diff --git a/graphistry/compute/gfql_unified.py b/graphistry/compute/gfql_unified.py
index d0a6f0603e..2b1fbe49aa 100644
--- a/graphistry/compute/gfql_unified.py
+++ b/graphistry/compute/gfql_unified.py
@@ -1815,6 +1815,24 @@ def gfql(self: Plottable,
     :returns: Resulting Plottable
     :rtype: Plottable
     """
+    # engine inference: resolve_engine(AUTO) maps polars frames to PANDAS (polars predates
+    # Engine.POLARS there), silently bridging polars-frame graphs onto the generic pandas path
+    # (~13x slower on cypher point queries, pandas frames out). Route AUTO to the native polars
+    # engine instead; an honest NIE (unsupported shape) falls back to the legacy AUTO path, which
+    # is allowed here because the user did not pin an engine.
+    if (
+        (engine == EngineAbstract.AUTO or engine == EngineAbstract.AUTO.value)
+        and is_polars_df(self._edges) and (self._nodes is None or is_polars_df(self._nodes))
+    ):
+        try:
+            return gfql(
+                self, query, engine=Engine.POLARS.value, output=output, policy=policy,
+                where=where, language=language, params=params, validate=validate,
+                shortest_path_backend=shortest_path_backend,
+            )
+        except NotImplementedError:
+            logger.debug('AUTO polars-native attempt declined; falling back to generic path')
+
     context = ExecutionContext()
 
     if policy and context.policy_depth >= 1:
diff --git a/graphistry/tests/compute/gfql/cypher/test_lowering.py b/graphistry/tests/compute/gfql/cypher/test_lowering.py
index 093c727fcc..9de105e86f 100644
--- a/graphistry/tests/compute/gfql/cypher/test_lowering.py
+++ b/graphistry/tests/compute/gfql/cypher/test_lowering.py
@@ -15997,7 +15997,7 @@ def test_connected_join_polars_nullable_columns_match_master(predicate: str, exp
     query = f"MATCH (p)-[]->(x), (p)-[]->(y) WHERE {predicate} RETURN count(p) AS n"
 
     out = g.gfql(query)._nodes
-    records = out.to_dict(orient="records") if hasattr(out, "to_dict") else out.to_dicts()
+    records = out.to_dicts() if hasattr(out, "to_dicts") else out.to_dict(orient="records")
     assert records == expected
 
 
@@ -16027,7 +16027,7 @@ def test_arrow_table_nodes_match_master_results() -> None:
     def run(predicate: str) -> Any:
         query = f"MATCH (p)-[]->(x), (p)-[]->(y) WHERE {predicate} RETURN count(p) AS n"
         out = g.gfql(query)._nodes
-        return out.to_dict(orient="records") if hasattr(out, "to_dict") else out.to_dicts()
+        return out.to_dicts() if hasattr(out, "to_dicts") else out.to_dict(orient="records")
 
     assert run("p.name = 5") == []
     assert run("p.name = 'ann'") == [{"n": 4}]
@@ -16084,7 +16084,7 @@ def test_connected_join_polars_decimal_matches_master(predicate: str, expected:
     query = f"MATCH (p)-->(a), (p)-->(b) WHERE {predicate} RETURN count(p) AS n"
 
     result = g.gfql(query)._nodes
-    records = result.to_dict(orient="records") if hasattr(result, "to_dict") else result.to_dicts()
+    records = result.to_dicts() if hasattr(result, "to_dicts") else result.to_dict(orient="records")
     assert records == expected
 
 
@@ -16099,7 +16099,7 @@ def test_connected_join_polars_backed_graph_matches_pandas_results() -> None:
 
     g_polars = graphistry.nodes(pl.from_pandas(nodes), "id").edges(pl.from_pandas(edges), "s", "d")
     result = g_polars.gfql(query)._nodes
-    records = result.to_dict(orient="records") if hasattr(result, "to_dict") else result.to_dicts()
+    records = result.to_dicts() if hasattr(result, "to_dicts") else result.to_dict(orient="records")
     assert records == []
 
 
diff --git a/graphistry/tests/compute/gfql/test_engine_polars_cypher_conformance.py b/graphistry/tests/compute/gfql/test_engine_polars_cypher_conformance.py
index d1a8c5433d..1940740065 100644
--- a/graphistry/tests/compute/gfql/test_engine_polars_cypher_conformance.py
+++ b/graphistry/tests/compute/gfql/test_engine_polars_cypher_conformance.py
@@ -496,3 +496,33 @@ def test_bool_modulo_declines_like_pandas():
     # bool + int still computes in parity (not over-declined)
     got = g.gfql("MATCH (n) RETURN n.flag + 2 AS r", engine="polars")._nodes["r"].to_list()
     assert got == [3, 2, 3]
+
+
+class TestAutoEngineRoutesPolarsNative:
+    """engine=auto on polars-frame graphs must run the native polars path (frames in = frames
+    out), not the silent pandas bridge (~13x on point queries); polars-NIE shapes still answer
+    via the legacy AUTO fallback since the user did not pin an engine."""
+
+    def _graph(self):
+        nodes = pl.DataFrame({"id": [0, 1, 2, 3], "label__Person": [True] * 4})
+        edges = pl.DataFrame({"s": [0, 1, 2], "d": [1, 2, 3], "type": ["KNOWS"] * 3})
+        return graphistry.nodes(nodes, "id").edges(edges, "s", "d")
+
+    def test_auto_returns_polars_frames_and_matches_explicit(self):
+        g = self._graph()
+        q = "MATCH (a:Person {id: 0})-[:KNOWS]->(b) RETURN b.id AS bid ORDER BY bid"
+        r_auto = g.gfql(q)._nodes
+        r_expl = g.gfql(q, engine="polars")._nodes
+        assert "polars" in type(r_auto).__module__, "auto must not bridge polars graphs to pandas"
+        from polars.testing import assert_frame_equal
+        assert_frame_equal(r_auto, r_expl)
+
+    def test_auto_falls_back_on_polars_nie(self):
+        g = self._graph()
+        q = ("MATCH p = shortestPath((a:Person {id: 0})-[:KNOWS*]-(b:Person {id: 3})) "
+             "RETURN length(p) AS l")
+        with pytest.raises(NotImplementedError):
+            g.gfql(q, engine="polars")  # pinned engine: honest NIE
+        out = g.gfql(q)._nodes  # auto: answers via fallback
+        rows = out.to_dict("records") if hasattr(out, "to_dict") else out.to_pandas().to_dict("records")
+        assert rows == [{"l": 3}]