diff --git a/cli/src/commands/pipeline/pipeline.ts b/cli/src/commands/pipeline/pipeline.ts
index 63ae3213ef..7aba9659b8 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/pipeline/pipeline.ts
+++ b/cli/src/commands/pipeline/pipeline.ts
@@ -674,12 +674,26 @@ async function run(
       .filter((r) => r.usage_kind === "script" && (r.macros?.length ?? 0) > 0)
       .map((r) => r.path),
   );
+  // Non-runnable graph nodes: the macro libraries above, plus (under `--local`)
+  // any script node with no local file. The local graph surfaces macro-consumer
+  // nodes for lineage display — a DuckDB script that calls a macro but isn't a
+  // `// pipeline` member (so has no previewable content). They must never enter
+  // the run: as a manual root they'd be scheduled, and a preview would fail with
+  // no local content to send.
+  const notRunnablePaths = new Set<string>(macroLibPaths);
+  if (opts.local && localScripts) {
+    for (const r of graph.runnables) {
+      if (r.usage_kind === "script" && !localScripts.has(r.path)) {
+        notRunnablePaths.add(r.path);
+      }
+    }
+  }
 
   // Resolve the start: explicit --from (must be a valid start) or the folder's
   // sole valid start. `--upload`-bound scripts join the valid starts.
   const starts = new Set(
     [...validStarts(graph), ...boundNodeIds].filter(
-      (id) => !macroLibPaths.has(scriptPathOf(id)),
+      (id) => !notRunnablePaths.has(scriptPathOf(id)),
     ),
   );
   // `runAll` = no `--from` on a multi-root pipeline (fan-in): run the whole
@@ -810,10 +824,10 @@ async function run(
     }
   }
 
-  // Selections can still pull a macro library in via graph reachability (e.g.
-  // whole-pipeline mode collects every root's closure) — drop them before
-  // ordering so they never run.
-  for (const p of macroLibPaths) selectedScripts.delete(p);
+  // Selections can still pull a non-runnable node in via graph reachability (e.g.
+  // whole-pipeline mode collects every root's closure) — drop macro libraries and
+  // local-only display nodes before ordering so they never run.
+  for (const p of notRunnablePaths) selectedScripts.delete(p);
 
   const { order, cyclic } = topoOrder(graph, selectedScripts);
   if (cyclic.length > 0) {
diff --git a/cli/test/pipeline_local_graph_unit.test.ts b/cli/test/pipeline_local_graph_unit.test.ts
index b7cb86ceb6..6b0c79fee4 100644
--- a/cli/test/pipeline_local_graph_unit.test.ts
+++ b/cli/test/pipeline_local_graph_unit.test.ts
@@ -493,6 +493,39 @@ test("a `// macros` (slash-prefix) DuckDB library is detected (backend prefix pa
   );
 });
 
+test("a non-pipeline DuckDB macro consumer is a display-only node, never a run step", async () => {
+  // A `.duckdb.sql` helper that calls a macro but isn't `// pipeline` surfaces as
+  // a graph node (lineage parity) but is NOT a runnable pipeline script: it must
+  // be absent from `scripts` (the previewable set `run --local` selects from), so
+  // it can never be scheduled or fail a preview for lack of local content.
+  await withFolder(
+    {
+      "lib.duckdb.sql": `-- macros\nCREATE MACRO dbl(a) AS a * 2;\n`,
+      "helper.duckdb.sql": `-- on ducklake://main/src\nSELECT dbl(x) FROM main.src;\n`,
+      "root.duckdb.sql": `-- pipeline\n-- materialize ducklake://main/out\nSELECT dbl(1) AS v;\n`,
+    },
+    async (root, folder) => {
+      const { graph, scripts } = await buildLocalPipelineGraph({ root, folder, defaultTs: "bun" });
+
+      // the helper IS a node (macro consumer, for lineage display) …
+      const helper = graph.runnables.find((r) => r.path === "f/mypipe/helper");
+      expect(helper).toBeDefined();
+      // … but not a pipeline member (no local file to preview) and carries no macros
+      expect(helper?.in_pipeline).toBeFalsy();
+      expect(helper?.macros).toBeUndefined();
+      // the previewable set (what `run --local` can schedule) is ONLY the member
+      expect(scripts.map((s) => s.path)).toEqual(["f/mypipe/root"]);
+      // and the macro edge still connects lib → helper for the lineage view
+      expect(graph.macro_edges).toContainEqual({
+        lib_path: "f/mypipe/lib",
+        consumer_path: "f/mypipe/helper",
+        macro_names: ["dbl"],
+        via_use: false,
+      });
+    },
+  );
+});
+
 test("`#`-comment languages (ruby) use the `#` annotation fallback (no wasm parser)", async () => {
   await withFolder(
     { "ingest.rb": `# pipeline\n# on s3://demo/raw.csv\nputs "hi"\n` },