effectiveWidget} dataSource={dataSource} /></div>
-                   : <SchemaRenderer schema={componentSchema} className={cn("h-full w-full", designMode && "pointer-events-none")} dataSource={dataSource} />}
+                 {/* `isSelfContained` implies `!datasetBound` (see its definition above), so a
+                     dataset-bound widget can never render here — it always takes the Card branch
+                     below for its title + border chrome. Do not re-add a `datasetBound` fork
+                     here: the arm is unreachable by construction (objectui#4620). */}
+                 <SchemaRenderer schema={componentSchema} className={cn("h-full w-full", designMode && "pointer-events-none")} dataSource={dataSource} />
                  {designMode && <div className="absolute inset-0 z-10" aria-hidden="true" data-testid="widget-click-overlay" />}
             </div>
         ) : (