diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.test.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.test.ts
index 7c4e5620d7..dd87dd3494 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.test.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.test.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,12 @@ describe("runner E2E catalog", () => {
     expect(breadthHello).toContain(
       "Do not emit any assistant text, acknowledgement, or preamble before calling it",
     );
+
+    const nativeAsk = ask?.buildPrompt("nonce");
+    expect(nativeAsk).toContain("paperclip_finish must be your only tool call");
+    expect(nativeAsk).toContain(
+      "never call report_progress or any other tool before or after it",
+    );
   });
 
   it("uses only declared secret references in generated payloads", () => {
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.ts
index 28c34e99c8..4752beab55 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/catalog.ts
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ export const runnerTasks: readonly RunnerTaskFixture[] = [
         `Your final visible task-thread answer must be exactly this complete marker, including its final suffix: E2E_ASK_12_${nonce}.`,
         "Do not create or modify files, do not create a plan or additional work, and do not expose credentials.",
         "After posting the direct answer, mark this task Done.",
-        `In a native runner, call paperclip_finish exactly once with {reportedWorkDisposition:"done",summary:"E2E_ASK_12_${nonce}",completionClaim:{contractRevision:"1",objectiveSatisfied:true,criteria:[{criterionId:"objective",status:"satisfied",evidenceRefs:[]}],remainingWork:[]},evidence:[],verification:[]}. Wait for that tool call to succeed, then emit exactly E2E_ASK_12_${nonce} as the complete final response. Do not write a user-facing final response before paperclip_finish succeeds, and do not call another tool.`,
+        `In a native runner, call paperclip_finish exactly once with {reportedWorkDisposition:"done",summary:"E2E_ASK_12_${nonce}",completionClaim:{contractRevision:"1",objectiveSatisfied:true,criteria:[{criterionId:"objective",status:"satisfied",evidenceRefs:[]}],remainingWork:[]},evidence:[],verification:[]}. For the entire run, paperclip_finish must be your only tool call: never call report_progress or any other tool before or after it. Wait for that tool call to succeed, then emit exactly E2E_ASK_12_${nonce} as the complete final response. Do not write a user-facing final response before paperclip_finish succeeds.`,
         `In a legacy runner, post exactly E2E_ASK_12_${nonce} as the task comment body and mark the task Done through the public API.`,
       ].join("\n"),
     buildMatchers(nonce, execution) {
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/runner.spec.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/runner.spec.ts
index d85ca19939..298108d0e0 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/runner.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/runner.spec.ts
@@ -1026,7 +1026,11 @@ for (const execution of executions) {
           });
           await page.goto(
             `/${encodeURIComponent(issuePrefix)}/issues/${encodeURIComponent(issue.identifier ?? issue.id)}`,
-            { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" },
+            // A restarted Vite dev server may keep loading its fresh module
+            // graph after the task UI is already usable. Bind navigation only
+            // to the committed canonical route, then let the explicit UI and
+            // API assertions below prove readiness and preserved state.
+            { waitUntil: "commit" },
           );
           await expect(
             page