diff --git a/ovos_workshop/skill_launcher.py b/ovos_workshop/skill_launcher.py
index 89fb995b..0e1f44cf 100644
--- a/ovos_workshop/skill_launcher.py
+++ b/ovos_workshop/skill_launcher.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 from time import time
 from ovos_bus_client.client import MessageBusClient
 from ovos_bus_client.message import Message
+from ovos_bus_client.session import SessionManager
 from ovos_config.config import Configuration
 from ovos_config.locale import setup_locale
 from ovos_plugin_manager.skills import find_skill_plugins, get_skill_directories
@@ -534,6 +535,12 @@ def _connect_to_core(self):
             self.bus.run_in_thread()
             self.bus.connected_event.wait()
 
+        # mirrors ovos-core's IntentService (ovos_core/intent_services/service.py),
+        # the only other caller of connect_to_bus in the stack; without this,
+        # SessionManager.bus stays None in standalone skill containers and
+        # SessionManager.wait_while_speaking()/speak(wait=True) silently no-op
+        SessionManager.connect_to_bus(self.bus)
+
         self.bus.on("mycroft.ready", self.load_skill)
         self.bus.on("skillmanager.activate", self.do_load)
         self.bus.on("skillmanager.deactivate", self.do_unload)
diff --git a/test/unittests/test_skill_launcher.py b/test/unittests/test_skill_launcher.py
index ba589c78..33902102 100644
--- a/test/unittests/test_skill_launcher.py
+++ b/test/unittests/test_skill_launcher.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import shutil
 import unittest
+import unittest.mock
 import sys
 
 from os import environ
@@ -157,5 +158,48 @@ def test_plugin_skill_loader_load(self):
 
 
 class TestSkillContainer(unittest.TestCase):
-    # TODO
-    pass
+    def setUp(self):
+        from ovos_bus_client.session import SessionManager
+        SessionManager.bus = None
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        from ovos_bus_client.session import SessionManager
+        SessionManager.bus = None
+
+    def test_connect_to_core_wires_session_manager_bus(self):
+        """
+        Regression test: standalone SkillContainer must wire
+        SessionManager.connect_to_bus() when it owns/connects its bus,
+        mirroring ovos-core's IntentService (the only other caller of
+        SessionManager.connect_to_bus in the stack). Without this,
+        SessionManager.bus stays None and speak(wait=True) /
+        SessionManager.wait_while_speaking silently no-op in standalone
+        skill containers.
+        """
+        from ovos_workshop.skill_launcher import SkillContainer
+        from ovos_bus_client.session import SessionManager
+
+        bus = FakeBus()
+        container = SkillContainer(skill_id="test_skill.test", bus=bus)
+        # avoid blocking on wait_for_core()/mycroft.skills.is_ready
+        container.load_skill = lambda message=None: None
+        bus.wait_for_response = lambda message, **kwargs: None
+
+        # exercise only the bus-wiring half of _connect_to_core; stub out
+        # the blocking wait_for_core() polling loop it defines internally
+        import ovos_workshop.skill_launcher as skill_launcher_mod
+        orig_thread_wait = None
+
+        # call the real method but short-circuit the blocking retry loop by
+        # patching threading.Event().wait used inside wait_for_core
+        with unittest.mock.patch.object(
+                skill_launcher_mod.threading, "Event") as mock_event_cls:
+            mock_event_cls.return_value.wait.side_effect = RuntimeError(
+                "stop retry loop")
+            try:
+                container._connect_to_core()
+            except RuntimeError:
+                pass
+
+        self.assertIsNotNone(SessionManager.bus)
+        self.assertIs(SessionManager.bus, bus)