diff --git a/src/component/metrics_dashboard/mod.rs b/src/component/metrics_dashboard/mod.rs
index 514a7e3..1070d6b 100644
--- a/src/component/metrics_dashboard/mod.rs
+++ b/src/component/metrics_dashboard/mod.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 //!
 //! assert_eq!(state.widget_count(), 3);
 //! assert_eq!(state.columns(), 3);
-//! assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 0);
+//! assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(0));
 //! ```
 
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ pub struct MetricsDashboardState {
     /// Number of columns in the grid layout.
     columns: usize,
     /// Currently selected widget index.
-    selected: usize,
+    selected: Option<usize>,
     /// Whether the component is focused.
     focused: bool,
     /// Whether the component is disabled.
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ impl Default for MetricsDashboardState {
         Self {
             widgets: Vec::new(),
             columns: 3,
-            selected: 0,
+            selected: None,
             focused: false,
             disabled: false,
             title: None,
@@ -311,10 +311,11 @@ impl MetricsDashboardState {
     /// assert_eq!(state.columns(), 2);
     /// ```
     pub fn new(widgets: Vec<MetricWidget>, columns: usize) -> Self {
+        let selected = if widgets.is_empty() { None } else { Some(0) };
         Self {
             widgets,
             columns: columns.max(1),
-            selected: 0,
+            selected,
             focused: false,
             disabled: false,
             title: None,
@@ -380,18 +381,19 @@ impl MetricsDashboardState {
     }
 
     /// Returns the selected widget index.
-    pub fn selected_index(&self) -> usize {
+    pub fn selected_index(&self) -> Option<usize> {
         self.selected
     }
 
     /// Returns a reference to the selected widget.
     pub fn selected_widget(&self) -> Option<&MetricWidget> {
-        self.widgets.get(self.selected)
+        self.widgets.get(self.selected?)
     }
 
     /// Returns the (row, column) position of the selected widget.
-    pub fn selected_position(&self) -> (usize, usize) {
-        (self.selected / self.columns, self.selected % self.columns)
+    pub fn selected_position(&self) -> Option<(usize, usize)> {
+        let selected = self.selected?;
+        Some((selected / self.columns, selected % self.columns))
     }
 
     /// Returns the title.
@@ -497,23 +499,25 @@ impl Component for MetricsDashboard {
 
         let len = state.widgets.len();
         let cols = state.columns;
-        let current = state.selected;
+        let current = state.selected.unwrap_or(0);
         let current_row = current / cols;
         let current_col = current % cols;
 
         match msg {
             MetricsDashboardMessage::Left => {
                 if current_col > 0 {
-                    state.selected = current - 1;
-                    Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(state.selected))
+                    let new_index = current - 1;
+                    state.selected = Some(new_index);
+                    Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(new_index))
                 } else {
                     None
                 }
             }
             MetricsDashboardMessage::Right => {
                 if current_col < cols - 1 && current + 1 < len {
-                    state.selected = current + 1;
-                    Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(state.selected))
+                    let new_index = current + 1;
+                    state.selected = Some(new_index);
+                    Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(new_index))
                 } else {
                     None
                 }
@@ -522,8 +526,8 @@ impl Component for MetricsDashboard {
                 if current_row > 0 {
                     let new_index = (current_row - 1) * cols + current_col;
                     if new_index < len {
-                        state.selected = new_index;
-                        Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(state.selected))
+                        state.selected = Some(new_index);
+                        Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(new_index))
                     } else {
                         None
                     }
@@ -534,15 +538,15 @@ impl Component for MetricsDashboard {
             MetricsDashboardMessage::Down => {
                 let new_index = (current_row + 1) * cols + current_col;
                 if new_index < len {
-                    state.selected = new_index;
-                    Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(state.selected))
+                    state.selected = Some(new_index);
+                    Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(new_index))
                 } else {
                     None
                 }
             }
             MetricsDashboardMessage::First => {
                 if current != 0 {
-                    state.selected = 0;
+                    state.selected = Some(0);
                     Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(0))
                 } else {
                     None
@@ -551,7 +555,7 @@ impl Component for MetricsDashboard {
             MetricsDashboardMessage::Last => {
                 let last = len - 1;
                 if current != last {
-                    state.selected = last;
+                    state.selected = Some(last);
                     Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(last))
                 } else {
                     None
@@ -593,7 +597,7 @@ impl Component for MetricsDashboard {
             for (col_idx, col_area) in col_areas.iter().enumerate() {
                 let widget_idx = row_idx * cols + col_idx;
                 if let Some(widget) = state.widgets.get(widget_idx) {
-                    let is_selected = widget_idx == state.selected;
+                    let is_selected = state.selected == Some(widget_idx);
                     render_widget(widget, is_selected, state, frame, *col_area, theme);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/component/metrics_dashboard/tests.rs b/src/component/metrics_dashboard/tests.rs
index fac5368..7a31d41 100644
--- a/src/component/metrics_dashboard/tests.rs
+++ b/src/component/metrics_dashboard/tests.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ fn test_new() {
     let state = MetricsDashboardState::new(sample_widgets(), 3);
     assert_eq!(state.widget_count(), 6);
     assert_eq!(state.columns(), 3);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(0));
     assert!(!state.is_focused());
     assert!(!state.is_disabled());
 }
@@ -231,13 +231,13 @@ fn test_rows_empty() {
 #[test]
 fn test_selected_position() {
     let mut state = focused_state();
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_position(), (0, 0));
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_position(), Some((0, 0)));
 
     MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Right);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_position(), (0, 1));
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_position(), Some((0, 1)));
 
     MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Down);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_position(), (1, 1));
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_position(), Some((1, 1)));
 }
 
 // =============================================================================
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ fn test_selected_position() {
 fn test_right() {
     let mut state = focused_state();
     let output = MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Right);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(1));
     assert_eq!(output, Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(1)));
 }
 
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ fn test_left() {
     let mut state = focused_state();
     MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Right);
     let output = MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Left);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(0));
     assert_eq!(output, Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(0)));
 }
 
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ fn test_right_at_row_end() {
     MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Right);
     MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Right);
     let output = MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Right);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 2);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(2));
     assert_eq!(output, None);
 }
 
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ fn test_right_at_row_end() {
 fn test_left_at_row_start() {
     let mut state = focused_state();
     let output = MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Left);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(0));
     assert_eq!(output, None);
 }
 
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ fn test_left_at_row_start() {
 fn test_down() {
     let mut state = focused_state();
     let output = MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Down);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 3);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(3));
     assert_eq!(output, Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(3)));
 }
 
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ fn test_up() {
     let mut state = focused_state();
     MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Down);
     let output = MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Up);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(0));
     assert_eq!(output, Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(0)));
 }
 
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ fn test_first() {
     let mut state = focused_state();
     MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Last);
     let output = MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::First);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(0));
     assert_eq!(output, Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(0)));
 }
 
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ fn test_first() {
 fn test_last() {
     let mut state = focused_state();
     let output = MetricsDashboard::update(&mut state, MetricsDashboardMessage::Last);
-    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), 5);
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), Some(5));
     assert_eq!(output, Some(MetricsDashboardOutput::SelectionChanged(5)));
 }
 
@@ -604,6 +604,14 @@ fn test_partial_eq() {
 // Edge cases
 // =============================================================================
 
+#[test]
+fn test_empty_dashboard_selected_index_is_none() {
+    let state = MetricsDashboardState::default();
+    assert_eq!(state.selected_index(), None);
+    assert!(state.selected_widget().is_none());
+    assert!(state.selected_position().is_none());
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_empty_dashboard_ignores_navigation() {
     let mut state = MetricsDashboardState::default();