diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding-avatar-skip.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding-avatar-skip.spec.ts
index 1aad4ea2de..38870199cf 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding-avatar-skip.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding-avatar-skip.spec.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test";
 
 import { installMockBridge, TEST_IDENTITIES } from "../helpers/bridge";
 import { waitForAnimations } from "../helpers/animations";
+import { expectEmojiMartStylesInstalled } from "../helpers/css";
 import { seedActiveIdentity } from "../helpers/onboarding";
 
 const BLANK_TYLER_IDENTITY = {
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ test("avatar step shares the profile emoji picker controls", async ({
 
   const picker = page.locator("em-emoji-picker");
   await expect(picker.locator("input[type='search']")).toBeVisible();
+  await expectEmojiMartStylesInstalled(picker);
   await expect(page.getByTestId("onboarding-avatar-emoji-picker")).toHaveCSS(
     "height",
     "384px",
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/profile.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/profile.spec.ts
index 25764c8e97..c5175516cd 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/profile.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/profile.spec.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   installMockBridge,
   TEST_IDENTITIES,
 } from "../helpers/bridge";
+import { expectEmojiMartStylesInstalled } from "../helpers/css";
 import { openProfileMenu, openSettings } from "../helpers/settings";
 
 async function expectHomeView(page: import("@playwright/test").Page) {
@@ -597,6 +598,7 @@ test("offers emoji search and skin-tone controls for profile avatars", async ({
   const picker = page.locator("em-emoji-picker");
   const searchInput = picker.locator("input[type='search']");
   await expect(searchInput).toBeVisible();
+  await expectEmojiMartStylesInstalled(picker);
   await expect(page.getByTestId("profile-avatar-emoji-picker")).toHaveCSS(
     "height",
     "384px",
diff --git a/desktop/tests/helpers/css.ts b/desktop/tests/helpers/css.ts
index 0985fb7887..31b0ac036b 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/helpers/css.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/helpers/css.ts
@@ -99,3 +99,23 @@ export async function expectSmoothCorners(
     )
     .toBe(true);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Waits for the Buzz emoji-picker overrides to be present in the Emoji Mart
+ * shadow root.
+ *
+ * The stylesheet is appended from a `requestAnimationFrame` loop that starts
+ * only once the `em-emoji-picker` custom element has attached its shadow root,
+ * so it can land a frame or more after the search input becomes visible. Any
+ * assertion on an overridden property (control heights, resting background)
+ * must wait for this, otherwise it can read Emoji Mart's un-overridden defaults.
+ */
+export async function expectEmojiMartStylesInstalled(picker: Locator) {
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () =>
+      picker.evaluate((element) =>
+        Boolean(element.shadowRoot?.querySelector("#buzz-emoji-mart-style")),
+      ),
+    )
+    .toBe(true);
+}