diff --git a/crates/buzz-relay/tests/boot_lifecycle.rs b/crates/buzz-relay/tests/boot_lifecycle.rs
index 5d7dd2491f4..d907d4f1785 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-relay/tests/boot_lifecycle.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-relay/tests/boot_lifecycle.rs
@@ -821,6 +821,12 @@ mod postgres_tests {
     /// last, after the cache already serves the report: observing it proves the
     /// whole cycle ran, with no window where the counters have landed but the
     /// timestamp has not.
+    ///
+    /// The scrape that first shows the gauge can't be asserted on: the exporter
+    /// renders counters, then gauges, then histograms, so a render overlapping
+    /// that first sample holds the gauge without the counters. A render that
+    /// starts after the gauge was seen holds everything `sample` wrote before
+    /// it, so the assertions read a second scrape.
     #[test]
     #[ignore = "requires PostgreSQL"]
     fn startup_owns_the_dependency_sampler() {
@@ -842,11 +848,9 @@ mod postgres_tests {
             ("REDIS_URL", &redis_url),
             ("BUZZ_GIT_CONFORMANCE_PROBE", "false"),
         ]);
-        let scrape = wait_for_scraped_metric(
-            &mut process,
-            metrics_port,
-            "buzz_readiness_dependency_sample_completed_timestamp_seconds",
-        );
+        let completed = "buzz_readiness_dependency_sample_completed_timestamp_seconds";
+        wait_for_scraped_metric(&mut process, metrics_port, completed);
+        let scrape = wait_for_scraped_metric(&mut process, metrics_port, completed);
         let output = process.terminate();
         let logs = format!(
             "{}{}",
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/thread-head-stale-edit.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/thread-head-stale-edit.spec.ts
index c72ebc78f79..e88c09ce20e 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/thread-head-stale-edit.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/thread-head-stale-edit.spec.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test";
 
 import { installMockBridge, TEST_IDENTITIES } from "../helpers/bridge";
 import { waitForAnimations } from "../helpers/animations";
+import { openGeneral, pressRowAction } from "../helpers/channelHeadReady";
 
 // Regression coverage for the reported bug: the top-level timeline shows the
 // EDITED message body, but opening its thread panel shows the STALE, un-edited
@@ -59,7 +60,9 @@ test("thread head reflects the channel-window edit even before thread aux loads"
   // provably cannot land until we release it after asserting the head.
   await installMockBridge(page, { deferThreadReplies: true });
   await page.goto("/");
-  await page.getByTestId(`channel-${CHANNEL}`).click();
+  // Let the head refresh land and the timeline pin to the bottom before
+  // touching a row.
+  await openGeneral(page);
   await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText(CHANNEL);
   await waitForMockLiveSubscription(page, CHANNEL);
 
@@ -121,8 +124,7 @@ test("thread head reflects the channel-window edit even before thread aux loads"
   );
 
   // 3. Open the thread via the reply action (the flow in the bug report).
-  const replyButton = page.getByTestId(`reply-message-${rootId}`);
-  await replyButton.click({ force: true });
+  await pressRowAction(page.getByTestId(`reply-message-${rootId}`));
   const threadPanel = page.getByTestId("message-thread-panel");
   await expect(threadPanel).toBeVisible();
 
diff --git a/desktop/tests/helpers/channelHeadReady.ts b/desktop/tests/helpers/channelHeadReady.ts
index d24edcb8b49..1c96590228c 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/helpers/channelHeadReady.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/helpers/channelHeadReady.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-import { expect, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+import { expect, type Locator, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+
+/** The seeded #general channel's id in the mock bridge. */
+export const GENERAL_CHANNEL_ID = "9a1657ac-f7aa-5db0-b632-d8bbeb6dfb50";
 
 // These default mock fixtures have immediate EOSE and no injected reconnect.
 // Steady-state pagination begins after live admission and its head refresh,
@@ -73,3 +76,17 @@ export async function waitForMockChannelHeadReady(
     })
     .toBeLessThanOrEqual(2);
 }
+
+// Opening #general refreshes the head after the live subscription lands, and
+// the timeline re-pins while it does. Wait for that before touching a row.
+export async function openGeneral(page: Page) {
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
+  await waitForMockChannelHeadReady(page, "general", GENERAL_CHANNEL_ID);
+}
+
+// Row actions are hover-only, and a moving row slips out from under the
+// pointer. The action bar is also shown on focus-within, so use the keyboard.
+export async function pressRowAction(button: Locator) {
+  await button.focus();
+  await button.press("Enter");
+}