diff --git a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_admin_analytics_frontend.py b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_admin_analytics_frontend.py
index c906e506..eead095f 100644
--- a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_admin_analytics_frontend.py
+++ b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_admin_analytics_frontend.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ def test_app_lifecycle_and_cache_versions_are_wired():
     # Lockstep owner for the console's bumped tags and the /admin page's pins:
     # every bump edits this test in the same change (Global Constraints).
     assert 'styles.css?v=159' in APP_HTML
-    assert 'app.js?v=159' in APP_HTML
+    assert 'app.js?v=160' in APP_HTML
     assert 'js/admin-tabs.js?v=12' in APP_HTML
     for tag in (
         'href="admin.css?v=13"',
diff --git a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_analytics_frontend.py b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_analytics_frontend.py
index 7c722877..649ea82d 100644
--- a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_analytics_frontend.py
+++ b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_analytics_frontend.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def _function_body(source: str, signature: str) -> str:
 
 
 def test_analytics_script_loads_between_app_and_page_scripts():
-    app_at = APP_HTML.index('<script src="app.js?v=159" defer></script>')
+    app_at = APP_HTML.index('<script src="app.js?v=160" defer></script>')
     analytics_at = APP_HTML.index(
         '<script src="js/analytics.js?v=1" defer></script>'
     )
diff --git a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_backtest_comparison_frontend.py b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_backtest_comparison_frontend.py
index ce90d9c6..47688294 100644
--- a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_backtest_comparison_frontend.py
+++ b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_backtest_comparison_frontend.py
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ def test_exact_raw_ties_mark_every_tied_series_best():
 
 def test_comparison_script_and_semantic_table_ship_before_app():
     helper = '<script src="js/backtest-comparison.js?v=1" defer></script>'
-    app = '<script src="app.js?v=159" defer></script>'
+    app = '<script src="app.js?v=160" defer></script>'
     assert 'href="styles.css?v=159"' in APP_HTML
     assert APP_HTML.index(helper) < APP_HTML.index(app)
     for element_id in (
diff --git a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_frontend_fast_boot.py b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_frontend_fast_boot.py
index 0968817a..05359603 100644
--- a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_frontend_fast_boot.py
+++ b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_frontend_fast_boot.py
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ def test_cache_busters_bumped():
     # the next bump, so the exact one looks like the broken guard and gets
     # "fixed" by loosening it. That collision has already cost this repo one
     # round of follow-ups (#347/#348).
-    assert "app.js?v=159" in APP_HTML
+    assert "app.js?v=160" in APP_HTML
     assert "js/agent-editor.js?v=32" in APP_HTML
     assert "styles.css?v=159" in APP_HTML
     assert "js/leaderboard.js?v=38" in APP_HTML
diff --git a/dashboard/backend/tests/test_research_guest_shelf.py b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_research_guest_shelf.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e8290c22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dashboard/backend/tests/test_research_guest_shelf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+"""Execute the real shelf renderer for guest, owner, and network failure states."""
+import json
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+APP = (Path(__file__).parents[2] / 'frontend' / 'app.js').read_text()
+RENDER = APP[APP.index('let researchShelfRenderVersion = 0;'):APP.index('/** The Community research card', APP.index('async function renderResearchShelf()'))]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('mode', ['guest', 'owner', 'failure'])
+def test_research_shelf_access_states(mode):
+    if not shutil.which('node'):
+        pytest.skip('Node required')
+    script = r'''
+const mode = MODE;
+const section = {style:{display:'none'}};
+let handler, login = false, workbench = false;
+const card = {dataset:{templateId:'research'},querySelector: s => s === '.research-open-btn' ? {addEventListener: (_,fn)=>handler=fn} : null};
+const grid = {innerHTML:'',closest:()=>section,querySelectorAll:()=>[card]};
+const empty = {}, count = {};
+const document = {getElementById:id=>({agentsGridResearch:grid,agentsEmptyResearch:empty,agentsCountResearch:count}[id])};
+const agent = {template_id:'research',name:'Research demo',research:{},added:true};
+const fetchResearchAgents = async()=> {if(mode==='owner') return [agent,{...agent,name:'Unadded',added:false}]; throw {status:mode==='guest'?401:503};};
+let catalogCalls=0;
+const API = {get:async()=>{catalogCalls++;return {templates:[agent,{name:'Trading',template_id:'trading'}]};}};
+const API_BASE='';
+const templateMarketplaceShelf = a=>a.research?'research':'open';
+const escapeHtml=s=>String(s??'');
+const openAuthModal=()=>login=true;
+const openResearchWorkbench=()=>workbench=true;
+const communityShelfButtonHtml=()=>'';
+RENDER
+(async()=>{await renderResearchShelf();if(handler)handler();console.log(JSON.stringify({html:grid.innerHTML,display:section.style.display,login,workbench,catalogCalls,error:empty.textContent}));})().catch(e=>{console.error(e);process.exit(1)});
+'''.replace('MODE', json.dumps(mode)).replace('RENDER', RENDER)
+    result = json.loads(subprocess.check_output(['node', '-e', script], text=True))
+    assert result['display'] == ''
+    if mode == 'guest':
+        assert 'Research demo' in result['html']
+        assert 'Sign in to use' in result['html']
+        assert 'research-remove-btn' not in result['html']
+        assert 'Trading' not in result['html']
+        assert result['login'] and not result['workbench']
+        assert result['catalogCalls'] == 1
+    elif mode == 'owner':
+        assert 'Open workbench' in result['html']
+        assert 'Unadded' not in result['html']
+        assert result['workbench'] and not result['login']
+        assert result['catalogCalls'] == 0
+    else:
+        assert 'temporarily unavailable' in result['error']
+        assert result['catalogCalls'] == 0
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('reject_old', [False, True])
+def test_pending_guest_response_cannot_overwrite_signed_in_shelf(reject_old):
+    if not shutil.which('node'):
+        pytest.skip('Node required')
+    script = r"""
+const section = {style:{}};
+const grid = {innerHTML:'',closest:()=>section,querySelectorAll:()=>[]};
+const empty = {}, count = {};
+const document = {getElementById:id=>({agentsGridResearch:grid,agentsEmptyResearch:empty,agentsCountResearch:count}[id])};
+let signedIn = false, resolveCatalog, rejectCatalog, started;
+const catalogStarted = new Promise(resolve=>started=resolve);
+const catalog = new Promise((resolve,reject)=>{resolveCatalog=resolve;rejectCatalog=reject;});
+const agent = {template_id:'research',name:'Owned research',research:{},added:true};
+const fetchResearchAgents = async()=>{if(signedIn)return [agent];throw {status:401};};
+const API = {get:()=>{started();return catalog;}};
+const API_BASE='';
+const templateMarketplaceShelf=()=> 'research';
+const escapeHtml=s=>String(s??'');
+const communityShelfButtonHtml=()=>'';
+RENDER
+(async()=>{
+  const oldRender=renderResearchShelf();
+  await catalogStarted;
+  signedIn=true;
+  await renderResearchShelf();
+  const expected=grid.innerHTML;
+  if(REJECT)rejectCatalog(new Error('Late failure'));
+  else resolveCatalog({templates:[{...agent,name:'Guest research'}]});
+  await oldRender;
+  console.log(JSON.stringify({unchanged:expected===grid.innerHTML,html:grid.innerHTML,error:empty.textContent}));
+})().catch(e=>{console.error(e);process.exit(1)});
+""".replace('RENDER', RENDER).replace('REJECT', json.dumps(reject_old))
+    result = json.loads(subprocess.check_output(['node', '-e', script], text=True))
+    assert result['unchanged']
+    assert 'Owned research' in result['html']
+    assert 'Open workbench' in result['html']
+    assert 'research-remove-btn' in result['html']
+    assert 'Guest research' not in result['html']
+    assert not result.get('error')
diff --git a/dashboard/frontend/app.html b/dashboard/frontend/app.html
index b40dc8df..e81e7b5b 100644
--- a/dashboard/frontend/app.html
+++ b/dashboard/frontend/app.html
@@ -2512,7 +2512,7 @@ <h2 id="creditsRefundTitle">Refund Credits purchase</h2>
     <script src="market-events/MarketEventFeed.js" defer></script>
     <script src="js/portfolio.js?v=18" defer></script>
     <script src="js/backtest-comparison.js?v=1" defer></script>
-    <script src="app.js?v=159" defer></script>
+    <script src="app.js?v=160" defer></script>
     <script src="js/analytics.js?v=1" defer></script>
     <script src="js/agent-editor.js?v=32" defer></script>
     <script src="js/credit-format.js?v=1" defer></script>
diff --git a/dashboard/frontend/app.js b/dashboard/frontend/app.js
index bc31f5c9..a49e3213 100644
--- a/dashboard/frontend/app.js
+++ b/dashboard/frontend/app.js
@@ -13370,24 +13370,40 @@ function researchStatusLabel(status) {
 }
 
 /** The My Agents "Research Agents" shelf: cards for cloned research agents. */
+let researchShelfRenderVersion = 0;
+
 async function renderResearchShelf() {
+  const renderVersion = ++researchShelfRenderVersion;
   const grid = document.getElementById('agentsGridResearch');
   const emptyEl = document.getElementById('agentsEmptyResearch');
   const countEl = document.getElementById('agentsCountResearch');
   if (!grid) return;
+  const section = grid.closest('.agents-category');
+  if (section) section.style.display = '';
   let agents = [];
+  let guest = false;
   try {
-    agents = await fetchResearchAgents();
+    try {
+      agents = await fetchResearchAgents();
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (renderVersion !== researchShelfRenderVersion) return;
+      if (error?.status !== 401) throw error;
+      guest = true;
+      const catalog = await API.get(`${API_BASE}/api/v1/agents/marketplace`);
+      agents = (catalog.templates || []).filter(agent => templateMarketplaceShelf(agent) === 'research');
+    }
   } catch (error) {
-    // A 401 here just means the visitor is not signed in — the shelf hides
-    // rather than advertising an error for a surface guests cannot use.
+    if (renderVersion !== researchShelfRenderVersion) return;
     grid.innerHTML = '';
-    if (emptyEl) emptyEl.hidden = true;
-    const section = grid.closest('.agents-category');
-    if (section) section.style.display = error?.status === 401 ? 'none' : '';
+    if (countEl) countEl.hidden = true;
+    if (emptyEl) {
+      emptyEl.hidden = false;
+      emptyEl.textContent = 'Research agents are temporarily unavailable. Reopen this page to retry.';
+    }
     return;
   }
-  const added = agents.filter((agent) => agent.added);
+  if (renderVersion !== researchShelfRenderVersion) return;
+  const added = guest ? agents : agents.filter((agent) => agent.added);
   if (countEl) {
     countEl.textContent = String(added.length);
     countEl.hidden = added.length === 0;
@@ -13416,13 +13432,14 @@ async function renderResearchShelf() {
           <svg class="ui-icon research-fact-icon" aria-hidden="true"><use href="#icon-file-text"></use></svg> ${escapeHtml(((agent.research || {}).output_formats || []).join(' / '))}
         </p>
         <div class="research-agent-card-actions">
-          <button type="button" class="auth-btn auth-btn-primary research-open-btn">Open workbench</button>
-          <button type="button" class="research-remove-btn" data-remove-template-id="${escapeHtml(agent.template_id)}" data-agent-name="${escapeHtml(agent.name)}">Remove</button>
+          <button type="button" class="auth-btn auth-btn-primary research-open-btn">${guest ? 'Sign in to use' : 'Open workbench'}</button>
+          ${guest ? '' : `<button type="button" class="research-remove-btn" data-remove-template-id="${escapeHtml(agent.template_id)}" data-agent-name="${escapeHtml(agent.name)}">Remove</button>`}
         </div>
       </article>`;
   }).join('');
   grid.querySelectorAll('.research-agent-card').forEach((card) => {
     card.querySelector('.research-open-btn')?.addEventListener('click', () => {
+      if (guest) { openAuthModal('login'); return; }
       openResearchWorkbench(card.dataset.templateId);
     });
     card.querySelector('.research-remove-btn')?.addEventListener('click', async (event) => {