diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/helpers/startup-dsl.ts b/packages/app/e2e/helpers/startup-dsl.ts
index 9c84cbf23..31b623216 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/helpers/startup-dsl.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/helpers/startup-dsl.ts
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class StartupAssertions {
   }
 
   async expectsDesktopDaemonStartup(): Promise<this> {
-    await expect(this.page.getByText("Starting local server...", { exact: true })).toBeVisible({
+    await expect(this.page.getByTestId("startup-splash")).toBeVisible({
       timeout: 15_000,
     });
     return this;
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/settings-host-page.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/settings-host-page.spec.ts
index a36491868..79847e719 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/settings-host-page.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/settings-host-page.spec.ts
@@ -129,13 +129,10 @@ test.describe("Settings host page", () => {
     const serverId = getSeededServerId();
 
     // Simulate the Electron desktop bridge so `useIsLocalDaemon` resolves the
-    // seeded host to the local daemon. `manageBuiltInDaemon: false` bypasses
-    // the desktop bootstrap flow so only the sidebar's status query runs.
+    // seeded host to the local daemon. `manageBuiltInDaemon: false` (returned
+    // from get_desktop_settings) bypasses the desktop bootstrap flow so only
+    // the sidebar's status query runs against the seeded test daemon.
     await page.addInitScript((localServerId) => {
-      localStorage.setItem(
-        "@paseo:app-settings",
-        JSON.stringify({ theme: "auto", manageBuiltInDaemon: false, sendBehavior: "interrupt" }),
-      );
       (window as unknown as { paseoDesktop: unknown }).paseoDesktop = {
         platform: "darwin",
         invoke: async (command: string) => {
@@ -152,6 +149,12 @@ test.describe("Settings host page", () => {
               error: null,
             };
           }
+          if (command === "get_desktop_settings") {
+            return {
+              releaseChannel: "stable",
+              daemon: { manageBuiltInDaemon: false, keepRunningAfterQuit: true },
+            };
+          }
           return null;
         },
         getPendingOpenProject: async () => null,
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/startup-splash-screen.tsx b/packages/app/src/screens/startup-splash-screen.tsx
index 5c8b7ba9e..a0ae4402d 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/screens/startup-splash-screen.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/startup-splash-screen.tsx
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ export function StartupSplashScreen({ bootstrapState }: StartupSplashScreenProps
 
   if (!isError) {
     return (
-      <View style={styles.container}>
+      <View testID="startup-splash" style={styles.container}>
         <TitlebarDragRegion />
         <LogoShimmer />
       </View>