diff --git a/apps/web-e2e/src/stalker-category-search.fixture.ts b/apps/web-e2e/src/stalker-category-search.fixture.ts
index 8b08548ba..166380797 100644
--- a/apps/web-e2e/src/stalker-category-search.fixture.ts
+++ b/apps/web-e2e/src/stalker-category-search.fixture.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ export async function verifyStalkerCategorySearch(page: Page): Promise<void> {
     const firstNames = await sidebarRows
         .locator('.channel-name')
         .allTextContents();
-    await sidebarRows.first().click();
+    // All Items already started playback earlier in this workflow. Retain that
+    // settled selection; clicking again would introduce a pending replacement.
     const player = page.locator('app-web-player-view');
     await expect(player).toBeVisible();
     const video = player.locator('video').first();
diff --git a/apps/web-e2e/src/stalker.e2e.ts b/apps/web-e2e/src/stalker.e2e.ts
index fa75e188d..2cc2c0609 100644
--- a/apps/web-e2e/src/stalker.e2e.ts
+++ b/apps/web-e2e/src/stalker.e2e.ts
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ test('@stalker ITV full channel list loads via get_all_channels and search cover
 
     await categories.nth(1).click();
 
-    const channels = page.locator('[data-test-id="channel-item"]');
+    const channels = page.locator('#live-channels [data-test-id="channel-item"]');
     await expect(channels.first()).toBeVisible({ timeout: 20_000 });
 
     // Regression for "search only finds the first 14 loaded items": once the
@@ -717,6 +717,7 @@ test('@stalker ITV full channel list loads via get_all_channels and search cover
         timeout: 20_000,
     });
     await expect.poll(() => allChannelsRequests.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const firstCategoryNames = await channels.locator('.channel-name').allTextContents();
 
     // Regression: switching to another category once the full list is cached
     // must serve that category from the cache, not get stuck on an empty
@@ -739,6 +740,10 @@ test('@stalker ITV full channel list loads via get_all_channels and search cover
         timeout: 20_000,
     });
 
+    // Counts are identical across categories; wait for the actual category
+    // rows before choosing a search term, or it may come from the previous one.
+    await expect(channels.locator('.channel-name')).toHaveText(firstCategoryNames);
+
     // Search a channel from deep in the list (beyond the first 14 items).
     const deepChannelName = (
         await channels.nth(30).locator('.channel-name').textContent()