diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
index 8d154627..119e76e8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
       - run: pnpm build
-      - run: npx playwright install --with-deps chromium
+      - run: google-chrome --version
 
       - name: Run e2e tests
+        env:
+          PAPERCLIP_PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL: "chrome"
         run: pnpm run test:e2e
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index fa081796..8ed50ba1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -273,8 +273,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
 
-      - name: Install Playwright
-        run: npx playwright install --with-deps chromium
+      - name: Verify runner Chrome
+        # GitHub's Ubuntu runner image already ships Google Chrome, so use that
+        # directly for the headless e2e lane instead of downloading Playwright
+        # browser bundles inside the 30 minute job budget.
+        run: google-chrome --version
 
       - name: Generate Paperclip config
         run: |
@@ -294,6 +297,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run e2e tests
         env:
           PAPERCLIP_E2E_SKIP_LLM: "true"
+          PAPERCLIP_PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL: "chrome"
         run: pnpm run test:e2e
 
       - name: Upload Playwright report
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-smoke.yml b/.github/workflows/release-smoke.yml
index 823a578c..8ab96aeb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-smoke.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-smoke.yml
@@ -58,8 +58,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: pnpm install --no-frozen-lockfile
 
-      - name: Install Playwright browser
-        run: npx playwright install --with-deps chromium
+      - name: Verify runner Chrome
+        # Release smoke also runs headless on GitHub's Ubuntu image, so use the
+        # runner's preinstalled Chrome instead of a Playwright browser download.
+        run: google-chrome --version
 
       - name: Launch Docker smoke harness
         run: |
@@ -89,6 +91,7 @@ jobs:
           PAPERCLIP_RELEASE_SMOKE_BASE_URL: ${{ env.SMOKE_BASE_URL }}
           PAPERCLIP_RELEASE_SMOKE_EMAIL: ${{ env.SMOKE_ADMIN_EMAIL }}
           PAPERCLIP_RELEASE_SMOKE_PASSWORD: ${{ env.SMOKE_ADMIN_PASSWORD }}
+          PAPERCLIP_PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL: "chrome"
         run: pnpm run test:release-smoke
 
       - name: Capture Docker logs
diff --git a/tests/e2e/playwright.config.ts b/tests/e2e/playwright.config.ts
index 4f1c7206..89ad041d 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/playwright.config.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { defineConfig } from "@playwright/test";
 const PORT = Number(process.env.PAPERCLIP_E2E_PORT ?? 3199);
 const BASE_URL = `http://127.0.0.1:${PORT}`;
 const PAPERCLIP_HOME = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "paperclip-e2e-home-"));
+const PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL = process.env.PAPERCLIP_PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL;
 
 export default defineConfig({
   testDir: ".",
@@ -26,7 +27,10 @@ export default defineConfig({
   projects: [
     {
       name: "chromium",
-      use: { browserName: "chromium" },
+      use: {
+        browserName: "chromium",
+        ...(PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL ? { channel: PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL } : {}),
+      },
     },
   ],
   // The webServer directive bootstraps a throwaway instance and then starts it.
diff --git a/tests/release-smoke/playwright.config.ts b/tests/release-smoke/playwright.config.ts
index 76e278f9..fbdc9ffd 100644
--- a/tests/release-smoke/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/tests/release-smoke/playwright.config.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { defineConfig } from "@playwright/test";
 
 const BASE_URL =
   process.env.PAPERCLIP_RELEASE_SMOKE_BASE_URL ?? "http://127.0.0.1:3232";
+const PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL = process.env.PAPERCLIP_PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL;
 
 export default defineConfig({
   testDir: ".",
@@ -20,7 +21,10 @@ export default defineConfig({
   projects: [
     {
       name: "chromium",
-      use: { browserName: "chromium" },
+      use: {
+        browserName: "chromium",
+        ...(PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL ? { channel: PLAYWRIGHT_CHANNEL } : {}),
+      },
     },
   ],
   outputDir: "./test-results",