diff --git a/e2e/pages/WorkItemsPage.ts b/e2e/pages/WorkItemsPage.ts
index 331fd846f..fca43460b 100644
--- a/e2e/pages/WorkItemsPage.ts
+++ b/e2e/pages/WorkItemsPage.ts
@@ -152,23 +152,41 @@ export class WorkItemsPage {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Type a search query and wait for the debounced API response.
+   * Type a search query and wait for both the debounced API response and the
+   * DOM to re-render with the filtered results.
+   *
+   * The response listener must be registered BEFORE the fill action to avoid a
+   * race condition where the debounced request resolves before the listener is
+   * attached (especially common on WebKit/tablet where the 300ms debounce can
+   * fire and complete before the next line executes).
+   *
+   * After the network response is received we additionally call waitForLoaded()
+   * to ensure React has flushed the new data into the DOM before callers
+   * attempt to read titles or interact with list items.
    */
   async search(query: string): Promise<void> {
-    await this.searchInput.fill(query);
-    await this.page.waitForResponse(
+    const responsePromise = this.page.waitForResponse(
       (resp) => resp.url().includes('/api/work-items') && resp.status() === 200,
     );
+    await this.searchInput.fill(query);
+    await responsePromise;
+    await this.waitForLoaded();
   }
 
   /**
-   * Clear the search input and wait for the list to update.
+   * Clear the search input and wait for both the API response and the DOM to
+   * update.
+   *
+   * The response listener must be registered BEFORE the clear action for the
+   * same race-condition reason as search().
    */
   async clearSearch(): Promise<void> {
-    await this.searchInput.clear();
-    await this.page.waitForResponse(
+    const responsePromise = this.page.waitForResponse(
       (resp) => resp.url().includes('/api/work-items') && resp.status() === 200,
     );
+    await this.searchInput.clear();
+    await responsePromise;
+    await this.waitForLoaded();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -216,10 +234,21 @@ export class WorkItemsPage {
 
   /**
    * Confirm the deletion in the delete modal.
-   * No explicit timeout — uses project-level actionTimeout (15s for WebKit).
+   *
+   * Waits for both the DELETE API response and the modal to hide. Registering
+   * the response listener before the click prevents a race where the DELETE
+   * completes and the modal closes before the listener is attached (common on
+   * fast Chromium or heavily-loaded CI runners).
    */
   async confirmDelete(): Promise<void> {
+    const deleteResponsePromise = this.page.waitForResponse(
+      (resp) =>
+        resp.url().includes('/api/work-items') &&
+        resp.request().method() === 'DELETE' &&
+        resp.status() === 204,
+    );
     await this.deleteConfirmButton.click();
+    await deleteResponsePromise;
     await this.deleteModal.waitFor({ state: 'hidden' });
   }
 
diff --git a/e2e/tests/proxy/proxy-setup.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/proxy/proxy-setup.spec.ts
index 09b814b09..c9dda21e5 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/proxy/proxy-setup.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/proxy/proxy-setup.spec.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  */
 
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+import type { Page } from '@playwright/test';
 import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';
 import { TEST_ADMIN, API } from '../../fixtures/testData.js';
 
@@ -25,6 +26,44 @@ test.beforeAll(async () => {
   }
 });
 
+/**
+ * Log in through the proxy and wait until the session is established.
+ *
+ * Uses Promise.all to start the API response listener before clicking Submit,
+ * preventing a race where the login response arrives before the listener is
+ * attached (especially relevant through the extra nginx hop). After the API
+ * response confirms success, we wait for the URL to change away from /login
+ * using waitForURL — this is a condition-based wait that is more reliable than
+ * the previous `expect(page).not.toHaveURL` pattern which could time out if
+ * React's router update lagged slightly behind the session establishment.
+ *
+ * @param page - Playwright Page within an unauthenticated context
+ * @param baseUrl - The proxy base URL to use
+ */
+async function loginThroughProxy(page: Page, baseUrl: string) {
+  await page.goto(`${baseUrl}/login`);
+  await page.getByLabel(/email/i).fill(TEST_ADMIN.email);
+  await page.getByLabel(/password/i).fill(TEST_ADMIN.password);
+
+  // Start the response listener BEFORE clicking so we don't miss the response.
+  const [loginResponse] = await Promise.all([
+    page.waitForResponse(
+      (resp) => resp.url().includes('/api/auth/login') && resp.request().method() === 'POST',
+    ),
+    page.getByRole('button', { name: /sign in/i }).click(),
+  ]);
+
+  if (!loginResponse.ok()) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Login through proxy failed: ${loginResponse.status()} ${loginResponse.statusText()}`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  // Wait for the React router to navigate away from /login after session is set.
+  // The proxy adds an extra nginx hop so allow enough time for the redirect chain.
+  await page.waitForURL((url) => !url.pathname.includes('/login'), { timeout: 15000 });
+}
+
 test.describe('Reverse Proxy Setup', { tag: '@responsive' }, () => {
   test('should return healthy status through proxy', async ({ request }) => {
     // Given: A reverse proxy forwarding to the Cornerstone app
@@ -73,16 +112,12 @@ test.describe('Reverse Proxy Setup', { tag: '@responsive' }, () => {
       storageState: { cookies: [], origins: [] },
     });
     const page = await context.newPage();
-    await page.goto(`${proxyBaseUrl}/login`);
 
-    // When: Logging in with valid credentials
-    await page.getByLabel(/email/i).fill(TEST_ADMIN.email);
-    await page.getByLabel(/password/i).fill(TEST_ADMIN.password);
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /sign in/i }).click();
+    // When: Logging in with valid credentials through the proxy
+    await loginThroughProxy(page, proxyBaseUrl);
 
-    // Then: Should redirect away from login page (to dashboard or home)
-    // Proxy login goes through an extra nginx hop — give it more time than the default 5s
-    await expect(page).not.toHaveURL(/\/login/, { timeout: 15000 });
+    // Then: Should have redirected away from login page (to dashboard or home)
+    expect(page.url()).not.toMatch(/\/login/);
 
     await context.close();
   });
@@ -96,12 +131,8 @@ test.describe('Reverse Proxy Setup', { tag: '@responsive' }, () => {
     });
     const page = await context.newPage();
 
-    // When: Logging in through the proxy
-    await page.goto(`${proxyBaseUrl}/login`);
-    await page.getByLabel(/email/i).fill(TEST_ADMIN.email);
-    await page.getByLabel(/password/i).fill(TEST_ADMIN.password);
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /sign in/i }).click();
-    await expect(page).not.toHaveURL(/\/login/, { timeout: 15000 });
+    // When: Logging in through the proxy (helper waits for session to be established)
+    await loginThroughProxy(page, proxyBaseUrl);
 
     // And: Navigating to a protected route
     await page.goto(`${proxyBaseUrl}/profile`);
@@ -121,12 +152,8 @@ test.describe('Reverse Proxy Setup', { tag: '@responsive' }, () => {
     });
     const page = await context.newPage();
 
-    // Login first
-    await page.goto(`${proxyBaseUrl}/login`);
-    await page.getByLabel(/email/i).fill(TEST_ADMIN.email);
-    await page.getByLabel(/password/i).fill(TEST_ADMIN.password);
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /sign in/i }).click();
-    await expect(page).not.toHaveURL(/\/login/, { timeout: 15000 });
+    // Login first — helper waits for the API response and URL to change
+    await loginThroughProxy(page, proxyBaseUrl);
 
     // When: Logging out through the proxy
     await page.goto(`${proxyBaseUrl}/profile`);
diff --git a/e2e/tests/work-items/work-item-create.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/work-items/work-item-create.spec.ts
index 072079201..b4ebde0d1 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/work-items/work-item-create.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/work-items/work-item-create.spec.ts
@@ -98,12 +98,14 @@ test.describe('Create with title only — happy path (Scenario 3)', { tag: '@res
         createdId = body.workItem?.id ?? body.id ?? null;
 
         // Should redirect to /work-items/:id
-        await page.waitForURL('**/work-items/**', { timeout: 7000 });
+        // Use project-level navigationTimeout (15s for WebKit) — do not hardcode
+        // a timeout that is too short for mobile/tablet WebKit.
+        await page.waitForURL('**/work-items/**');
         expect(page.url()).toMatch(/\/work-items\/[a-z0-9-]+$/);
         expect(page.url()).not.toContain('/work-items/new');
 
-        // Detail page shows the correct title
-        await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { level: 1 })).toHaveText(title, { timeout: 7000 });
+        // Detail page shows the correct title — use project-level expect timeout
+        await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { level: 1 })).toHaveText(title);
       } finally {
         if (createdId) await deleteWorkItemViaApi(page, createdId);
       }
diff --git a/e2e/tests/work-items/work-items-list.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/work-items/work-items-list.spec.ts
index 932a2faaa..3fb96d4ce 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/work-items/work-items-list.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/work-items/work-items-list.spec.ts
@@ -292,11 +292,20 @@ test.describe('Delete modal — confirm (Scenario 6)', { tag: '@responsive' }, (
     const modalText = await workItemsPage.deleteModal.textContent();
     expect(modalText).toContain(title);
 
-    // Confirm deletion
+    // Register the list-refresh response listener before confirming deletion so
+    // we don't miss the GET that fires immediately after the DELETE completes.
+    const listRefreshPromise = page.waitForResponse(
+      (resp) => resp.url().includes('/api/work-items') && resp.status() === 200,
+    );
+
+    // Confirm deletion — confirmDelete() waits for the DELETE API response and
+    // the modal to close.
     await workItemsPage.confirmDelete();
 
-    // Work item no longer in list
-    await workItemsPage.waitForLoaded();
+    // Wait for the list to refresh with the post-delete GET response.
+    await listRefreshPromise;
+
+    // Work item no longer in list (assert on DOM, no need for another waitForLoaded)
     const titlesAfter = await workItemsPage.getWorkItemTitles();
     expect(titlesAfter).not.toContain(title);