diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
index 2eca76e..e335c90 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
@@ -35,23 +35,45 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup kubectl
         uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v4
 
-      - name: Setup Helm
-        uses: azure/setup-helm@v4
-
-      - name: Add Headlamp Helm repo
-        run: helm repo add headlamp https://kubernetes-sigs.github.io/headlamp/ && helm repo update
-
       - name: Ensure PVC exists
         run: kubectl apply -f deployment/headlamp-plugins-pvc.yaml
 
-      - name: Upgrade Headlamp with shared volume mount
+      - name: Patch Headlamp deployment with shared volume mount
         run: |
-          helm upgrade headlamp headlamp/headlamp \
-            --namespace "$HEADLAMP_NAMESPACE" \
-            --reuse-values \
-            -f deployment/headlamp-e2e-values.yaml \
-            --set config.sessionTTL=1 \
-            --wait --timeout 120s
+          NS="$HEADLAMP_NAMESPACE"
+          DEPLOY="$HEADLAMP_DEPLOY"
+
+          # Add the PVC volume if not already present
+          HAS_VOL=$(kubectl get deploy "$DEPLOY" -n "$NS" \
+            -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.volumes[?(@.name=="plugins")].name}')
+          if [ -z "$HAS_VOL" ]; then
+            kubectl patch deploy "$DEPLOY" -n "$NS" --type=json -p '[
+              {"op":"add","path":"/spec/template/spec/volumes/-","value":{
+                "name":"plugins",
+                "persistentVolumeClaim":{"claimName":"headlamp-plugins"}
+              }}
+            ]'
+          fi
+
+          # Add the volume mount to the first container if not already present
+          HAS_MOUNT=$(kubectl get deploy "$DEPLOY" -n "$NS" \
+            -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].volumeMounts[?(@.name=="plugins")].name}')
+          if [ -z "$HAS_MOUNT" ]; then
+            kubectl patch deploy "$DEPLOY" -n "$NS" --type=json -p '[
+              {"op":"add","path":"/spec/template/spec/containers/0/volumeMounts/-","value":{
+                "name":"plugins",
+                "mountPath":"/headlamp/plugins",
+                "readOnly":true
+              }}
+            ]'
+          fi
+
+          # Set the plugins directory via env var
+          kubectl set env deploy/"$DEPLOY" -n "$NS" \
+            HEADLAMP_CONFIG_PLUGIN_DIR=/headlamp/plugins
+
+          # Wait for rollout
+          kubectl rollout status deploy/"$DEPLOY" -n "$NS" --timeout=120s
 
       - name: Deploy plugin via shared volume
         run: scripts/deploy-plugin-via-volume.sh
diff --git a/deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml b/deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml
index ee1fe3f..40e3bdf 100644
--- a/deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml
+++ b/deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml
@@ -2,37 +2,14 @@
 # RBAC for the GitHub Actions CI runner to perform E2E test setup.
 # CI-only test fixture — NOT for production use.
 #
-# The Headlamp Helm chart manages cluster-scoped resources (ClusterRole,
-# ClusterRoleBinding). The CI runner SA needs cluster-level read/write on
-# these resources for `helm upgrade` to succeed, plus namespace-scoped
-# permissions in kube-system for PVCs, pods, Helm secrets, etc.
+# Grants the ARC runner service account namespace-scoped permissions in
+# kube-system to patch the Headlamp deployment (add shared volume mount),
+# manage PVCs, run temporary pods, and restart deployments.
+#
+# No cluster-scoped permissions needed — the E2E workflow uses kubectl patch
+# instead of helm upgrade, avoiding the need to read ClusterRole/ClusterRoleBinding.
 #
 # Apply with: kubectl apply -f deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml
-
-# --- Cluster-scoped permissions (for Headlamp Helm chart resources) ---
-apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
-kind: ClusterRole
-metadata:
-  name: e2e-ci-runner
-rules:
-  - apiGroups: ["rbac.authorization.k8s.io"]
-    resources: ["clusterroles", "clusterrolebindings"]
-    verbs: ["get", "list", "create", "update", "patch", "delete"]
----
-apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
-kind: ClusterRoleBinding
-metadata:
-  name: e2e-ci-runner-binding
-subjects:
-  - kind: ServiceAccount
-    name: local-ubuntu-latest-gha-rs-no-permission
-    namespace: arc-runners
-roleRef:
-  kind: ClusterRole
-  name: e2e-ci-runner
-  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
----
-# --- Namespace-scoped permissions (kube-system) ---
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 kind: Role
 metadata:
@@ -50,7 +27,10 @@ rules:
     verbs: ["create", "get"]
   - apiGroups: ["apps"]
     resources: ["deployments"]
-    verbs: ["get", "list", "patch"]
+    verbs: ["get", "list", "patch", "watch"]
+  - apiGroups: ["apps"]
+    resources: ["deployments/scale"]
+    verbs: ["patch"]
   - apiGroups: [""]
     resources: ["secrets"]
     verbs: ["get", "list", "create", "update", "patch", "delete"]