diff --git a/apps/desktop/e2e/fix-electron-tracing.ts b/apps/desktop/e2e/fix-electron-tracing.ts
index a59825e98444..1c2a9825dad5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/e2e/fix-electron-tracing.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/e2e/fix-electron-tracing.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@
  *     so the test runner's willStartTest doesn't throw "already started".
  *
  * Imported from playwright.config.ts so it runs before any test.
+ *
+ * Pinned dependency: this file reaches into Playwright internals (_playwright,
+ * _allContexts, _context) that have no public contract. @playwright/test is
+ * pinned exact (=1.58.2 in package.json) so a bump can't silently break the
+ * monkeypatch. When bumping, re-verify these private symbols still exist on
+ * the Electron / PlaywrightInternal classes and that tracing still merges.
  */
 
 import { _electron as electron, type BrowserContext } from '@playwright/test'
@@ -31,13 +37,13 @@ const originalLaunch = electron.launch.bind(electron)
 
 electron.launch = async (options: any) => {
   const app = await originalLaunch(options)
-  const ctx = app._context as BrowserContext
+  const ctx = (app as any)._context as BrowserContext
   electronContexts.add(ctx)
   ctx.once('close', () => electronContexts.delete(ctx))
 
   // Patch _allContexts so the test runner sees the electron context
   // (didFinishTest cleanup → _stopTracing → stopChunk → merge into trace.zip).
-  const pw = electron._playwright as any
+  const pw = (electron as any)._playwright as any
   if (pw && !pw.__electronTracingPatched) {
     pw.__electronTracingPatched = true
     const original = pw._allContexts.bind(pw)
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/main.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/main.ts
index fb60adbf1bf9..b24decc00815 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/main.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/main.ts
@@ -7622,9 +7622,9 @@ function createWindow() {
   // Under Playright testing, instantly show the window.
   // `ready-to-show` doesn't fire in some testing envs.
   if (process.env.TEST_WORKER_INDEX !== undefined) {
-      if (mainWindow && !mainWindow.isDestroyed() && !mainWindow.isVisible()) {
-        mainWindow.show()
-      }
+    if (mainWindow && !mainWindow.isDestroyed() && !mainWindow.isVisible()) {
+      mainWindow.show()
+    }
   }
 
   mainWindow.on('will-enter-full-screen', () => sendWindowStateChanged(true))
diff --git a/apps/desktop/package.json b/apps/desktop/package.json
index b6fc344cd80e..743269c10476 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/package.json
+++ b/apps/desktop/package.json
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
     "test:desktop:nsis": "node scripts/test-desktop.mjs nsis",
     "test:desktop:existing": "node scripts/test-desktop.mjs existing",
     "test:desktop:fresh": "node scripts/test-desktop.mjs fresh",
-    "typecheck": "tsc -p . --noEmit && tsc -p tsconfig.electron.json --noEmit",
+    "typecheck": "tsc -p . --noEmit && tsc -p tsconfig.electron.json --noEmit && tsc -p tsconfig.e2e.json --noEmit",
     "lint": "eslint src/ electron/",
     "lint:fix": "eslint src/ electron/ --fix",
     "fmt": "prettier --write 'src/**/*.{ts,tsx}' 'electron/**/*.ts' 'vite.config.ts'",
diff --git a/apps/desktop/playwright.config.ts b/apps/desktop/playwright.config.ts
index 9a661e5fadd0..dc06c59fe786 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/playwright.config.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@ export default defineConfig({
     // overlay, DecodeText). Without this, screenshots capture the loading bar
     // or overlay at a transient opacity because the text-content check fires
     // before the visual transition finishes.
-    reducedMotion: 'reduce',
+    contextOptions: {
+      reducedMotion: 'reduce',
+    },
   },
   expect: {
     toHaveScreenshot: {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/gateway-connecting-overlay.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/gateway-connecting-overlay.tsx
index d2050f11fed4..0268755d5632 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/gateway-connecting-overlay.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/gateway-connecting-overlay.tsx
@@ -83,29 +83,17 @@ export function GatewayConnectingOverlay() {
       return
     }
 
-    if(reduce) {
-      // Under reduced motion, skip straight to gone — no text-out, no hold,
-      // no overlay fade. The overlay unmounts immediately.
-      setPhase('gone')
-    }
-
-      if (previewing) {
-        // Under reduced motion, skip straight to gone — no text-out, no hold,
-        // no overlay fade. The overlay unmounts immediately.
-        if(reduce) {
-          setPhase('gone')
-
-          return
-        }
-
+    if (previewing) {
       const id = window.setTimeout(() => setPhase('text-out'), PREVIEW_CONNECT_MS)
 
       return () => window.clearTimeout(id)
     }
 
     if (gatewayState === 'open' && shownRef.current) {
-      // Under reduced motion, skip straight to gone — no text-out, no hold,
-      // no overlay fade. The overlay unmounts immediately.
+      // Under reduced motion, skip the multi-phase exit choreography
+      // (text-out → hold → overlay fade) and jump straight to gone so the
+      // overlay unmounts the instant the gateway opens. E2E screenshots
+      // rely on this to avoid catching the overlay mid-fade.
       setPhase(reduce ? 'gone' : 'text-out')
     }
   }, [phase, previewing, gatewayState, reduce])
diff --git a/apps/desktop/tsconfig.e2e.json b/apps/desktop/tsconfig.e2e.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e0beb8961941
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/tsconfig.e2e.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "extends": "./tsconfig.json",
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "types": ["node", "@playwright/test"],
+    "composite": true
+  },
+  "include": ["e2e", "playwright.config.ts"],
+  "exclude": ["src", "electron"]
+}