diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/workflow-local-controls.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/workflow-local-controls.spec.ts
index 6a8319082c..d897168c88 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/workflow-local-controls.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/workflow-local-controls.spec.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,13 @@ async function addMessageStep(
 ) {
   await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add step", exact: true }).click();
   await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Send Message" }).click();
-  await dialog.getByLabel("Message text").fill("Workflow notification");
+  // "Message text" is also the outgoing trigger pane's condition label while
+  // the inspector exit transition (AnimatePresence mode="wait", 150ms) still
+  // mounts it. Scope to the step textarea id so the fill waits for the
+  // intended step pane instead of racing the outgoing trigger input.
+  await dialog
+    .locator('textarea[id^="wf-step-"][id$="-text"]')
+    .fill("Workflow notification");
 }
 
 async function createEnabled(
@@ -152,7 +158,9 @@ test("inserts template variables with keyboard control and restores the caret",
   await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add step", exact: true }).click();
   await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Send Message" }).click();
 
-  const textarea = dialog.getByLabel("Message text");
+  // Step-scoped (see addMessageStep): the label is ambiguous during the
+  // inspector exit transition.
+  const textarea = dialog.locator('textarea[id^="wf-step-"][id$="-text"]');
   const listbox = page.getByRole("listbox");
   await textarea.fill("Hello {{trig");
   await expect(listbox).toBeVisible();
@@ -286,6 +294,10 @@ test("round-trips and reopens structured message-text conditions", async ({
 
   await dialog.getByRole("tab", { name: "Form" }).click();
   await openTriggerInspector(dialog);
+  // The inspector column enters through a 240ms opacity/width/x animation;
+  // settle it before sampling the operator geometry so each boundingBox is
+  // read from the final layout, not mid-animation positions.
+  await waitForAnimations(page);
   const matchControls = dialog.getByRole("group", { name: "Match" });
   const operatorButtons = matchControls.getByRole("button");
   const firstOperatorBox = await operatorButtons.nth(0).boundingBox();
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/workflows.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/workflows.spec.ts
index 16844a2f3e..dd9fbf41e1 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/workflows.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/workflows.spec.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,13 @@ async function createWorkflow(
 
   await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add step", exact: true }).click();
   await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Send Message" }).click();
-  await dialog.getByLabel("Message text").fill("Workflow notification");
+  // "Message text" is also the outgoing trigger pane's condition label while the
+  // inspector exit transition (AnimatePresence mode="wait", 150ms) still mounts
+  // it. Scope to the step textarea id so the fill waits for the intended step
+  // pane instead of racing the outgoing trigger input.
+  await dialog
+    .locator('textarea[id^="wf-step-"][id$="-text"]')
+    .fill("Workflow notification");
   if (options?.stepName) {
     await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Step details" }).click();
     await dialog.getByLabel("Name (optional)").fill(options.stepName);
@@ -700,7 +706,11 @@ test("captures the built editor at desktop and narrow widths", async ({
   await editWorkflowName(dialog, "editor_screenshot");
   await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add step", exact: true }).click();
   await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Send Message" }).click();
-  await dialog.getByLabel("Message text").fill("Notify the workflow channel");
+  // Step-scoped (see createWorkflow): the label is ambiguous during the
+  // inspector exit transition.
+  await dialog
+    .locator('textarea[id^="wf-step-"][id$="-text"]')
+    .fill("Notify the workflow channel");
   const inspector = dialog.getByTestId("workflow-node-inspector");
 
   for (const viewport of [
@@ -805,7 +815,11 @@ test("pane routes use stable IDs and Form/YAML changes stay synchronized", async
 
   await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add step", exact: true }).click();
   await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Send Message" }).click();
-  await dialog.getByLabel("Message text").fill("first message");
+  // Step-scoped (see createWorkflow): the label is ambiguous during the
+  // inspector exit transition.
+  await dialog
+    .locator('textarea[id^="wf-step-"][id$="-text"]')
+    .fill("first message");
   await expect(page).toHaveURL(/pane=step%3Astep_1/);
 
   await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add after Step 1" }).click();