diff --git a/yarn-project/end-to-end/bootstrap.sh b/yarn-project/end-to-end/bootstrap.sh
index af1bd9a67516..bbb731adaa7f 100755
--- a/yarn-project/end-to-end/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/yarn-project/end-to-end/bootstrap.sh
@@ -249,7 +249,9 @@ function avm_check_circuit {
 # Generates e2e test commands using contract artifacts from a prior release version.
 # Only includes simple (jest-based) tests since compose/docker tests don't use the legacy jest resolver.
 # Excludes prover, block_building, and epochs tests (not relevant for contract artifact compat; epochs
-# tests are known-flaky and provide no additional backwards-compat coverage).
+# tests are known-flaky and provide no additional backwards-compat coverage). Also excludes
+# kernelless_simulation, which asserts on the exact number of nullifiers emitted and breaks whenever
+# contracts add/remove nullifier emissions across versions (unrelated to the compat contract surface).
 function compat_test_cmds {
   local version=${1:?version is required}
   local run_test_script="yarn-project/end-to-end/scripts/run_test.sh"
@@ -259,7 +261,7 @@ function compat_test_cmds {
   local tests=(
     src/e2e_!(prover|block_building|epochs)/*.test.ts
     src/e2e_p2p/reqresp/*.test.ts
-    src/e2e_!(block_building|prover_*).test.ts
+    src/e2e_!(block_building|prover_*|kernelless_simulation).test.ts
   )
   for test in "${tests[@]}"; do
     local name=${test#*e2e_}