diff --git a/js/app/uiCoordinator.js b/js/app/uiCoordinator.js
index 7a0aee58..a124a2c2 100644
--- a/js/app/uiCoordinator.js
+++ b/js/app/uiCoordinator.js
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ export function createUiCoordinator(deps) {
       const logoutButton = this.logoutButton || document.getElementById("logoutButton");
       if (logoutButton) {
         logoutButton.classList.remove("hidden");
+        logoutButton.style.display = "";
       }
 
       const userStatus = this.userStatus || document.getElementById("userStatus");
@@ -106,12 +107,14 @@ export function createUiCoordinator(deps) {
       if (uploadButton) {
         uploadButton.classList.remove("hidden");
         uploadButton.removeAttribute("hidden");
+        uploadButton.style.display = "";
       }
 
       const profileButton = this.profileButton || document.getElementById("profileButton");
       if (profileButton) {
         profileButton.classList.remove("hidden");
         profileButton.removeAttribute("hidden");
+        profileButton.style.display = "";
       }
 
       const subscriptionsLink = this.resolveSubscriptionsLink();
diff --git a/js/testHarness.js b/js/testHarness.js
index 6ad41ffb..51aed925 100644
--- a/js/testHarness.js
+++ b/js/testHarness.js
@@ -284,11 +284,9 @@ export function isTestMode() {
 export function getTestRelayOverrides() {
   if (typeof window === "undefined") return null;
 
-  console.error(`[testHarness] getTestRelayOverrides called. URL: ${window.location.href}`);
   const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
   const paramRelays = params.get("__testRelays__");
   if (paramRelays) {
-    console.error(`[testHarness] Found URL override: ${paramRelays}`);
     return paramRelays
       .split(",")
       .map((r) => r.trim())
@@ -298,15 +296,13 @@ export function getTestRelayOverrides() {
   try {
     const stored = localStorage.getItem("__bitvidTestRelays__");
     if (stored) {
-      console.error(`[testHarness] Found localStorage override: ${stored}`);
       const parsed = JSON.parse(stored);
       if (Array.isArray(parsed)) return parsed;
     }
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error("[testHarness] localStorage read failed:", err);
+  } catch {
+    // Ignore
   }
 
-  console.error("[testHarness] No overrides found.");
   return null;
 }
 
@@ -588,7 +584,8 @@ export function installTestHarness() {
       const defaultEntries = JSON.stringify(this.defaultEntries.map(e => ({ url: e.url, mode: e.mode })));
 
       if (isTest && currentEntries !== defaultEntries) {
-        console.error("[testHarness] Preserving non-default relays in loadRelayList (test mode active)");
+        // We pretend we loaded successfully but found no new events to apply,
+        // so the existing (test) relays remain active.
         return { ok: true, source: "test-override-preserved", events: [] };
       }
 
@@ -603,7 +600,6 @@ export function installTestHarness() {
       if (isTestMode()) {
         const overrides = getTestRelayOverrides();
         if (overrides && overrides.length > 0) {
-          console.error("[testHarness] Patching reset to restore test relays:", overrides);
           this.lastEvent = null;
           this.loadedPubkey = null;
           this.lastLoadSource = "test-override";
diff --git a/tests/e2e/feed-pagination-stress.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/feed-pagination-stress.spec.ts
index e40eb867..3147017f 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/feed-pagination-stress.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/feed-pagination-stress.spec.ts
@@ -297,13 +297,14 @@ test.describe("Feed pagination and stress scenarios", () => {
       const attrs = await page.evaluate(() => {
         const el = document.querySelector("[data-video-card]");
         if (!el) return null;
+        const titleEl = el.querySelector("[data-video-title]");
         return {
-          hasTitle: el.hasAttribute("data-video-title"),
+          hasTitle: !!titleEl,
           hasPubkey: el.hasAttribute("data-video-pubkey"),
           hasDtag: el.hasAttribute("data-video-dtag"),
           hasPlayUrl: el.hasAttribute("data-play-url"),
           hasPlayMagnet: el.hasAttribute("data-play-magnet"),
-          title: el.getAttribute("data-video-title"),
+          title: titleEl ? titleEl.getAttribute("data-video-title") : null,
           pubkey: el.getAttribute("data-video-pubkey"),
           dtag: el.getAttribute("data-video-dtag"),
         };
diff --git a/tests/e2e/helpers/bitvidTestFixture.ts b/tests/e2e/helpers/bitvidTestFixture.ts
index 6057c936..83a99d9e 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/helpers/bitvidTestFixture.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/helpers/bitvidTestFixture.ts
@@ -115,10 +115,14 @@ async function gotoWithTestMode(page: Page, relayUrl: string, path = "/") {
   const testUrl = `${path}${separator}__test__=1&__testRelays__=${encodeURIComponent(relayUrl)}`;
 
   // Set up localStorage before navigation
-  await page.addInitScript(() => {
+  await page.addInitScript((url) => {
     localStorage.setItem("hasSeenDisclaimer", "true");
     localStorage.setItem("__bitvidTestMode__", "1");
-  });
+    // Inject test relays to ensure robust fallback if URL parsing fails
+    localStorage.setItem("__bitvidTestRelays__", JSON.stringify([url]));
+    // Disable whitelist mode to ensure seeded test events are accessible
+    localStorage.setItem("bitvid_admin_whitelist_mode", "false");
+  }, relayUrl);
 
   await page.goto(testUrl);
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/video-playback-scenarios.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/video-playback-scenarios.spec.ts
index 800c3e81..a846d5b7 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/video-playback-scenarios.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/video-playback-scenarios.spec.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ test.describe("Video playback scenarios", () => {
         return (window as any).__bitvidTest__.waitForFeedItems(1, 15000);
       });
 
+      // Wait for the modal element to be present in DOM before clicking
+      // This ensures event listeners (like VideoModalController's body click delegate)
+      // have likely been initialized by the app boot sequence.
+      await page.locator("#playerModal").waitFor({ state: "attached", timeout: 15000 });
+
       // When: user clicks the video card
       const card = page.locator("[data-video-card]").first();
       await expect(card).toBeVisible();
@@ -65,6 +70,9 @@ test.describe("Video playback scenarios", () => {
         return (window as any).__bitvidTest__.waitForFeedItems(1, 15000);
       });
 
+      // Wait for modal presence to ensure app is fully initialized
+      await page.locator("#playerModal").waitFor({ state: "attached", timeout: 15000 });
+
       await page.locator("[data-video-card]").first().click();
 
       const playerModal = page.locator("#playerModal");
@@ -101,6 +109,8 @@ test.describe("Video playback scenarios", () => {
         return (window as any).__bitvidTest__.waitForFeedItems(1, 15000);
       });
 
+      await page.locator("#playerModal").waitFor({ state: "attached", timeout: 15000 });
+
       // When: user opens the video
       await page.locator("[data-video-card]").first().click();
 
@@ -147,6 +157,8 @@ test.describe("Video playback scenarios", () => {
         return (window as any).__bitvidTest__.waitForFeedItems(1, 15000);
       });
 
+      await page.locator("#playerModal").waitFor({ state: "attached", timeout: 15000 });
+
       // When: user opens the video
       await page.locator("[data-video-card]").first().click();
 
@@ -195,32 +207,31 @@ test.describe("Video playback scenarios", () => {
         return (window as any).__bitvidTest__.waitForFeedItems(1, 15000);
       });
 
+      await page.locator("#playerModal").waitFor({ state: "attached", timeout: 15000 });
+
       await page.locator("[data-video-card]").first().click();
 
       const playerModal = page.locator("#playerModal");
       await expect(playerModal).not.toHaveClass(/hidden/, { timeout: 10000 });
 
       // When: user closes the modal
-      // Try various close mechanisms
-      const closeBtn = page.locator(
-        "#playerModal .modal-close, #playerModal [data-close], #playerModal [data-dismiss], #closePlayerModal",
-      );
-      if ((await closeBtn.count()) > 0) {
-        await closeBtn.first().click({ force: true });
+      // Use the standard close button ID which is bound in VideoModal.js
+      const closeBtn = page.locator("#closeModal");
+      await closeBtn.waitFor({ state: "visible", timeout: 5000 });
+      await closeBtn.click();
 
-        // Then: modal is hidden again
-        await page.waitForFunction(
-          () => {
-            const modal = document.querySelector("#playerModal");
-            if (!modal) return true;
-            return (
-              modal.classList.contains("hidden") ||
-              modal.getAttribute("data-open") === "false"
-            );
-          },
-          { timeout: 10000 },
-        );
-      }
+      // Then: modal is hidden again
+      await page.waitForFunction(
+        () => {
+          const modal = document.querySelector("#playerModal");
+          if (!modal) return true;
+          return (
+            modal.classList.contains("hidden") ||
+            modal.getAttribute("data-open") === "false"
+          );
+        },
+        { timeout: 10000 },
+      );
 
       // App state should still be valid
       const state = await page.evaluate(() => {
@@ -249,6 +260,8 @@ test.describe("Video playback scenarios", () => {
         return (window as any).__bitvidTest__.waitForFeedItems(1, 15000);
       });
 
+      await page.locator("#playerModal").waitFor({ state: "attached", timeout: 15000 });
+
       // When: user opens the video
       await page.locator("[data-video-card]").first().click();