Volume totalled 883 million shares worth 797 million Singapore dollars (489 million US), from 972.87 million shares worth 667.48 million dollars on Friday.
There were 266 risers, 151 decliners and 436 stocks were unchanged.
"There was some buying interest in select blue chips like SingTel and Chartered (Semiconductor), but the buying was not broad-based," a dealer with a local brokerage said.
According to Kelive Research, the gains were mainly technically driven and would likely be short-lived in the absence of fresh factors to inspire continued buying.
"We see stocks starting the week on follow-through gains from the technical rebound that started last Friday. The gains should ease tomorrow," Kelive Research said in a report.
An ongoing probe into Citiraya Industries by the city-state's white collar crime unit could also dampen investors' appetite for other smaller-cap stocks, Kelive added.
The electronics waste recycler announced last Friday that the Commercial Affairs Department was investigating the company's affairs.
Among the blue chips, Singapore Telecommunications gained two Singapore cents to 2.55 Singapore dollars on rotational play, publishing firm Singapore Press Holdings rose two cents to finish at 4.46, while Singapore Airlines dropped 10 cents to 11.70.
In the technology sector, contract chip maker Chartered Semiconductor rose seven cents to 1.01, Creative Technology dropped 30 cents to 22.20 and electronics contract firm Venture Corp was 10 cents higher at 15.70.
Banking stocks closed mixed, with Oversea-China Banking Corp up 10 cents to 13.70, while DBS and United Overseas Bank were flat at 15.80 and 13.90 respectively.