diff --git a/backend/fluksio/flow/dashboards.py b/backend/fluksio/flow/dashboards.py
index aa76be3..edf1d6b 100644
--- a/backend/fluksio/flow/dashboards.py
+++ b/backend/fluksio/flow/dashboards.py
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ DASHBOARD_DIR = "_dashboards"
 #: A chart cannot ask for an unbounded series; this is the ceiling.
 HISTORY_CAP = 5000
 
+#: How many runs one pinned chart puts side by side. The client's own
+#: ``MAX_SERIES``: the palette is five steps, and a sixth line repeats one.
+RUN_LINES = 5
+
 #: How many readings one bar draws. Mirrored in the client
 #: (``ui/core/config.ts``, ``MAX_ROWS``).
 #:
@@ -207,6 +211,17 @@ class WidgetDef(BaseModel):
         """A chart that asks a flow for its series instead of reading the ring."""
         return self.type == "chart" and self.config.get("source") == "query"
 
+    @property
+    def _runs_chart(self) -> bool:
+        """A chart pinned to runs: it reads the run tables, not the engine.
+
+        The other way round from opening a dashboard against a run — that is a
+        way of looking at a page, this is a tile that always shows the last
+        few runs of something, which is what a wall panel over a lab bench
+        wants.
+        """
+        return self.type == "chart" and self.config.get("source") == "runs"
+
     @property
     def inner_bindings(self) -> Bindings:
         """A bar's nested readings, as documents written before rows carry them.
@@ -245,6 +260,10 @@ class WidgetDef(BaseModel):
     @property
     def messages(self) -> list[str]:
         """Every message name this widget reads."""
+        if self._runs_chart:
+            # Its metric is a run's recorded series, which no live message
+            # carries — nothing for the engine to route or to keep.
+            return []
         if self._query_chart:
             name = self.config.get("message")
             return [str(name)] if name else []
@@ -280,7 +299,7 @@ class WidgetDef(BaseModel):
         Nothing, for a chart that queries: the answer carries its own past, so
         asking the engine to keep a ring as well would store it twice.
         """
-        if self.type != "chart" or self._query_chart:
+        if self.type != "chart" or self._query_chart or self._runs_chart:
             return 0
         points = int((self.config.get("history") or {}).get("points") or 0)
         return min(points, HISTORY_CAP)
@@ -304,6 +323,21 @@ class WidgetDef(BaseModel):
     @model_validator(mode="after")
     def _check_binding(self) -> WidgetDef:
         """Refuse a widget wired to a message it cannot carry."""
+        if self._runs_chart:
+            runs = self.config.get("runs") or {}
+            if not runs.get("metric"):
+                raise ValueError("a chart of runs must name the metric it draws")
+            if not (runs.get("ids") or runs.get("group") or runs.get("flow")):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "a chart of runs must say which: a flow, a sweep, or run ids"
+                )
+            latest = int(runs.get("latest") or 1)
+            if not 1 <= latest <= RUN_LINES:
+                raise ValueError(f"a chart draws between 1 and {RUN_LINES} runs")
+            if len(runs.get("ids") or []) > RUN_LINES:
+                raise ValueError(f"a chart draws at most {RUN_LINES} runs")
+            return self
+
         if self._query_chart:
             for key, want in (("dtype", "series"), ("request_dtype", "record")):
                 bound = str(self.config.get(key) or "")
@@ -818,6 +852,7 @@ def results_dashboard(flow: FlowDef) -> DashboardDef:
 
 __all__ = [
     "BAR_ROWS",
+    "RUN_LINES",
     "COLOR_DTYPES",
     "DASHBOARD_DIR",
     "HISTORY_CAP",
diff --git a/backend/tests/flow/test_dashboards.py b/backend/tests/flow/test_dashboards.py
index d13b717..c1c5ba4 100644
--- a/backend/tests/flow/test_dashboards.py
+++ b/backend/tests/flow/test_dashboards.py
@@ -493,3 +493,24 @@ def test_a_flow_declaring_no_outputs_draws_no_stats():
     defn = results_dashboard(training_flow().model_copy(update={"outputs": []}))
 
     assert [w.type for w in defn.widgets] == ["chart"]
+
+
+def runs_chart(**runs) -> WidgetDef:
+    return WidgetDef(id="curves", type="chart", config={"source": "runs", "runs": runs})
+
+
+def test_a_chart_pinned_to_runs_reads_no_live_message():
+    """Its series is in the run tables; the engine has nothing to keep for it."""
+    widget = runs_chart(metric="study.loss", flow="study", latest=3)
+
+    assert widget.messages == []
+    assert widget.history_points == 0
+
+
+def test_a_chart_of_runs_must_say_which_runs_and_which_metric():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="metric"):
+        runs_chart(flow="study")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="a flow, a sweep, or run ids"):
+        runs_chart(metric="study.loss")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="between 1 and 5"):
+        runs_chart(metric="study.loss", flow="study", latest=9)
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/ChartWidget.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/ChartWidget.tsx
index 9cf7fc6..cb1d4da 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/ChartWidget.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/ChartWidget.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useQueries } from "@tanstack/react-query"
+import { useQueries, useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query"
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react"
 
 import type { HistoryPoint } from "@/client"
@@ -9,7 +9,12 @@ import {
 } from "@/components/Common/RangePicker"
 import { MAX_SERIES, UplotChart } from "@/components/Common/UplotChart"
 import { useLiveValue, useLiveValues } from "@/components/Flow/liveStore"
-import { NO_CURVE } from "@/components/Runs/queries"
+import {
+  compareQueryOptions,
+  NO_CURVE,
+  runsListQueryOptions,
+  shortenRunLabel,
+} from "@/components/Runs/queries"
 import { type DataContext, useDataContext } from "./dataContext"
 import { messageHistoryQueryOptions, usePublishMessage } from "./queries"
 import { usePalette } from "./settings"
@@ -96,13 +101,86 @@ export function ChartWidget(props: WidgetProps) {
   // draws from that instead, whichever source it was pointed at otherwise.
   const context = useDataContext()
   if (context) return <ContextChart {...props} context={context} />
-  return config(props.widget).source === "query" ? (
+  const source = config(props.widget).source
+  if (source === "runs") return <RunsChart {...props} />
+  return source === "query" ? (
     <QueryChart {...props} />
   ) : (
     <LiveChart {...props} />
   )
 }
 
+/**
+ * The last few runs of something, side by side, always.
+ *
+ * A tile rather than a way of looking at the page: what a panel over a lab
+ * bench shows without anyone picking runs first. The comparison endpoint
+ * already answers in the shape this draws, so the widget only has to decide
+ * which runs it means.
+ */
+function RunsChart({ widget }: WidgetProps) {
+  const cfg = (widget.config ?? {}) as {
+    runs?: {
+      metric?: string
+      flow?: string
+      group?: string
+      ids?: string[]
+      latest?: number
+    }
+    refresh_s?: number
+  }
+  const pick = cfg.runs ?? {}
+  const metric = pick.metric ?? ""
+  const explicit = pick.ids ?? []
+  const refreshMs = Math.max(15, Number(cfg.refresh_s) || 60) * 1000
+
+  // Named runs need no lookup. Otherwise the newest of a sweep, or of a flow —
+  // and of a flow only the ones that finished, since a panel comparing curves
+  // wants results rather than the crash from ten minutes ago.
+  const found = useQuery({
+    ...runsListQueryOptions(
+      pick.group
+        ? { group: pick.group }
+        : {
+            flow: pick.flow,
+            status: "ok",
+            limit: Math.min(Math.max(Number(pick.latest) || 3, 1), MAX_SERIES),
+          },
+    ),
+    enabled: explicit.length === 0 && Boolean(pick.group || pick.flow),
+  })
+
+  const ids = explicit.length
+    ? explicit.slice(0, MAX_SERIES)
+    : (found.data ?? []).slice(0, MAX_SERIES).map((run) => run.id)
+
+  const { data, isPending } = useQuery(
+    compareQueryOptions(ids, metric, refreshMs),
+  )
+  const palette = usePalette()
+  const lines = (data?.lines ?? []).slice(0, MAX_SERIES)
+  const points = lines.reduce(
+    (total, line) => total + (line.points?.length ?? 0),
+    0,
+  )
+
+  if (!metric) return <p className="text-muted-foreground">Pick a metric.</p>
+
+  return (
+    <UplotChart
+      labels={lines.map((line) => shortenRunLabel(line.label))}
+      plots={lines.map((line) =>
+        (line.points ?? []).map(([step, value]) => ({ ts: step, value })),
+      )}
+      palette={palette}
+      xTime={false}
+      pending={isPending || found.isPending}
+      empty={points === 0 ? NO_CURVE : undefined}
+      {...presentation(widget.config as Record<string, unknown>)}
+    />
+  )
+}
+
 /**
  * The same chart, drawn from a data context.
  *
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/panels.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/panels.tsx
index d122aa8..2f948f3 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/panels.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/panels.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   PanelTitle,
   SidePanel,
 } from "@/components/Flow/SidePanel"
+import { runOverviewQueryOptions } from "@/components/Runs/queries"
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
 import {
   Dialog,
@@ -144,10 +145,158 @@ function MessagePicker({
   )
 }
 
+/** Which runs a pinned chart draws, and which of their metrics. */
+type RunsPick = {
+  metric?: string
+  flow?: string
+  group?: string
+  ids?: string[]
+  latest?: number
+}
+
+/** How a pinned chart says which runs it means. */
+const RUN_PICKS = [
+  ["latest", "Latest"],
+  ["group", "Sweep"],
+  ["ids", "Named"],
+] as const
+
+/**
+ * The runs a chart is pinned to.
+ *
+ * The flows offered are the ones that have actually run — a flow with no runs
+ * has no curve to draw, and the run tables already know which those are.
+ */
+function RunsSourceFields({
+  runs,
+  refreshS,
+  onChange,
+  onRefresh,
+}: {
+  runs: RunsPick
+  refreshS: unknown
+  onChange: (next: RunsPick) => void
+  onRefresh: (seconds: number) => void
+}) {
+  const { data: flows } = useQuery(runOverviewQueryOptions())
+  const mode = runs.ids?.length ? "ids" : runs.group ? "group" : "latest"
+
+  return (
+    <div className="grid gap-2">
+      <div className="grid gap-1.5">
+        <Label className="font-normal text-sm">Of flow</Label>
+        <Select
+          value={runs.flow ?? ""}
+          onValueChange={(flow) => onChange({ ...runs, flow })}
+        >
+          <SelectTrigger data-testid="runs-flow">
+            <SelectValue placeholder="Pick a flow" />
+          </SelectTrigger>
+          <SelectContent>
+            {(flows ?? []).map((row) => (
+              <SelectItem key={row.flow} value={row.flow}>
+                {row.flow}
+              </SelectItem>
+            ))}
+          </SelectContent>
+        </Select>
+      </div>
+
+      <MessagePicker
+        kind="chart"
+        value={runs.metric ?? ""}
+        label="Draws"
+        testId="runs-metric"
+        placeholder="Pick a metric"
+        filter={(message) =>
+          (message.dtype === "float" || message.dtype === "int") &&
+          (!runs.flow || message.name.startsWith(`${runs.flow}.`))
+        }
+        onPick={(metric) => onChange({ ...runs, metric })}
+      />
+
+      <Segmented
+        value={mode}
+        options={RUN_PICKS}
+        label="Which runs"
+        testId="runs-pick"
+        onChange={(picked) =>
+          onChange({
+            ...runs,
+            group: undefined,
+            ids: undefined,
+            latest: picked === "latest" ? (runs.latest ?? 3) : undefined,
+          })
+        }
+      />
+
+      {mode === "latest" && (
+        <div className="grid gap-1.5">
+          <Label className="font-normal text-sm">How many</Label>
+          <Input
+            type="number"
+            min={1}
+            max={MAX_SERIES}
+            value={runs.latest ?? 3}
+            aria-label="How many runs"
+            onChange={(event) =>
+              onChange({ ...runs, latest: Number(event.target.value) })
+            }
+          />
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {mode === "group" && (
+        <div className="grid gap-1.5">
+          <Label className="font-normal text-sm">Sweep</Label>
+          <Input
+            value={runs.group ?? ""}
+            placeholder="A sweep's group id"
+            onChange={(event) =>
+              onChange({ ...runs, group: event.target.value })
+            }
+          />
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {mode === "ids" && (
+        <div className="grid gap-1.5">
+          <Label className="font-normal text-sm">Runs</Label>
+          <Input
+            value={(runs.ids ?? []).join(",")}
+            placeholder="Run ids, comma separated"
+            onChange={(event) =>
+              onChange({
+                ...runs,
+                ids: event.target.value
+                  .split(",")
+                  .map((one) => one.trim())
+                  .filter(Boolean),
+              })
+            }
+          />
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      <div className="grid gap-1.5">
+        <Label className="font-normal text-sm">Refresh (seconds)</Label>
+        <Input
+          type="number"
+          min={15}
+          value={Number(refreshS) || 60}
+          aria-label="Refresh seconds"
+          onChange={(event) => onRefresh(Number(event.target.value))}
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
 /** Where a chart's lines come from: what the engine kept, or what it asks for. */
 const CHART_SOURCES = [
   ["live", "Live"],
   ["query", "Query"],
+  ["runs", "Runs"],
 ] as const
 
 /**
@@ -278,6 +427,7 @@ export function WidgetPanel({
     onChange({ config: { ...cfg, ...changes } })
 
   const series = seriesOf(widget)
+  const runsPick = (cfg.runs ?? {}) as RunsPick
   const setSeries = (next: Series[]) => set({ series: next })
   // A bar's readings. An empty row stands in for none, so a fresh bar offers
   // the picker rather than only a button.
@@ -305,6 +455,7 @@ export function WidgetPanel({
   const options = (cfg.options ?? []) as { label?: string; value?: unknown }[]
   const setOptions = (next: typeof options) => set({ options: next })
   const querying = cfg.source === "query"
+  const pinnedRuns = cfg.source === "runs"
   // What this chart would refresh at with nothing configured. The viewer can
   // pick another window on the widget, which moves it.
   const paced = refreshFor(
@@ -375,13 +526,20 @@ export function WidgetPanel({
           ) : widget.type === "chart" ? (
             <div className="grid gap-3">
               <Segmented
-                value={querying ? "query" : "live"}
+                value={pinnedRuns ? "runs" : querying ? "query" : "live"}
                 options={CHART_SOURCES}
                 label="Where the chart's data comes from"
                 testId="chart-source"
                 onChange={(source) => set({ source })}
               />
-              {querying ? (
+              {pinnedRuns ? (
+                <RunsSourceFields
+                  runs={runsPick}
+                  refreshS={cfg.refresh_s}
+                  onChange={(runs) => set({ runs })}
+                  onRefresh={(refresh_s) => set({ refresh_s })}
+                />
+              ) : querying ? (
                 <div className="grid gap-2">
                   <MessagePicker
                     kind="chart"
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/widgets.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/widgets.tsx
index 0949eb1..d62850a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/widgets.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Dashboard/widgets.tsx
@@ -118,6 +118,20 @@ export function widgetIssue(widget: WidgetDef): string | null {
   if (widget.type === "markdown" || widget.type === "clock") return null
   const cfg = config(widget)
 
+  if (widget.type === "chart" && cfg.source === "runs") {
+    const runs = (cfg.runs ?? {}) as {
+      metric?: string
+      flow?: string
+      group?: string
+      ids?: string[]
+    }
+    if (!runs.metric) return "This chart names no run metric yet."
+    if (!runs.ids?.length && !runs.group && !runs.flow) {
+      return "Say which runs: a flow, a sweep, or run ids."
+    }
+    return null
+  }
+
   if (widget.type === "chart" && cfg.source === "query") {
     if (!text(cfg.request)) return "This chart does not ask for anything yet."
     if (!text(cfg.message)) return "This chart has no answer to draw yet."
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Runs/MetricChart.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Runs/MetricChart.tsx
index 69f39e3..1bf71df 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Runs/MetricChart.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Runs/MetricChart.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
   compareQueryOptions,
   NO_CURVE,
   runMetricsQueryOptions,
-  shortId,
+  shortenRunLabel,
 } from "./queries"
 
 /** The metrics one run recorded, in the order they are worth offering. */
@@ -46,11 +46,7 @@ export function RunMetricChart({
     compareQueryOptions(ids, metric, refreshMs),
   )
   const lines = (data?.lines ?? []).slice(0, MAX_SERIES)
-  const labels = lines.map((line) =>
-    // The endpoint labels a line with the whole run id, which is too long to
-    // read in a legend beside four others.
-    line.label.replace(/^\S+/, (id) => shortId(id)),
-  )
+  const labels = lines.map((line) => shortenRunLabel(line.label))
   const plots: HistoryPoint[][] = lines.map((line) =>
     (line.points ?? []).map(([step, value]) => ({ ts: step, value })),
   )
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Runs/queries.ts b/frontend/src/components/Runs/queries.ts
index 3d7c558..4f332e2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Runs/queries.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Runs/queries.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,14 @@ export const runsInfiniteQueryOptions = (filters: RunFilters) => ({
   },
 })
 
+/** One page of runs, for a caller that pages nothing — a pinned chart. */
+export const runsListQueryOptions = (
+  filters: RunFilters & { limit?: number },
+) => ({
+  queryKey: [...runKeys.all, "pinned", filters] as const,
+  queryFn: () => RunsService.readRuns(filters),
+})
+
 export const runOverviewQueryOptions = () => ({
   queryKey: runKeys.overview,
   queryFn: () => RunsService.readOverview(),
@@ -138,6 +146,15 @@ export const NO_CURVE =
 /** A run id, short enough for a table cell. The tail is the random half. */
 export const shortId = (id: string) => id.slice(-8)
 
+/**
+ * A series label from the comparison endpoint, cut down to fit a legend.
+ *
+ * It leads with the whole run id, which is 22 characters of mostly timestamp
+ * beside four others.
+ */
+export const shortenRunLabel = (label: string) =>
+  label.replace(/^\S+/, (id) => shortId(id))
+
 /** A commit, at the length everyone reads one at. */
 export const shortCommit = (commit: string) => commit.slice(0, 7)