diff --git a/app/api/performance.py b/app/api/performance.py
index 058094e..071a18b 100644
--- a/app/api/performance.py
+++ b/app/api/performance.py
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ async def get_performance(
     wallet: str = Query(..., description="Wallet address (lower-cased internally)"),
     ts: int = Query(..., description="Signed timestamp (ms)"),
     sig: str = Query(..., description="EIP-191 signature"),
+    include_paper: bool = Query(
+        False,
+        description="Include paper (simulated) trades. Default false — this "
+                    "endpoint reports REAL-money performance, so paper fills "
+                    "(hl_order_id='paper') are excluded unless explicitly asked.",
+    ),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     wallet = wallet.lower().strip()
@@ -43,13 +49,20 @@ async def get_performance(
     # realization order. A trade opened before the window but closed inside it
     # correctly counts; one opened inside but still open does not (closed_at IS
     # NOT NULL already excludes it).
-    result = await db.execute(
+    #
+    # MONEY-SAFETY: by default exclude paper trades (hl_order_id == "paper").
+    # Mixing simulated and real P&L into one "performance" number is misleading
+    # — the dashboard tile that consumes this shows it as real performance.
+    stmt = (
         select(BotTrade)
         .where(BotTrade.wallet_address == wallet)
         .where(BotTrade.closed_at.is_not(None))
         .where(BotTrade.closed_at >= since)
-        .order_by(BotTrade.closed_at.asc())
     )
+    if not include_paper:
+        stmt = stmt.where(BotTrade.hl_order_id != "paper")
+    stmt = stmt.order_by(BotTrade.closed_at.asc())
+    result = await db.execute(stmt)
     trades = result.scalars().all()
 
     total_trades = len(trades)