diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/agent-scroll-submit-firefox.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/agent-scroll-submit-firefox.spec.ts
index 693d6ad78..6129cbfe0 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/agent-scroll-submit-firefox.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/agent-scroll-submit-firefox.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 import { expect, test, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+import {
+  buildCreateAgentPreferences,
+  buildSeededHost,
+} from "./helpers/daemon-registry";
 
 const SERVER_ID =
   process.env.PLAYWRIGHT_REPRO_SERVER_ID ?? "srv_ETXtcjYRGrCI";
@@ -26,33 +30,17 @@ function seedDaemonRegistryScript(params: {
   endpoint: string;
   nowIso: string;
 }) {
-  const daemon = {
+  const daemon = buildSeededHost({
     serverId: params.serverId,
-    label: "localhost",
-    connections: [
-      {
-        id: `direct:${params.endpoint}`,
-        type: "direct",
-        endpoint: params.endpoint,
-      },
-    ],
-    preferredConnectionId: `direct:${params.endpoint}`,
-    createdAt: params.nowIso,
-    updatedAt: params.nowIso,
-  };
+    endpoint: params.endpoint,
+    nowIso: params.nowIso,
+  });
 
   localStorage.setItem("@paseo:e2e", "1");
   localStorage.setItem("@paseo:daemon-registry", JSON.stringify([daemon]));
   localStorage.setItem(
     "@paseo:create-agent-preferences",
-    JSON.stringify({
-      serverId: params.serverId,
-      provider: "codex",
-      providerPreferences: {
-        claude: { model: "haiku" },
-        codex: { model: "gpt-5.1-codex-mini", thinkingOptionId: "low" },
-      },
-    })
+    JSON.stringify(buildCreateAgentPreferences(params.serverId))
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/host-removal.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/host-removal.spec.ts
index baa3bcc7e..31409e271 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/host-removal.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/host-removal.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures';
+import {
+  buildSeededHost,
+} from './helpers/daemon-registry';
 
 test('host removal removes the host from UI and persists after reload', async ({ page }) => {
   const daemonPort = process.env.E2E_DAEMON_PORT;
@@ -14,27 +17,18 @@ test('host removal removes the host from UI and persists after reload', async ({
   const extraEndpoint = `127.0.0.1:${extraPort}`;
   const nowIso = new Date().toISOString();
 
-  const extraDaemon = {
+  const extraDaemon = buildSeededHost({
     serverId: 'srv_e2e_extra_daemon',
+    endpoint: extraEndpoint,
     label: 'extra',
-    connections: [
-      { id: `direct:${extraEndpoint}`, type: 'direct', endpoint: extraEndpoint },
-    ],
-    preferredConnectionId: `direct:${extraEndpoint}`,
-    createdAt: nowIso,
-    updatedAt: nowIso,
-  };
+    nowIso,
+  });
 
-  const seededTestDaemon = {
+  const seededTestDaemon = buildSeededHost({
     serverId: seededServerId,
-    label: 'localhost',
-    connections: [
-      { id: `direct:127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`, type: 'direct', endpoint: `127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}` },
-    ],
-    preferredConnectionId: `direct:127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
-    createdAt: nowIso,
-    updatedAt: nowIso,
-  };
+    endpoint: `127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
+    nowIso,
+  });
 
   const seedOnceKey = `@paseo:e2e-host-removal-seeded:${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2)}`;
 
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/host-selection.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/host-selection.spec.ts
index efc225ea7..ab258f3d5 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/host-selection.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/host-selection.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures';
+import {
+  buildCreateAgentPreferences,
+  buildSeededHost,
+} from './helpers/daemon-registry';
 import { ensureHostSelected, gotoHome } from './helpers/app';
 
 test('new agent auto-selects the previous host', async ({ page }) => {
@@ -25,28 +29,12 @@ test('new agent respects serverId in the URL', async ({ page }) => {
 
   // Ensure this test's storage is deterministic even under parallel load.
   const nowIso = new Date().toISOString();
-  const testDaemon = {
+  const testDaemon = buildSeededHost({
     serverId,
-    label: 'localhost',
-    connections: [
-      {
-        id: `direct:127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
-        type: 'direct',
-        endpoint: `127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
-      },
-    ],
-    preferredConnectionId: `direct:127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
-    createdAt: nowIso,
-    updatedAt: nowIso,
-  };
-  const createAgentPreferences = {
-    serverId: testDaemon.serverId,
-    provider: 'codex',
-    providerPreferences: {
-      claude: { model: 'haiku' },
-      codex: { model: 'gpt-5.1-codex-mini', thinkingOptionId: 'low' },
-    },
-  };
+    endpoint: `127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
+    nowIso,
+  });
+  const createAgentPreferences = buildCreateAgentPreferences(testDaemon.serverId);
 
   await page.goto('/settings');
   await page.evaluate(
@@ -60,7 +48,10 @@ test('new agent respects serverId in the URL', async ({ page }) => {
     { daemon: testDaemon, preferences: createAgentPreferences }
   );
   await page.reload();
-  await expect(page.getByText('New agent', { exact: true }).first()).toBeVisible({ timeout: 20000 });
+  await expect(page.getByText('Settings', { exact: true }).first()).toBeVisible({ timeout: 20000 });
+  await expect(page.locator(`[data-testid="daemon-card-${serverId}"]:visible`).first()).toBeVisible({
+    timeout: 20000,
+  });
 
   await page.goto(`/?serverId=${encodeURIComponent(serverId)}`);
   await expect(page.getByText('New agent', { exact: true }).first()).toBeVisible();
@@ -87,20 +78,11 @@ test('new agent auto-selects first online host when no preference is stored', as
   }
 
   const nowIso = new Date().toISOString();
-  const testDaemon = {
+  const testDaemon = buildSeededHost({
     serverId,
-    label: 'localhost',
-    connections: [
-      {
-        id: `direct:127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
-        type: 'direct',
-        endpoint: `127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
-      },
-    ],
-    preferredConnectionId: `direct:127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
-    createdAt: nowIso,
-    updatedAt: nowIso,
-  };
+    endpoint: `127.0.0.1:${daemonPort}`,
+    nowIso,
+  });
 
   await gotoHome(page);
   await page.evaluate(
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/manual-host-port.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/manual-host-port.spec.ts
index 5f042fd9e..b29b64aaf 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/manual-host-port.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/manual-host-port.spec.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ test('manual host add accepts host:port only and persists a direct connection',
           entry?.serverId === serverId &&
           Array.isArray(entry?.connections) &&
           entry.connections.some(
-            (conn: any) => conn?.type === 'direct' && conn?.endpoint === `127.0.0.1:${port}`
+            (conn: any) => conn?.type === 'directTcp' && conn?.endpoint === `127.0.0.1:${port}`
           )
         );
       } catch {
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/relay-fallback-connect.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/relay-fallback-connect.spec.ts
index 3e166e0f6..41224d3d9 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/relay-fallback-connect.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/relay-fallback-connect.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures';
+import { buildDirectTcpConnection } from './helpers/daemon-registry';
 import { gotoHome, openSettings } from './helpers/app';
 
 test('connects via relay when direct endpoints fail', async ({ page }) => {
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ test('connects via relay when direct endpoints fail', async ({ page }) => {
     serverId,
     label: 'relay-daemon',
     connections: [
-      { id: 'direct:127.0.0.1:9', type: 'direct', endpoint: '127.0.0.1:9' },
+      buildDirectTcpConnection('127.0.0.1:9'),
       { id: `relay:${relayEndpoint}`, type: 'relay', relayEndpoint, daemonPublicKeyB64 },
     ],
     preferredConnectionId: 'direct:127.0.0.1:9',
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/relay-stability.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/relay-stability.spec.ts
index 0ada78006..ff43e7785 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/relay-stability.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/relay-stability.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures';
+import { buildDirectTcpConnection } from './helpers/daemon-registry';
 import { gotoHome, openSettings } from './helpers/app';
 
 test('relay connection stays stable across multiple tabs', async ({ page }) => {
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ test('relay connection stays stable across multiple tabs', async ({ page }) => {
     serverId,
     label: 'relay-daemon',
     connections: [
-      { id: 'direct:127.0.0.1:9', type: 'direct', endpoint: '127.0.0.1:9' },
+      buildDirectTcpConnection('127.0.0.1:9'),
       { id: `relay:${relayEndpoint}`, type: 'relay', relayEndpoint, daemonPublicKeyB64 },
     ],
     preferredConnectionId: 'direct:127.0.0.1:9',