diff --git a/gitnexus-web/e2e/repo-switching.spec.ts b/gitnexus-web/e2e/repo-switching.spec.ts
index 22eefd4a9..4cf6bf8c8 100644
--- a/gitnexus-web/e2e/repo-switching.spec.ts
+++ b/gitnexus-web/e2e/repo-switching.spec.ts
@@ -1,162 +1,133 @@
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 
 /**
- * E2E tests for the repo-switching and false-404 fixes introduced in
- * fix: resolve false 404s and stale repo context during multi-repo switching on Windows
+ * E2E tests for the repo-switching and false-404 fixes.
  *
- * All tests use Playwright route interception — no live gitnexus server required.
- *
- * Covers:
- *   1. Hold-queue: /api/repo returns 503 → UI shows descriptive timeout message
- *   2. ?project= URL persistence: handleServerConnect sets ?project= after connect
- *   3. ?project= auto-connect: navigating to /?project=<name> auto-connects
- *   4. Windows path normalization: repoPath with backslashes → correct project name
- *   5. Repo-switch preserves URL ?project= on every switch
+ * Most tests use the live backend (same pattern as multi-repo-scoping.spec.ts).
+ * The 503 hold-queue test uses route interception to simulate a slow analysis.
  */
 
-const BACKEND_URL = 'http://localhost:4747';
+const BACKEND_URL = process.env.BACKEND_URL ?? 'http://localhost:4747';
+const FRONTEND_URL = process.env.FRONTEND_URL ?? 'http://localhost:5173';
 
-/** Minimal mock set for a server with one indexed repo named `repoName`. */
-async function mockServerWithRepo(
-  page: import('@playwright/test').Page,
-  repoName: string,
-  repoPath = `/tmp/${repoName}`,
-) {
-  await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/heartbeat`, (route) =>
-    route.fulfill({
-      status: 200,
-      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'text/event-stream', 'Cache-Control': 'no-cache' },
-      body: ':ok\n\n',
-    }),
-  );
-  await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/info`, (route) =>
-    route.fulfill({ json: { version: '1.0.0', launchContext: 'npx', nodeVersion: 'v22.0.0' } }),
-  );
-  await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/repos`, (route) =>
-    route.fulfill({ json: [{ name: repoName, path: repoPath }] }),
-  );
-  await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/repo**`, (route) =>
-    route.fulfill({ json: { name: repoName, path: repoPath, repoPath } }),
-  );
-  await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/graph**`, (route) =>
-    route.fulfill({ json: { nodes: [], relationships: [] } }),
-  );
-  await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/embeddings**`, (route) => route.fulfill({ status: 200 }));
-}
+let firstRepoName: string;
+
+test.beforeAll(async () => {
+  if (process.env.E2E) {
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/repos`);
+      const repos = await res.json();
+      firstRepoName = repos[0]?.name ?? '';
+    } catch {
+      firstRepoName = '';
+    }
+    return;
+  }
+  try {
+    const [backendRes, frontendRes] = await Promise.allSettled([
+      fetch(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/repos`),
+      fetch(FRONTEND_URL),
+    ]);
+    if (
+      backendRes.status === 'rejected' ||
+      (backendRes.status === 'fulfilled' && !backendRes.value.ok)
+    ) {
+      test.skip(true, 'gitnexus serve not available');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (
+      frontendRes.status === 'rejected' ||
+      (frontendRes.status === 'fulfilled' && !frontendRes.value.ok)
+    ) {
+      test.skip(true, 'Vite dev server not available');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (backendRes.status === 'fulfilled') {
+      const repos = await backendRes.value.json();
+      if (!repos.length) {
+        test.skip(true, 'No indexed repos');
+        return;
+      }
+      firstRepoName = repos[0].name;
+    }
+  } catch {
+    test.skip(true, 'servers not available');
+  }
+});
 
 // ── 1. Hold-queue: 503 → descriptive user message ────────────────────────────
 
 test.describe('Hold-queue timeout error', () => {
   test('shows descriptive message when /api/repo returns 503', async ({ page }, testInfo) => {
-    const repoName = 'flash-pkg';
-
-    // Server is up — heartbeat, info, repos all respond normally
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/heartbeat`, (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({
-        status: 200,
-        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'text/event-stream', 'Cache-Control': 'no-cache' },
-        body: ':ok\n\n',
-      }),
-    );
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/info`, (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({ json: { version: '1.0.0', launchContext: 'npx', nodeVersion: 'v22.0.0' } }),
-    );
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/repos`, (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({ json: [{ name: repoName, path: `/tmp/${repoName}` }] }),
-    );
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/graph**`, (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({ json: { nodes: [], relationships: [] } }),
-    );
-
-    // /api/repo returns 503 (hold-queue timed out — analysis taking too long)
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/repo**`, (route) =>
+    // Intercept only /api/repo (singular) — not /api/repos — to return a 503
+    // regex: /api/repo followed by end, ?, or # — NOT /api/repos
+    await page.route(/\/api\/repo(?!s)(\?.*)?$/, (route) =>
       route.fulfill({
         status: 503,
-        json: {
-          error: `Repository analysis for "${repoName}" is taking longer than expected. Please try again in a moment.`,
-        },
+        contentType: 'application/json',
+        body: JSON.stringify({
+          error: `Repository analysis for "${firstRepoName}" is taking longer than expected. Please try again in a moment.`,
+        }),
       }),
     );
 
     await page.goto(`/?server=${encodeURIComponent(BACKEND_URL)}`);
 
-    // The UI should show the 503 error message, not a generic "404" or blank screen
-    await expect(page.getByText(/taking longer than expected/i)).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+    // UI should show the 503 error message
+    await expect(page.getByText(/taking longer than expected/i)).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 20_000,
+    });
 
     await page.screenshot({ path: testInfo.outputPath('hold-queue-503.png') });
   });
 });
 
-// ── 2. ?project= URL set after connect ───────────────────────────────────────
+// ── 2. ?project= URL persistence ─────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 test.describe('?project= URL persistence', () => {
-  test('?project= is added to URL after connecting via landing card', async ({ page }) => {
-    const repoName = 'flash-pkg';
-    await mockServerWithRepo(page, repoName);
-
-    await page.goto('/');
-
-    // Click the landing card to connect
-    const landingCard = page.locator('[data-testid="landing-repo-card"]').first();
-    try {
-      await landingCard.waitFor({ state: 'visible', timeout: 15_000 });
-      await landingCard.click();
-    } catch {
-      // may auto-connect
-    }
+  test('?project= is set in URL after connecting via ?server=', async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.goto(`/?server=${encodeURIComponent(BACKEND_URL)}`);
 
     await expect(page.locator('[data-testid="status-ready"]')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
 
-    // URL should contain ?project= with the connected repo name
     const url = new URL(page.url());
     const project = url.searchParams.get('project');
     expect(project).toBeTruthy();
-    expect(project).toBe(repoName);
+    // first repo returned by the live backend
+    if (firstRepoName) expect(project).toBe(firstRepoName);
   });
 
-  test('?project= persists after F5 reload', async ({ page }) => {
-    const repoName = 'flash-pkg';
-    await mockServerWithRepo(page, repoName);
-
-    await page.goto('/');
-
-    const landingCard = page.locator('[data-testid="landing-repo-card"]').first();
-    try {
-      await landingCard.waitFor({ state: 'visible', timeout: 15_000 });
-      await landingCard.click();
-    } catch {
-      // may auto-connect
-    }
-
+  test('?project= is still present after F5 reload', async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.goto(`/?server=${encodeURIComponent(BACKEND_URL)}`);
     await expect(page.locator('[data-testid="status-ready"]')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
 
-    // Reload — ?project= should remain in URL and display correctly
+    // After connect, URL has ?server=&project= — F5 re-uses both params
     await page.reload();
+    await expect(page.locator('[data-testid="status-ready"]')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
 
-    // After F5, the app uses ?project= to reconnect — should reach exploring view again
     const url = new URL(page.url());
-    const project = url.searchParams.get('project');
-    expect(project).toBe(repoName);
+    expect(url.searchParams.get('project')).toBeTruthy();
   });
 });
 
-// ── 3. ?project= auto-connect ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ── 3. ?project= + ?server= combined auto-connect ────────────────────────────
 
 test.describe('?project= auto-connect', () => {
-  test('navigating to /?project=<name> auto-connects without onboarding', async ({
+  test('navigating with ?server=&project= connects to the correct repo', async ({
     page,
   }, testInfo) => {
-    const repoName = 'flash-pkg';
-    await mockServerWithRepo(page, repoName);
+    if (!firstRepoName) test.skip(true, 'no repo name available');
 
-    // Navigate directly with ?project= (the bookmarked URL)
-    await page.goto(`/?project=${encodeURIComponent(repoName)}`);
+    await page.goto(
+      `/?server=${encodeURIComponent(BACKEND_URL)}&project=${encodeURIComponent(firstRepoName)}`,
+    );
 
-    // Should skip onboarding and reach exploring view
     await expect(page.locator('[data-testid="status-ready"]')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
 
-    // Onboarding should NOT be visible
-    await expect(page.getByText('Start your local server')).not.toBeVisible();
+    // ?project= in URL should match what we passed in
+    const url = new URL(page.url());
+    expect(url.searchParams.get('project')).toBe(firstRepoName);
+
     await page.screenshot({ path: testInfo.outputPath('project-param-connect.png') });
   });
 });
@@ -164,54 +135,34 @@ test.describe('?project= auto-connect', () => {
 // ── 4. Windows path normalization ─────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 test.describe('Windows path normalization', () => {
-  test('project name uses basename when repoPath contains Windows backslashes', async ({
+  test('project name uses basename when /api/repo returns a Windows-style repoPath', async ({
     page,
   }) => {
-    const repoName = 'my-repo';
+    const repoName = firstRepoName || 'test-repo';
     const windowsPath = `C:\\Users\\LENOVO\\.gitnexus\\repos\\${repoName}`;
 
-    // Mock server returns a Windows-style path in repoPath
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/heartbeat`, (route) =>
+    // Mock /api/repo to return a Windows backslash path while keeping name correct
+    await page.route(/\/api\/repo(?!s)(\?.*)?$/, (route) =>
       route.fulfill({
-        status: 200,
-        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'text/event-stream', 'Cache-Control': 'no-cache' },
-        body: ':ok\n\n',
+        contentType: 'application/json',
+        body: JSON.stringify({
+          // intentionally omit `name` to force path-based extraction
+          path: windowsPath,
+          repoPath: windowsPath,
+        }),
       }),
     );
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/info`, (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({ json: { version: '1.0.0', launchContext: 'npx', nodeVersion: 'v22.0.0' } }),
-    );
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/repos`, (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({ json: [{ name: repoName, path: windowsPath }] }),
-    );
-    // Intentionally omit `name` in /api/repo to force path-based extraction
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/repo**`, (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({
-        json: { name: repoName, path: windowsPath, repoPath: windowsPath },
-      }),
-    );
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/graph**`, (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({ json: { nodes: [], relationships: [] } }),
-    );
-    await page.route(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/embeddings**`, (route) => route.fulfill({ status: 200 }));
 
-    await page.goto('/');
-
-    const landingCard = page.locator('[data-testid="landing-repo-card"]').first();
-    try {
-      await landingCard.waitFor({ state: 'visible', timeout: 15_000 });
-      await landingCard.click();
-    } catch {
-      // may auto-connect
-    }
+    await page.goto(`/?server=${encodeURIComponent(BACKEND_URL)}`);
 
     await expect(page.locator('[data-testid="status-ready"]')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
 
-    // URL ?project= should contain the short name, NOT the full Windows path
+    // URL ?project= must be the short basename, NOT the full Windows path
     const url = new URL(page.url());
     const project = url.searchParams.get('project');
-    expect(project).toBe(repoName);
+    expect(project).toBeTruthy();
     expect(project).not.toContain('\\');
     expect(project).not.toContain('LENOVO');
+    expect(project).toBe(repoName);
   });
 });