diff --git a/scripts/api.py b/scripts/api.py
index b69e5a6..e0f1d6d 100644
--- a/scripts/api.py
+++ b/scripts/api.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
     "show_sources": True,
     "dream_hour_utc": 8,
     "dream_minute_utc": 0,
-    "dream_mode": "nrem",
+    "dream_mode": "pipeline",
     "ingest_hour_utc": 2,
     "ingest_minute_utc": 30,
     "share_time": True,
@@ -1105,16 +1105,25 @@ async def corpus_reconcile(request: Request, background_tasks: BackgroundTasks,
 scheduler = BackgroundScheduler()
 
 def run_dream_job():
-    """Runs nightly dreamer — full interdependent pipeline, no mode flag."""
+    """Runs nightly dreamer at the mode set in settings.json (default: pipeline)."""
     try:
         import subprocess
+        settings = load_settings()
+        mode = settings.get("dream_mode", "pipeline")
+        valid_modes = {"pipeline", "nrem", "early-rem", "late-rem"}
+        if mode not in valid_modes:
+            print(f"Dreamer: invalid dream_mode={mode!r}; falling back to pipeline")
+            mode = "pipeline"
         dream_script = str(Path.home() / "aaronai" / "scripts" / "dream.py")
+        cmd = [PYTHON, dream_script]
+        if mode != "pipeline":
+            cmd += ["--mode", mode]
         result = subprocess.run(
-            [PYTHON, dream_script],
+            cmd,
             cwd=str(Path.home() / "aaronai"),
             capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=600
         )
-        print(f"Dreamer completed: {result.stdout[-200:] if result.stdout else 'no output'}")
+        print(f"Dreamer completed (mode={mode}): {result.stdout[-200:] if result.stdout else 'no output'}")
         if result.returncode != 0:
             print(f"Dreamer error: {result.stderr[-200:] if result.stderr else 'unknown'}")
     except Exception as e: