diff --git a/app/core/system_miniapps.py b/app/core/system_miniapps.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4cf8b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/core/system_miniapps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+"""Core-owned system MiniApps (Phase M4).
+
+Host-level MiniApps that are not owned by a single plugin: audit activity
+feed and system metrics. They register in the universal registry with
+``plugin_name="system"`` at app startup and unregister with the registry
+reset (tests) — they never depend on plugin activation state.
+
+Permissions follow the owning data source:
+- audit_activity -> audit:read (audit log route guard, CORE_PERMISSIONS)
+- system_metrics  -> settings:read (Roadmap M4; the /system/dashboard
+  endpoint itself stays require_admin — the widget degrades gracefully
+  with a permission hint for non-admins)
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from app.plugins.miniapp_registry import get_miniapp_registry
+
+SYSTEM_PLUGIN_NAME = "system"
+
+
+def register_system_miniapps() -> None:
+    """Register the core system MiniApps in the universal registry."""
+    registry = get_miniapp_registry()
+
+    registry.register(
+        app_id="audit_activity",
+        name="Aktivitäten",
+        icon="History",
+        description="Letzte Aktivitäten aus dem Audit-Log (Benutzer, Aktion, Zeitpunkt).",
+        plugin_name=SYSTEM_PLUGIN_NAME,
+        permission="audit:read",
+        settings_schema={
+            "fields": [
+                {
+                    "name": "max_items",
+                    "label": "Max. Einträge",
+                    "type": "number",
+                    "default": 10,
+                }
+            ]
+        },
+        col_span=2,
+        row_span=1,
+        hosts=["chat", "dashboard", "window"],
+        component="@/components/dashboard/AuditActivityWidget",
+        order=40,
+    )
+
+    registry.register(
+        app_id="system_metrics",
+        name="System Status",
+        icon="Server",
+        description="Datenbank-, Redis-, Worker- und API-Metriken (Administration).",
+        plugin_name=SYSTEM_PLUGIN_NAME,
+        permission="settings:read",
+        settings_schema={},
+        col_span=2,
+        row_span=1,
+        hosts=["chat", "dashboard", "window"],
+        component="@/components/dashboard/SystemMetricsWidget",
+        order=50,
+    )
diff --git a/app/main.py b/app/main.py
index 8972ace..9e9eafc 100644
--- a/app/main.py
+++ b/app/main.py
@@ -218,6 +218,11 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
     registry.initialize(get_migration_engine(), app)
     registry.discover_builtins()
 
+    # Core system MiniApps (Phase M4): host-level, independent of plugin state
+    from app.core.system_miniapps import register_system_miniapps
+
+    register_system_miniapps()
+
     # Install discovered builtin plugins and activate only those marked active in DB
     from sqlalchemy import select as sa_select
     from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import async_sessionmaker
diff --git a/app/plugins/base.py b/app/plugins/base.py
index 7a99fde..745201c 100644
--- a/app/plugins/base.py
+++ b/app/plugins/base.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ class BasePlugin(ABC):
                 col_span=getattr(m, "col_span", 1),
                 row_span=getattr(m, "row_span", 1),
                 hosts=getattr(m, "hosts", None),
+                component=getattr(m, "component", ""),
                 order=getattr(m, "order", 100),
             )
 
diff --git a/app/plugins/builtins/contacts/plugin.py b/app/plugins/builtins/contacts/plugin.py
index 0b3c4e4..2f68598 100644
--- a/app/plugins/builtins/contacts/plugin.py
+++ b/app/plugins/builtins/contacts/plugin.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from app.plugins.manifest import (
     FrontendDashboardWidget,
     FrontendMenuItem,
     FrontendPageRoute,
+    MiniAppContribution,
     PluginManifest,
     PluginRouteDef,
 )
@@ -60,6 +61,26 @@ class ContactsPlugin(BasePlugin):
         ],
         events=[],
         migrations=[],
+        miniapps=[
+            MiniAppContribution(
+                app_id="contacts_stats",
+                name="Kontakt-Zähler",
+                icon="Building2",
+                description="Firmen- und Kontakt-Zähler (persönliche StatCards).",
+                permission="contacts:read",
+                settings_schema={
+                    "fields": [
+                        {"name": "show_companies", "label": "Firmen anzeigen", "type": "boolean", "default": True},
+                        {"name": "show_persons", "label": "Personen anzeigen", "type": "boolean", "default": True},
+                    ]
+                },
+                col_span=2,
+                row_span=1,
+                hosts=["chat", "dashboard", "window"],
+                component="@/components/dashboard/ContactsStatsWidget",
+                order=5,
+            ),
+        ],
         dashboard_widgets=[
             FrontendDashboardWidget(
                 id="recent_contacts",
diff --git a/app/routes/dashboards.py b/app/routes/dashboards.py
index 0194d6b..4be5023 100644
--- a/app/routes/dashboards.py
+++ b/app/routes/dashboards.py
@@ -110,7 +110,9 @@ async def _seed_default_dashboard(
     apps = [
         a
         for a in registry.list_apps(host="dashboard")
-        if user_permits(current_user, a) and "dashboard" in (a.get("hosts") or [])
+        if user_permits(current_user, a)
+        and "dashboard" in (a.get("hosts") or [])
+        and a.get("component")  # renderable only (M4: chat apps stay off layouts)
     ]
     apps.sort(key=lambda a: a.get("order", 100))
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/__tests__/dashboard/Dashboard.test.tsx b/frontend/src/__tests__/dashboard/Dashboard.test.tsx
index ef8ba77..959a38d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/__tests__/dashboard/Dashboard.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/__tests__/dashboard/Dashboard.test.tsx
@@ -5,48 +5,21 @@ import { MemoryRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { DashboardPage } from '@/pages/Dashboard';
 
-vi.mock('@/api/hooks', () => ({
-  useUnifiedContacts: (page: number, pageSize: number, search: any, type: string) => ({
-    data: { items: [], total: type === 'company' ? 24 : 156, page: 1, page_size: 25 },
-    isLoading: false,
-  }),
-  useAuditLog: () => ({
-    data: {
-      items: [
-        { timestamp: '2025-06-29T10:00:00Z', user: 'anna.schmidt', action: 'create', entity: 'company', entity_id: '1', details: 'Firma erstellt' },
-        { timestamp: '2025-06-28T14:00:00Z', user: 'max.mustermann', action: 'update', entity: 'contact', entity_id: '2', details: 'Kontakt aktualisiert' },
-        { timestamp: '2025-06-27T09:00:00Z', user: 'admin', action: 'delete', entity: 'company', entity_id: '3', details: 'Firma gelöscht' },
-      ],
-      total: 3,
-    },
-    isError: false,
-  }),
+/**
+ * DashboardPage tests (Phase M4): the page is a pure host — all content
+ * (stat cards, activity feed, system metrics) lives in MiniApp instances
+ * managed by the DashboardBuilder. The former legacy assertions
+ * (stat-companies etc.) moved to the widget level in M4.
+ */
+
+vi.mock('react-i18next', () => ({
+  useTranslation: () => ({ t: (key: string) => key }),
 }));
 
-vi.mock('@/api/dashboard', () => ({
-  useDashboardWidgets: () => ({
-    data: { items: [], total: 0 },
-    isError: false,
-  }),
-}));
-
-// M3: DashboardPage renders the DashboardBuilder — mock its data layer
-vi.mock('@/api/dashboards', () => ({
-  useDashboards: () => ({ data: [], isLoading: false }),
-  useCreateDashboard: () => ({ mutate: vi.fn(), isPending: false }),
-  useUpdateDashboard: () => ({ mutate: vi.fn(), isPending: false }),
-  useDeleteDashboard: () => ({ mutate: vi.fn() }),
-  useSetDefaultDashboard: () => ({ mutate: vi.fn() }),
-}));
-
-vi.mock('@/api/miniapps', () => ({
-  useMiniapps: () => ({ data: { items: [], total: 0 } }),
-  renderableDashboardApps: (apps: unknown[]) => (apps as never[]),
-}));
-
-vi.mock('@/components/dashboard/MiniAppHost', () => ({
-  MiniAppHost: ({ appId }: { appId: string }) => (
-    <div data-testid={`miniapp-${appId}`}>app:{appId}</div>
+// DashboardBuilder is covered by its own suite — render a stub here
+vi.mock('@/components/dashboard/DashboardBuilder', () => ({
+  DashboardBuilder: () => (
+    <div data-testid="dashboard-builder-stub">builder</div>
   ),
 }));
 
@@ -64,64 +37,27 @@ function renderPage() {
   );
 }
 
-describe('DashboardPage', () => {
-  it('renders dashboard page', () => {
+describe('DashboardPage (pure host, M4)', () => {
+  it('renders the dashboard page shell', () => {
     renderPage();
     expect(screen.getByTestId('dashboard-page')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('renders page title', () => {
+  it('renders the page title', () => {
     renderPage();
-    expect(screen.getByText('Dashboard')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('dashboard.title')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('renders stat card for companies', () => {
+  it('renders the DashboardBuilder as its only content area', () => {
     renderPage();
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('stat-companies')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('dashboard-builder-stub')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('renders stat card for contacts', () => {
+  it('does not render legacy hard-coded blocks anymore', () => {
     renderPage();
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('stat-contacts')).toBeInTheDocument();
-  });
-
-  it('renders stat card for active this week', () => {
-    renderPage();
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('stat-active-week')).toBeInTheDocument();
-  });
-
-  it('renders stat card for new this month', () => {
-    renderPage();
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('stat-new-month')).toBeInTheDocument();
-  });
-
-  it('renders correct company count in stat card', () => {
-    renderPage();
-    const statCompanies = screen.getByTestId('stat-companies');
-    expect(statCompanies).toHaveTextContent('24');
-  });
-
-  it('renders correct contact count in stat card', () => {
-    renderPage();
-    const statContacts = screen.getByTestId('stat-contacts');
-    expect(statContacts).toHaveTextContent('156');
-  });
-
-  it('renders activity feed', () => {
-    renderPage();
-    expect(screen.getByTestId('activity-feed')).toBeInTheDocument();
-  });
-
-  it('renders activity feed with user names from audit log', () => {
-    renderPage();
-    expect(screen.getByText('anna.schmidt')).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.getByText('max.mustermann')).toBeInTheDocument();
-  });
-
-  it('renders activity feed with action descriptions', () => {
-    renderPage();
-    expect(screen.getByText(/create/)).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.getByText(/update/)).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.getByText(/delete/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('stat-companies')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('stat-contacts')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('stat-active-week')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('activity-feed')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/AuditActivityWidget.tsx b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/AuditActivityWidget.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5811569
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/AuditActivityWidget.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/**
+ * AuditActivityWidget — recent activity from the audit log (Phase M4).
+ *
+ * Successor of the hard-coded ActivityFeed block. Uses the same audit
+ * API as the /activity page; max_items comes from per-instance settings
+ * (settings_schema, default 10).
+ */
+
+import React from 'react';
+import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
+import { ActivityFeed, type ActivityItem } from '@/components/shared/ActivityFeed';
+import type { WidgetComponentProps } from '@/components/dashboard/MiniAppHost';
+import { useAuditLog } from '@/api/audit';
+import { formatDateTime } from '@/utils/date';
+
+export function AuditActivityWidget({ settings }: WidgetComponentProps) {
+  const { t } = useTranslation();
+  const maxItems = Math.max(1, Math.min(50, Number(settings?.max_items ?? 10) || 10));
+  const { data, isError } = useAuditLog(1, maxItems);
+
+  if (isError) {
+    return (
+      <p className="text-sm text-secondary-500" data-testid="audit-activity-error">
+        {t('dashboard.activityUnavailable')}
+      </p>
+    );
+  }
+
+  const entries = data?.items ?? [];
+  const activities: ActivityItem[] = entries.map((entry) => ({
+    id: `${entry.timestamp}-${entry.user}-${entry.action}`,
+    user: entry.user || 'System',
+    action: entry.action || '',
+    time: entry.timestamp ? (formatDateTime(entry.timestamp) || '') : '',
+    avatarUrl: null,
+  }));
+
+  return (
+    <div data-testid="audit-activity-widget">
+      <ActivityFeed activities={activities} title={t('dashboard.recentActivity')} maxItems={maxItems} />
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/ContactsStatsWidget.tsx b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/ContactsStatsWidget.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b57519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/ContactsStatsWidget.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/**
+ * ContactsStatsWidget — companies/persons counters (Phase M4).
+ *
+ * Successor of the hard-coded StatCards block: same data source
+ * (contacts contract counts via unified contacts), but as a personal
+ * MiniApp instance with per-instance settings.
+ */
+
+import React from 'react';
+import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
+import { Building2, User } from 'lucide-react';
+import type { WidgetComponentProps } from '@/components/dashboard/MiniAppHost';
+import { useUnifiedContacts } from '@/api/hooks';
+
+export function ContactsStatsWidget({ settings }: WidgetComponentProps) {
+  const { t } = useTranslation();
+  const showCompanies = settings?.show_companies !== false;
+  const showPersons = settings?.show_persons !== false;
+
+  const { data: companiesData } = useUnifiedContacts(1, 1, undefined, 'company');
+  const { data: personsData } = useUnifiedContacts(1, 1, undefined, 'person');
+
+  const cards: { key: string; label: string; value: number; icon: React.ReactNode; testId: string }[] = [];
+  if (showCompanies) {
+    cards.push({
+      key: 'companies',
+      label: t('dashboard.totalCompanies'),
+      value: companiesData?.total ?? 0,
+      icon: <Building2 className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" aria-hidden="true" />,
+      testId: 'contacts-stats-companies',
+    });
+  }
+  if (showPersons) {
+    cards.push({
+      key: 'persons',
+      label: t('dashboard.totalContacts'),
+      value: personsData?.total ?? 0,
+      icon: <User className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" aria-hidden="true" />,
+      testId: 'contacts-stats-persons',
+    });
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 gap-4" data-testid="contacts-stats-widget">
+      {cards.map((c) => (
+        <div key={c.key} className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
+            {c.icon}
+            <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">{c.label}</span>
+          </div>
+          <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900" data-testid={c.testId}>
+            {c.value}
+          </p>
+        </div>
+      ))}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/MiniAppHost.tsx b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/MiniAppHost.tsx
index 8994584..c5c5cfe 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/MiniAppHost.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/MiniAppHost.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ const widgetRegistry: Record<string, React.LazyExoticComponent<React.ComponentTy
   '@/components/dashboard/CalendarUpcomingWidget': lazy(() =>
     import('@/components/dashboard/CalendarUpcomingWidget').then((m) => ({ default: m.CalendarUpcomingWidget }))
   ),
+  '@/components/dashboard/ContactsStatsWidget': lazy(() =>
+    import('@/components/dashboard/ContactsStatsWidget').then((m) => ({ default: m.ContactsStatsWidget }))
+  ),
+  '@/components/dashboard/AuditActivityWidget': lazy(() =>
+    import('@/components/dashboard/AuditActivityWidget').then((m) => ({ default: m.AuditActivityWidget }))
+  ),
+  '@/components/dashboard/SystemMetricsWidget': lazy(() =>
+    import('@/components/dashboard/SystemMetricsWidget').then((m) => ({ default: m.SystemMetricsWidget }))
+  ),
 };
 
 interface MiniAppHostProps {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/dashboard/SystemMetricsWidget.tsx b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/SystemMetricsWidget.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..604bc37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/dashboard/SystemMetricsWidget.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/**
+ * SystemMetricsWidget — DB/Redis/Worker/API metrics (Phase M4).
+ *
+ * Successor of the hard-coded admin-only System Metrics block. The
+ * backend endpoint /system/dashboard stays require_admin; users without
+ * admin rights see a compact permission hint (the MiniApp itself is
+ * gated by settings:read — the stricter endpoint check still applies).
+ */
+
+import React from 'react';
+import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
+import { Database, Server, Cpu, Activity, ShieldAlert } from 'lucide-react';
+import type { WidgetComponentProps } from '@/components/dashboard/MiniAppHost';
+import { useSystemDashboard } from '@/api/systemDashboard';
+
+export function SystemMetricsWidget(_props: WidgetComponentProps) {
+  const { t } = useTranslation();
+  const { data: systemData, isError } = useSystemDashboard();
+
+  if (isError) {
+    return (
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2 p-3 text-sm text-secondary-500" data-testid="system-metrics-forbidden">
+        <ShieldAlert className="w-4 h-4" aria-hidden="true" />
+        {t('dashboard.systemMetricsNoAccess', 'Systemmetriken erfordern Admin-Rechte.')}
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (!systemData) {
+    return <div className="animate-pulse h-24 bg-secondary-100 rounded" data-testid="system-metrics-loading" />;
+  }
+
+  const metrics = [
+    { key: 'db', icon: <Database className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" aria-hidden="true" />, label: 'Database', up: systemData.database?.status === 'up', sub: systemData.database?.db_size_human || '—', testId: 'system-metrics-db' },
+    { key: 'redis', icon: <Server className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" aria-hidden="true" />, label: 'Redis', up: systemData.redis?.status === 'up', sub: systemData.redis?.used_memory_human || '—', testId: 'system-metrics-redis' },
+    { key: 'worker', icon: <Cpu className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" aria-hidden="true" />, label: 'Worker', up: systemData.worker?.status === 'up', sub: `Queue: ${systemData.worker?.queue_length ?? '—'}`, testId: 'system-metrics-worker' },
+    { key: 'api', icon: <Activity className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" aria-hidden="true" />, label: 'API', up: true, sub: `Errors: ${systemData.api?.error_count ?? 0}`, testId: 'system-metrics-api' },
+  ];
+
+  return (
+    <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 gap-4" data-testid="system-metrics-widget">
+      {metrics.map((m) => (
+        <div key={m.key} className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
+            {m.icon}
+            <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">{m.label}</span>
+          </div>
+          <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900" data-testid={m.testId}>
+            {m.up ? '✅' : '❌'}
+          </p>
+          <p className="text-xs text-secondary-500">{m.sub}</p>
+        </div>
+      ))}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/de.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/de.json
index 02efc21..2b84a9d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/de.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/de.json
@@ -162,7 +162,8 @@
       "narrower": "Schmaler",
       "taller": "Höher",
       "shorter": "Niedriger"
-    }
+    },
+    "systemMetricsNoAccess": "Systemmetriken erfordern Admin-Rechte."
   },
   "companies": {
     "title": "Firmen",
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
index 3c8229c..b2f2dfc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -162,7 +162,8 @@
       "narrower": "Narrower",
       "taller": "Taller",
       "shorter": "Shorter"
-    }
+    },
+    "systemMetricsNoAccess": "System metrics require admin rights."
   },
   "companies": {
     "title": "Companies",
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
index a6e655a..81712c5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
@@ -1,157 +1,24 @@
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
-import { StatCard } from '@/components/shared/StatCard';
-import { ActivityFeed, ActivityItem } from '@/components/shared/ActivityFeed';
 import { DashboardBuilder } from '@/components/dashboard/DashboardBuilder';
-import { useUnifiedContacts, useAuditLog } from '@/api/hooks';
-import { useSystemDashboard } from '@/api/systemDashboard';
-import { useAuthStore } from '@/store/authStore';
-import { formatDateTime } from '@/utils/date';
-import { Database, Server, Cpu, DollarSign, Activity, TrendingUp } from 'lucide-react';
+
+/**
+ * Dashboard page — pure host (Phase M4).
+ *
+ * All content (stat cards, activity feed, system metrics, plugin widgets)
+ * now lives in personal MiniApp instances managed by the builder. The
+ * former hard-coded blocks were migrated to widgets in M4:
+ * - StatCards        -> ContactsStatsWidget (contacts plugin, contacts:read)
+ * - ActivityFeed     -> AuditActivityWidget (system, audit:read)
+ * - System Metrics   -> SystemMetricsWidget (system, settings:read)
+ */
 
 export function DashboardPage() {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
-  const { data: companiesData } = useUnifiedContacts(1, 1, undefined, 'company');
-  const { data: contactsData } = useUnifiedContacts(1, 1, undefined, 'person');
-  const { data: auditData, isError: auditError } = useAuditLog(1, 5);
-  const { data: systemData } = useSystemDashboard();
-  const user = useAuthStore((s) => s.user);
-  const isAdmin = user?.is_system_admin ?? false;
-
-  const totalCompanies = companiesData?.total ?? 0;
-  const totalContacts = contactsData?.total ?? 0;
-
-  const auditEntries = auditData?.items ?? [];
-  const activeThisWeek = auditEntries.filter((e) => {
-    if (!e.timestamp) return false;
-    const d = new Date(e.timestamp);
-    const weekAgo = new Date();
-    weekAgo.setDate(weekAgo.getDate() - 7);
-    return d >= weekAgo;
-  }).length;
-
-  const newThisMonth = auditEntries.filter((e) => {
-    if (!e.timestamp) return false;
-    const d = new Date(e.timestamp);
-    const monthAgo = new Date();
-    monthAgo.setMonth(monthAgo.getMonth() - 1);
-    return d >= monthAgo;
-  }).length;
-
-  const activities: ActivityItem[] = auditError
-    ? []
-    : auditEntries.map((entry) => ({
-        id: `${entry.timestamp}-${entry.user}-${entry.action}`,
-        user: entry.user || 'System',
-        action: entry.action || '',
-        time: entry.timestamp ? (formatDateTime(entry.timestamp) || '') : '',
-        avatarUrl: null,
-      }));
 
   return (
     <div className="p-6 max-w-7xl mx-auto" data-testid="dashboard-page">
       <h1 className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900 mb-6">{t('dashboard.title')}</h1>
-
-      {/* Personal dashboard builder (Phase M3) — replaces the old plugin widget grid */}
-      <div className="mb-10">
-        <DashboardBuilder />
-      </div>
-
-      <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-4 mb-8">
-        <StatCard
-          label={t('dashboard.totalCompanies')}
-          value={totalCompanies}
-          testId="stat-companies"
-        />
-        <StatCard
-          label={t('dashboard.totalContacts')}
-          value={totalContacts}
-          testId="stat-contacts"
-        />
-        <StatCard
-          label={t('dashboard.activeThisWeek')}
-          value={activeThisWeek}
-          testId="stat-active-week"
-        />
-        <StatCard
-          label={t('dashboard.newThisMonth')}
-          value={newThisMonth}
-          testId="stat-new-month"
-        />
-      </div>
-
-      {/* System Metrics (Admin only) — I-DASH, I-COST, I-USE (M4: becomes system MiniApp) */}
-      {isAdmin && systemData && (
-        <div className="mb-8">
-          <h2 className="text-lg font-semibold text-secondary-800 mb-4">{t('dashboard.systemMetrics', 'System Status')}</h2>
-          <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-4">
-            <div className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
-              <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
-                <Database className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" />
-                <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">Database</span>
-              </div>
-              <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900">{systemData.database?.status === 'up' ? '✅' : '❌'}</p>
-              <p className="text-xs text-secondary-500">{systemData.database?.db_size_human || '—'}</p>
-            </div>
-            <div className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
-              <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
-                <Server className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" />
-                <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">Redis</span>
-              </div>
-              <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900">{systemData.redis?.status === 'up' ? '✅' : '❌'}</p>
-              <p className="text-xs text-secondary-500">{systemData.redis?.used_memory_human || '—'}</p>
-            </div>
-            <div className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
-              <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
-                <Cpu className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" />
-                <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">Worker</span>
-              </div>
-              <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900">{systemData.worker?.status === 'up' ? '✅' : '❌'}</p>
-              <p className="text-xs text-secondary-500">Queue: {systemData.worker?.queue_length ?? '—'}</p>
-            </div>
-            <div className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
-              <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
-                <Activity className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" />
-                <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">API</span>
-              </div>
-              <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900">{systemData.api?.total_requests ?? '—'}</p>
-              <p className="text-xs text-secondary-500">Errors: {systemData.api?.error_count ?? 0}</p>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-          {systemData.llm && (
-            <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-4 mt-4">
-              <div className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
-                <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
-                  <DollarSign className="w-4 h-4 text-warning-600" />
-                  <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">LLM Cost (24h)</span>
-                </div>
-                <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900">${systemData.llm.last_24h_cost?.toFixed(2) ?? '0.00'}</p>
-              </div>
-              <div className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
-                <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
-                  <TrendingUp className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" />
-                  <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">LLM Tokens (24h)</span>
-                </div>
-                <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900">{systemData.llm.last_24h_tokens?.toLocaleString() ?? '0'}</p>
-              </div>
-              <div className="border border-secondary-200 rounded-lg p-4 bg-white">
-                <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
-                  <Activity className="w-4 h-4 text-primary-600" />
-                  <span className="text-sm font-medium text-secondary-900">Active Plugins</span>
-                </div>
-                <p className="text-2xl font-bold text-secondary-900">{systemData.plugins?.active_plugins?.length ?? '—'}</p>
-              </div>
-            </div>
-          )}
-        </div>
-      )}
-
-      {auditError ? (
-        <p className="text-sm text-secondary-500" data-testid="activity-unavailable">
-          {t('dashboard.activityUnavailable')}
-        </p>
-      ) : (
-        <ActivityFeed activities={activities} title={t('dashboard.recentActivity')} />
-      )}
+      <DashboardBuilder />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_dashboards_backend.py b/tests/test_dashboards_backend.py
index e6d55ff..e6fa156 100644
--- a/tests/test_dashboards_backend.py
+++ b/tests/test_dashboards_backend.py
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ def _clean_miniapp_registry():
 
 
 def _register_apps(*specs: tuple[str, str, int, int]) -> None:
-    """Register test MiniApps: (app_id, permission, order, col_span)."""
+    """Register test MiniApps: (app_id, permission, order, col_span).
+
+    M4: seed only places renderable apps, so test apps carry a component.
+    """
     from app.plugins.miniapp_registry import get_miniapp_registry
 
     reg = get_miniapp_registry()
@@ -48,6 +51,7 @@ def _register_apps(*specs: tuple[str, str, int, int]) -> None:
             col_span=col_span,
             row_span=1,
             hosts=["chat", "dashboard", "window"],
+            component="@/components/dashboard/TestWidget",
             order=order,
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/test_m4_system_miniapps.py b/tests/test_m4_system_miniapps.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98f6b06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_m4_system_miniapps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+"""M4 — System-Rückbau tests.
+
+Core-owned MiniApps (audit_activity, system_metrics) registered by the
+host; contacts_stats as a native manifest miniapp with component (fixes
+the base.py gap where native miniapps did not carry their frontend
+component); the dashboard seed only places renderable apps (component
+present) — chat interaction apps without a component stay off dashboard
+layouts.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pytest
+from httpx import AsyncClient
+
+from tests.conftest import ORIGIN_HEADER, login_client, seed_tenant_and_users
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _registry_with_system_apps():
+    """Fresh registry per test WITH the core system miniapps registered."""
+    from app.plugins.miniapp_registry import (
+        reset_miniapp_registry,
+    )
+
+    reset_miniapp_registry()
+    from app.core.system_miniapps import register_system_miniapps
+
+    register_system_miniapps()
+    yield
+    reset_miniapp_registry()
+
+
+# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+# Unit: system miniapp definitions
+# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+
+class TestSystemMiniAppDefs:
+    def test_audit_activity_definition(self):
+        from app.plugins.miniapp_registry import get_miniapp_registry
+
+        app = get_miniapp_registry().get_app("audit_activity")
+        assert app is not None, "audit_activity must be registered"
+        assert app.plugin_name == "system"
+        assert app.permission == "audit:read"
+        assert app.component == "@/components/dashboard/AuditActivityWidget"
+        assert "dashboard" in app.hosts
+        # settings_schema drives the generic settings form (max_items)
+        fields = app.settings_schema.get("fields", [])
+        assert any(f["name"] == "max_items" for f in fields)
+
+    def test_system_metrics_definition(self):
+        from app.plugins.miniapp_registry import get_miniapp_registry
+
+        app = get_miniapp_registry().get_app("system_metrics")
+        assert app is not None, "system_metrics must be registered"
+        assert app.plugin_name == "system"
+        assert app.permission == "settings:read"
+        assert app.component == "@/components/dashboard/SystemMetricsWidget"
+        assert app.col_span >= 2
+
+    def test_native_manifest_miniapp_carries_component(self):
+        """contacts_stats lives in the native miniapps manifest section and
+        carries its frontend component (base.py must pass it through)."""
+        from app.plugins.builtins.contacts.plugin import ContactsPlugin
+
+        contributions = ContactsPlugin().manifest.miniapps
+        stats = [m for m in contributions if m.app_id == "contacts_stats"]
+        assert len(stats) == 1
+        assert stats[0].component == "@/components/dashboard/ContactsStatsWidget"
+        assert stats[0].permission == "contacts:read"
+
+    def test_base_plugin_registers_native_miniapp_with_component(self):
+        """The lifecycle path registers native miniapps INCLUDING component
+        (M4 fix for the M1 gap where only the dashboard_widgets alias
+        passed components through)."""
+        from app.plugins.builtins.contacts.plugin import ContactsPlugin
+        from app.plugins.miniapp_registry import get_miniapp_registry
+
+        plugin = ContactsPlugin()
+        plugin._register_manifest_miniapps()
+        app = get_miniapp_registry().get_app("contacts_stats")
+        assert app is not None
+        assert app.component == "@/components/dashboard/ContactsStatsWidget"
+        # dashboard_widgets alias still works
+        assert get_miniapp_registry().get_app("recent_contacts") is not None
+
+
+# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+# API: permission-filtered visibility
+# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+class TestSystemMiniAppsApi:
+    async def test_admin_sees_system_apps(self, client: AsyncClient, db_session):
+        await seed_tenant_and_users(db_session)
+        await login_client(client, "admin@tenanta.com")
+        resp = await client.get("/api/v1/miniapps", headers=ORIGIN_HEADER)
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        app_ids = {i["app_id"] for i in resp.json()["items"]}
+        assert "audit_activity" in app_ids
+        assert "system_metrics" in app_ids
+
+    async def test_viewer_does_not_see_system_apps(
+        self, client: AsyncClient, db_session
+    ):
+        """Viewer has neither audit:read nor settings:read -> fail-closed."""
+        await seed_tenant_and_users(db_session)
+        await login_client(client, "viewer@tenanta.com")
+        resp = await client.get("/api/v1/miniapps", headers=ORIGIN_HEADER)
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        app_ids = {i["app_id"] for i in resp.json()["items"]}
+        assert "audit_activity" not in app_ids
+        assert "system_metrics" not in app_ids
+
+
+# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+# Seed: only renderable apps (component) go onto dashboard layouts
+# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+class TestSeedComponentFilter:
+    async def test_seed_excludes_apps_without_component(
+        self, client: AsyncClient, db_session
+    ):
+        """Chat interaction apps without a frontend component must not be
+        seeded onto dashboard layouts (production measurement 2026-08-30:
+        9 seeded widgets, only 3 renderable)."""
+        await seed_tenant_and_users(db_session)
+        await login_client(client, "admin@tenanta.com")
+
+        from app.plugins.miniapp_registry import get_miniapp_registry
+
+        reg = get_miniapp_registry()
+        reg.register(
+            app_id="renderable_app", name="Renderable", plugin_name="test",
+            permission="", component="@/components/x", order=90,
+        )
+        reg.register(
+            app_id="chat_only_app", name="Chat Only", plugin_name="test",
+            permission="", component="", order=95,
+        )
+
+        resp = await client.get("/api/v1/dashboards", headers=ORIGIN_HEADER)
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        items = resp.json()
+        assert len(items) == 1
+        seeded_ids = {
+            w["app_id"]
+            for w in items[0]["layout"]["tabs"][0]["widgets"]
+        }
+        assert "renderable_app" in seeded_ids
+        assert "chat_only_app" not in seeded_ids
+        # system apps are renderable and (for the admin) permitted -> seeded
+        assert "audit_activity" in seeded_ids
+        assert "system_metrics" in seeded_ids