diff --git a/packages/studio/src/hooks/gsapValueAtPlayhead.browser.test.ts b/packages/studio/src/hooks/gsapValueAtPlayhead.browser.test.ts
index af78829106..03d6f892cd 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/hooks/gsapValueAtPlayhead.browser.test.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/hooks/gsapValueAtPlayhead.browser.test.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,14 @@
 // @vitest-environment happy-dom
 // Real Chrome with the built runtime: its seek, not a plain GSAP seek, decides what a saved edit shows.
-import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
-import { createRequire } from "node:module";
 import { gsap } from "gsap";
 import { parseGsapScriptAcorn } from "@hyperframes/parsers/gsap-parser-acorn";
 import { replaceTweenWithKeyframesInScript } from "@hyperframes/parsers/gsap-writer-acorn";
-import puppeteer from "puppeteer-core";
 import { expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { findSystemChrome } from "../../vite.browser";
+import { launchTestChrome, showWithRuntime } from "../../tests/chromeTestUtils";
 import type { DomEditSelection } from "../components/editor/domEditingTypes";
 import { usePlayerStore } from "../player/store/playerStore";
 import { planValueEdit } from "./gsapValueAtPlayhead";
 
-const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 vi.setConfig({ testTimeout: 60_000 });
 
 const SRC = `var tl = gsap.timeline({ paused: true });
@@ -49,25 +45,10 @@ const page = (script: string) => `<!doctype html><html><body>
 
 it("a drag on a fromTo's start shows the dropped x there once the runtime seeks", async () => {
   const written = writeDrag(90, 2);
-  const executablePath = findSystemChrome();
-  if (!executablePath) throw new Error("no Chrome found: set HYPERFRAMES_BROWSER_PATH");
-  const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
-    executablePath,
-    headless: true,
-    args: ["--no-sandbox"],
-  });
+  const browser = await launchTestChrome();
   try {
     const tab = await browser.newPage();
-    await tab.setRequestInterception(true);
-    // Only the GSAP script is served; anything else is refused, never fetched.
-    tab.on("request", (request) =>
-      request.url().endsWith("/gsap.min.js")
-        ? request.respond({ body: readFileSync(require.resolve("gsap/dist/gsap.min.js"), "utf8") })
-        : request.abort("blockedbyclient"),
-    );
-    await tab.setContent(page(written), { waitUntil: "load" });
-    await tab.evaluate(readFileSync(require.resolve("@hyperframes/core/runtime"), "utf8"));
-    await tab.waitForFunction(() => "__player" in window);
+    await showWithRuntime(tab, page(written));
     const shown = await tab.evaluate(() => {
       const w = window as unknown as {
         __player: { seek(t: number): void };
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/utils/gsapUndoRestore.browser.test.ts b/packages/studio/src/utils/gsapUndoRestore.browser.test.ts
index a3d20a2a0f..2a9305256a 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/utils/gsapUndoRestore.browser.test.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/utils/gsapUndoRestore.browser.test.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
 // Real Chrome: the box GSAP and a stylesheet translate produce together is what no DOM emulation computes.
 import { mkdtempSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
-import { createRequire } from "node:module";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
-import puppeteer, { type Browser } from "puppeteer-core";
+import type { Browser } from "puppeteer-core";
 import { build, type Plugin } from "esbuild";
 import { afterAll, beforeAll, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { findSystemChrome } from "../../vite.browser";
+import { launchTestChrome, showWithRuntime } from "../../tests/chromeTestUtils";
 import { writeFixture } from "../../tests/e2e/edit-accuracy/grid.mjs";
 
-const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 const CROP = "inset(0px 40px 0px 0px)";
 // Real Chrome on a loaded Windows runner exceeds Vitest's 5s test and 10s hook defaults.
 vi.setConfig({ testTimeout: 60_000, hookTimeout: 60_000 });
@@ -44,9 +42,7 @@ async function bundle(file: string, name: string): Promise<string> {
 }
 
 beforeAll(async () => {
-  const executablePath = findSystemChrome();
-  if (!executablePath) throw new Error("no Chrome found: set HYPERFRAMES_BROWSER_PATH");
-  browser = await puppeteer.launch({ executablePath, headless: true, args: ["--no-sandbox"] });
+  browser = await launchTestChrome();
   undoBundle = await bundle("./gsapUndoRestore.ts", "hfUndo");
   softReloadBundle = await bundle("./gsapSoftReload.ts", "hfSoftReload");
 });
@@ -62,16 +58,7 @@ async function openCase(spec: Spec, moduleBundle: string) {
   const restored = readFileSync(join(dir, "index.html"), "utf8");
   const page = await browser.newPage();
   await page.setViewport({ width: 1920, height: 1080 });
-  await page.setRequestInterception(true);
-  // Only the fixture's GSAP CDN script is served; anything else is refused, never fetched.
-  page.on("request", (request) =>
-    request.url().endsWith("/gsap.min.js")
-      ? request.respond({ body: readFileSync(require.resolve("gsap/dist/gsap.min.js"), "utf8") })
-      : request.abort("blockedbyclient"),
-  );
-  await page.setContent(restored, { waitUntil: "load" });
-  await page.evaluate(readFileSync(require.resolve("@hyperframes/core/runtime"), "utf8"));
-  await page.waitForFunction(() => "__player" in window);
+  await showWithRuntime(page, restored);
   await page.evaluate(moduleBundle);
   await page.evaluate(
     (time) => (window as unknown as { __player: { seek(t: number): void } }).__player.seek(time),
diff --git a/packages/studio/tests/chromeTestUtils.ts b/packages/studio/tests/chromeTestUtils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..93b1ff541c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/studio/tests/chromeTestUtils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { createRequire } from "node:module";
+import puppeteer, { type Browser, type Page } from "puppeteer-core";
+import { findSystemChrome } from "../vite.browser";
+
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+
+/** Headless Chrome with the e2e launcher's flags; the test's own timeout bounds the launch. */
+export async function launchTestChrome(): Promise<Browser> {
+  const executablePath = findSystemChrome();
+  if (!executablePath) throw new Error("no Chrome found: set HYPERFRAMES_BROWSER_PATH");
+  return puppeteer.launch({
+    executablePath,
+    headless: true,
+    args: ["--no-sandbox", "--disable-dev-shm-usage", "--disable-gpu"],
+    timeout: 0,
+  });
+}
+
+/** Shows `html` with the HyperFrames runtime; only its GSAP CDN script is served, nothing is fetched. */
+export async function showWithRuntime(page: Page, html: string): Promise<void> {
+  await page.setRequestInterception(true);
+  page.on("request", (request) =>
+    request.url().endsWith("/gsap.min.js")
+      ? request.respond({ body: readFileSync(require.resolve("gsap/dist/gsap.min.js"), "utf8") })
+      : request.abort("blockedbyclient"),
+  );
+  await page.setContent(html, { waitUntil: "load" });
+  await page.evaluate(readFileSync(require.resolve("@hyperframes/core/runtime"), "utf8"));
+  await page.waitForFunction(() => "__player" in window);
+}