diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull-e2e-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/pull-e2e-tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c77f7af3f08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull-e2e-tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+name: e2e-tests
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  files-changed:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/files-changed.yml
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+
+  test-e2e:
+    if: needs.files-changed.outputs.backend == 'true' || needs.files-changed.outputs.frontend == 'true'
+    needs: files-changed
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+      - uses: actions/setup-go@v6
+        with:
+          go-version-file: go.mod
+          check-latest: true
+      - uses: pnpm/action-setup@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+        with:
+          node-version: 24
+          cache: pnpm
+          cache-dependency-path: pnpm-lock.yaml
+      - run: make deps-frontend
+      - run: make frontend
+      - run: make deps-backend
+      - run: make gitea-e2e
+      - run: make playwright
+      - run: make test-e2e
+        timeout-minutes: 10
+        env:
+          FORCE_COLOR: 1
+          GITEA_TEST_E2E_DEBUG: 1
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cead4853cae..45e8e9295fd 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ cpu.out
 *.log.*.gz
 
 /gitea
+/gitea-e2e
 /gitea-vet
 /debug
 /integrations.test
@@ -67,13 +68,9 @@ cpu.out
 /indexers
 /log
 /public/assets/img/avatar
+/tests/e2e-output
 /tests/integration/gitea-integration-*
 /tests/integration/indexers-*
-/tests/e2e/gitea-e2e-*
-/tests/e2e/indexers-*
-/tests/e2e/reports
-/tests/e2e/test-artifacts
-/tests/e2e/test-snapshots
 /tests/*.ini
 /tests/**/*.git/**/*.sample
 /node_modules
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index c64d91a7ebb..abd853877f1 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -178,7 +178,14 @@ Here's how to run the test suite:
 | :------------------------------------------ | :------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
 |``make test[\#SpecificTestName]``            |  run unit test(s)                                        |                                             |
 |``make test-sqlite[\#SpecificTestName]``     |  run [integration](tests/integration) test(s) for SQLite | [More details](tests/integration/README.md) |
-|``make test-e2e-sqlite[\#SpecificTestName]`` |  run [end-to-end](tests/e2e) test(s) for SQLite          | [More details](tests/e2e/README.md)         |
+|``make test-e2e``                            |  run [end-to-end](tests/e2e) test(s) using Playwright    |                                             |
+
+- E2E test environment variables
+
+| Variable                  | Description                                                       |
+| :------------------------ | :---------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| ``GITEA_TEST_E2E_DEBUG``  | When set, show Gitea server output                                |
+| ``GITEA_TEST_E2E_FLAGS``  | Additional flags passed to Playwright, for example ``--ui``       |
 
 ## Translation
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3c7582dd57b..cb7742c5c74 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -53,9 +53,11 @@ endif
 ifeq ($(IS_WINDOWS),yes)
 	GOFLAGS := -v -buildmode=exe
 	EXECUTABLE ?= gitea.exe
+	EXECUTABLE_E2E ?= gitea-e2e.exe
 else
 	GOFLAGS := -v
 	EXECUTABLE ?= gitea
+	EXECUTABLE_E2E ?= gitea-e2e
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(shell sed --version 2>/dev/null | grep -q GNU && echo gnu),gnu)
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ LDFLAGS := $(LDFLAGS) -X "main.Version=$(GITEA_VERSION)" -X "main.Tags=$(TAGS)"
 
 LINUX_ARCHS ?= linux/amd64,linux/386,linux/arm-5,linux/arm-6,linux/arm64,linux/riscv64
 
-GO_TEST_PACKAGES ?= $(filter-out $(shell $(GO) list code.gitea.io/gitea/models/migrations/...) code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/integration/migration-test code.gitea.io/gitea/tests code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/integration code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/e2e,$(shell $(GO) list ./... | grep -v /vendor/))
+GO_TEST_PACKAGES ?= $(filter-out $(shell $(GO) list code.gitea.io/gitea/models/migrations/...) code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/integration/migration-test code.gitea.io/gitea/tests code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/integration,$(shell $(GO) list ./... | grep -v /vendor/))
 MIGRATE_TEST_PACKAGES ?= $(shell $(GO) list code.gitea.io/gitea/models/migrations/...)
 
 WEBPACK_SOURCES := $(shell find web_src/js web_src/css -type f)
@@ -153,10 +155,6 @@ GO_SOURCES := $(wildcard *.go)
 GO_SOURCES += $(shell find $(GO_DIRS) -type f -name "*.go")
 GO_SOURCES += $(GENERATED_GO_DEST)
 
-# Force installation of playwright dependencies by setting this flag
-ifdef DEPS_PLAYWRIGHT
-	PLAYWRIGHT_FLAGS += --with-deps
-endif
 
 SWAGGER_SPEC := templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
 SWAGGER_SPEC_INPUT := templates/swagger/v1_input.json
@@ -187,7 +185,7 @@ all: build
 .PHONY: help
 help: Makefile ## print Makefile help information.
 	@awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*##"; printf "\nUsage:\n  make \033[36m[TARGETS] default target: build\033[0m\n\n\033[35mTargets:\033[0m\n"} /^[0-9A-Za-z._-]+:.*?##/ { printf "  \033[36m%-45s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2 }' Makefile #$(MAKEFILE_LIST)
-	@printf "  \033[36m%-46s\033[0m %s\n" "test-e2e[#TestSpecificName]" "test end to end using playwright"
+	@printf "  \033[36m%-46s\033[0m %s\n" "test-e2e" "test end to end using playwright"
 	@printf "  \033[36m%-46s\033[0m %s\n" "test[#TestSpecificName]" "run unit test"
 	@printf "  \033[36m%-46s\033[0m %s\n" "test-sqlite[#TestSpecificName]" "run integration test for sqlite"
 
@@ -204,9 +202,8 @@ clean-all: clean ## delete backend, frontend and integration files
 
 .PHONY: clean
 clean: ## delete backend and integration files
-	rm -rf $(EXECUTABLE) $(DIST) $(BINDATA_DEST_WILDCARD) \
+	rm -rf $(EXECUTABLE) $(EXECUTABLE_E2E) $(DIST) $(BINDATA_DEST_WILDCARD) \
 		integrations*.test \
-		e2e*.test \
 		tests/integration/gitea-integration-* \
 		tests/integration/indexers-* \
 		tests/sqlite.ini tests/mysql.ini tests/pgsql.ini tests/mssql.ini man/ \
@@ -535,47 +532,12 @@ test-mssql-migration: migrations.mssql.test migrations.individual.mssql.test
 
 .PHONY: playwright
 playwright: deps-frontend
-	$(NODE_VARS) pnpm exec playwright install $(PLAYWRIGHT_FLAGS)
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e%
-test-e2e%: TEST_TYPE ?= e2e
-	# Clear display env variable. Otherwise, chromium tests can fail.
-	DISPLAY=
+	@# on GitHub Actions VMs, playwright's system deps are pre-installed
+	@$(NODE_VARS) pnpm exec playwright install $(if $(GITHUB_ACTIONS),,--with-deps) chromium $(if $(CI),firefox) $(PLAYWRIGHT_FLAGS)
 
 .PHONY: test-e2e
-test-e2e: test-e2e-sqlite
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e-sqlite
-test-e2e-sqlite: playwright e2e.sqlite.test generate-ini-sqlite
-	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/sqlite.ini ./e2e.sqlite.test
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e-sqlite\#%
-test-e2e-sqlite\#%: playwright e2e.sqlite.test generate-ini-sqlite
-	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/sqlite.ini ./e2e.sqlite.test -test.run TestE2e/$*
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e-mysql
-test-e2e-mysql: playwright e2e.mysql.test generate-ini-mysql
-	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/mysql.ini ./e2e.mysql.test
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e-mysql\#%
-test-e2e-mysql\#%: playwright e2e.mysql.test generate-ini-mysql
-	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/mysql.ini ./e2e.mysql.test -test.run TestE2e/$*
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e-pgsql
-test-e2e-pgsql: playwright e2e.pgsql.test generate-ini-pgsql
-	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/pgsql.ini ./e2e.pgsql.test
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e-pgsql\#%
-test-e2e-pgsql\#%: playwright e2e.pgsql.test generate-ini-pgsql
-	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/pgsql.ini ./e2e.pgsql.test -test.run TestE2e/$*
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e-mssql
-test-e2e-mssql: playwright e2e.mssql.test generate-ini-mssql
-	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/mssql.ini ./e2e.mssql.test
-
-.PHONY: test-e2e-mssql\#%
-test-e2e-mssql\#%: playwright e2e.mssql.test generate-ini-mssql
-	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/mssql.ini ./e2e.mssql.test -test.run TestE2e/$*
+test-e2e: playwright $(EXECUTABLE_E2E)
+	@EXECUTABLE=$(EXECUTABLE_E2E) ./tools/test-e2e.sh $(GITEA_TEST_E2E_FLAGS)
 
 .PHONY: bench-sqlite
 bench-sqlite: integrations.sqlite.test generate-ini-sqlite
@@ -671,18 +633,6 @@ migrations.individual.sqlite.test: $(GO_SOURCES) generate-ini-sqlite
 migrations.individual.sqlite.test\#%: $(GO_SOURCES) generate-ini-sqlite
 	GITEA_TEST_CONF=tests/sqlite.ini $(GO) test $(GOTESTFLAGS) -tags '$(TEST_TAGS)' code.gitea.io/gitea/models/migrations/$*
 
-e2e.mysql.test: $(GO_SOURCES)
-	$(GO) test $(GOTESTFLAGS) -c code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/e2e -o e2e.mysql.test
-
-e2e.pgsql.test: $(GO_SOURCES)
-	$(GO) test $(GOTESTFLAGS) -c code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/e2e -o e2e.pgsql.test
-
-e2e.mssql.test: $(GO_SOURCES)
-	$(GO) test $(GOTESTFLAGS) -c code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/e2e -o e2e.mssql.test
-
-e2e.sqlite.test: $(GO_SOURCES)
-	$(GO) test $(GOTESTFLAGS) -c code.gitea.io/gitea/tests/e2e -o e2e.sqlite.test -tags '$(TEST_TAGS)'
-
 .PHONY: check
 check: test
 
@@ -721,6 +671,9 @@ ifneq ($(and $(STATIC),$(findstring pam,$(TAGS))),)
 endif
 	CGO_ENABLED="$(CGO_ENABLED)" CGO_CFLAGS="$(CGO_CFLAGS)" $(GO) build $(GOFLAGS) $(EXTRA_GOFLAGS) -tags '$(TAGS)' -ldflags '-s -w $(EXTLDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS)' -o $@
 
+$(EXECUTABLE_E2E): $(GO_SOURCES)
+	CGO_ENABLED=1 $(GO) build $(GOFLAGS) $(EXTRA_GOFLAGS) -tags '$(TEST_TAGS)' -ldflags '-s -w $(EXTLDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS)' -o $@
+
 .PHONY: release
 release: frontend generate release-windows release-linux release-darwin release-freebsd release-copy release-compress vendor release-sources release-check
 
diff --git a/eslint.config.ts b/eslint.config.ts
index cd37c4321ef..28508c52a68 100644
--- a/eslint.config.ts
+++ b/eslint.config.ts
@@ -911,9 +911,10 @@ export default defineConfig([
   },
   {
     ...playwright.configs['flat/recommended'],
-    files: ['tests/e2e/**'],
+    files: ['tests/e2e/**/*.test.ts'],
     rules: {
       ...playwright.configs['flat/recommended'].rules,
+      'playwright/expect-expect': [0],
     },
   },
   {
diff --git a/playwright.config.ts b/playwright.config.ts
index 9e3396465a8..f566054f788 100644
--- a/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/playwright.config.ts
@@ -1,98 +1,35 @@
-import {devices} from '@playwright/test';
 import {env} from 'node:process';
-import type {PlaywrightTestConfig} from '@playwright/test';
+import {defineConfig, devices} from '@playwright/test';
 
-const BASE_URL = env.GITEA_TEST_SERVER_URL?.replace?.(/\/$/g, '') || 'http://localhost:3000';
-
-export default {
+export default defineConfig({
   testDir: './tests/e2e/',
-  testMatch: /.*\.test\.e2e\.ts/, // Match any .test.e2e.ts files
-
-  /* Maximum time one test can run for. */
-  timeout: 30 * 1000,
-
-  expect: {
-
-    /**
-     * Maximum time expect() should wait for the condition to be met.
-     * For example in `await expect(locator).toHaveText();`
-     */
-    timeout: 2000,
-  },
-
-  /* Fail the build on CI if you accidentally left test.only in the source code. */
+  outputDir: './tests/e2e-output/',
+  testMatch: /.*\.test\.ts/,
   forbidOnly: Boolean(env.CI),
-
-  /* Retry on CI only */
-  retries: env.CI ? 2 : 0,
-
-  /* Reporter to use. See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-reporters */
-  reporter: env.CI ? 'list' : [['list'], ['html', {outputFolder: 'tests/e2e/reports/', open: 'never'}]],
-
-  /* Shared settings for all the projects below. See https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-testoptions. */
-  use: {
-    headless: true,   // set to false to debug
-
-    locale: 'en-US',
-
-    /* Maximum time each action such as `click()` can take. Defaults to 0 (no limit). */
-    actionTimeout: 1000,
-
-    /* Maximum time allowed for navigation, such as `page.goto()`. */
-    navigationTimeout: 5 * 1000,
-
-    /* Base URL to use in actions like `await page.goto('/')`. */
-    baseURL: BASE_URL,
-
-    /* Collect trace when retrying the failed test. See https://playwright.dev/docs/trace-viewer */
-    trace: 'on-first-retry',
-
-    screenshot: 'only-on-failure',
+  reporter: 'list',
+  timeout: env.CI ? 12000 : 6000,
+  expect: {
+    timeout: env.CI ? 6000 : 3000,
+  },
+  use: {
+    baseURL: env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_URL?.replace?.(/\/$/g, ''),
+    locale: 'en-US',
+    actionTimeout: env.CI ? 6000 : 3000,
+    navigationTimeout: env.CI ? 12000 : 6000,
   },
-
-  /* Configure projects for major browsers */
   projects: [
     {
       name: 'chromium',
-
-      /* Project-specific settings. */
       use: {
         ...devices['Desktop Chrome'],
+        permissions: ['clipboard-read', 'clipboard-write'],
       },
     },
-
-    // disabled because of https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/issues/21355
-    // {
-    //   name: 'firefox',
-    //   use: {
-    //     ...devices['Desktop Firefox'],
-    //   },
-    // },
-
-    {
-      name: 'webkit',
+    ...env.CI ? [{
+      name: 'firefox',
       use: {
-        ...devices['Desktop Safari'],
+        ...devices['Desktop Firefox'],
       },
-    },
-
-    /* Test against mobile viewports. */
-    {
-      name: 'Mobile Chrome',
-      use: {
-        ...devices['Pixel 5'],
-      },
-    },
-    {
-      name: 'Mobile Safari',
-      use: {
-        ...devices['iPhone 12'],
-      },
-    },
+    }] : [],
   ],
-
-  /* Folder for test artifacts such as screenshots, videos, traces, etc. */
-  outputDir: 'tests/e2e/test-artifacts/',
-  /* Folder for test artifacts such as screenshots, videos, traces, etc. */
-  snapshotDir: 'tests/e2e/test-snapshots/',
-} satisfies PlaywrightTestConfig;
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/README.md b/tests/e2e/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index ea3805ab95c..00000000000
--- a/tests/e2e/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-# End to end tests
-
-E2e tests largely follow the same syntax as [integration tests](../integration).
-Whereas integration tests are intended to mock and stress the back-end, server-side code, e2e tests the interface between front-end and back-end, as well as visual regressions with both assertions and visual comparisons.
-They can be run with make commands for the appropriate backends, namely:
-```shell
-make test-sqlite
-make test-pgsql
-make test-mysql
-make test-mssql
-```
-
-Make sure to perform a clean front-end build before running tests:
-```
-make clean frontend
-```
-
-## Install playwright system dependencies
-```
-pnpm exec playwright install-deps
-```
-
-## Run sqlite e2e tests
-Start tests
-```
-make test-e2e-sqlite
-```
-
-## Run MySQL e2e tests
-Setup a MySQL database inside docker
-```
-docker run -e "MYSQL_DATABASE=test" -e "MYSQL_ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD=yes" -p 3306:3306 --rm --name mysql mysql:latest #(just ctrl-c to stop db and clean the container)
-docker run -p 9200:9200 -p 9300:9300 -e "discovery.type=single-node" --rm --name elasticsearch elasticsearch:7.6.0 #(in a second terminal, just ctrl-c to stop db and clean the container)
-```
-Start tests based on the database container
-```
-TEST_MYSQL_HOST=localhost:3306 TEST_MYSQL_DBNAME=test TEST_MYSQL_USERNAME=root TEST_MYSQL_PASSWORD='' make test-e2e-mysql
-```
-
-## Run pgsql e2e tests
-Setup a pgsql database inside docker
-```
-docker run -e "POSTGRES_DB=test" -p 5432:5432 --rm --name pgsql postgres:latest #(just ctrl-c to stop db and clean the container)
-```
-Start tests based on the database container
-```
-TEST_PGSQL_HOST=localhost:5432 TEST_PGSQL_DBNAME=test TEST_PGSQL_USERNAME=postgres TEST_PGSQL_PASSWORD=postgres make test-e2e-pgsql
-```
-
-## Run mssql e2e tests
-Setup a mssql database inside docker
-```
-docker run -e "ACCEPT_EULA=Y" -e "MSSQL_PID=Standard" -e "SA_PASSWORD=MwantsaSecurePassword1" -p 1433:1433 --rm --name mssql microsoft/mssql-server-linux:latest #(just ctrl-c to stop db and clean the container)
-```
-Start tests based on the database container
-```
-TEST_MSSQL_HOST=localhost:1433 TEST_MSSQL_DBNAME=gitea_test TEST_MSSQL_USERNAME=sa TEST_MSSQL_PASSWORD=MwantsaSecurePassword1 make test-e2e-mssql
-```
-
-## Running individual tests
-
-Example command to run `example.test.e2e.ts` test file:
-
-_Note: unlike integration tests, this filtering is at the file level, not function_
-
-For SQLite:
-
-```
-make test-e2e-sqlite#example
-```
-
-For other databases(replace `mssql` to `mysql` or `pgsql`):
-
-```
-TEST_MSSQL_HOST=localhost:1433 TEST_MSSQL_DBNAME=test TEST_MSSQL_USERNAME=sa TEST_MSSQL_PASSWORD=MwantsaSecurePassword1 make test-e2e-mssql#example
-```
-
-## Visual testing
-
-Although the main goal of e2e is assertion testing, we have added a framework for visual regress testing. If you are working on front-end features, please use the following:
- - Check out `main`, `make clean frontend`, and run e2e tests with `VISUAL_TEST=1` to generate outputs. This will initially fail, as no screenshots exist. You can run the e2e tests again to assert it passes.
- - Check out your branch, `make clean frontend`, and run e2e tests with `VISUAL_TEST=1`. You should be able to assert you front-end changes don't break any other tests unintentionally.
-
-VISUAL_TEST=1 will create screenshots in tests/e2e/test-snapshots. The test will fail the first time this is enabled (until we get visual test image persistence figured out), because it will be testing against an empty screenshot folder.
-
-ACCEPT_VISUAL=1 will overwrite the snapshot images with new images.
diff --git a/tests/e2e/e2e_test.go b/tests/e2e/e2e_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 6e7890105c8..00000000000
--- a/tests/e2e/e2e_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,115 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2022 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
-// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
-
-// This is primarily coped from /tests/integration/integration_test.go
-//   TODO: Move common functions to shared file
-
-//nolint:forbidigo // use of print functions is allowed in tests
-package e2e
-
-import (
-	"bytes"
-	"context"
-	"fmt"
-	"net/url"
-	"os"
-	"os/exec"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"testing"
-
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/unittest"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/graceful"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/testlogger"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/web"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/routers"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/tests"
-)
-
-var testE2eWebRoutes *web.Router
-
-func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	defer log.GetManager().Close()
-
-	managerCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	graceful.InitManager(managerCtx)
-	defer cancel()
-
-	tests.InitTest()
-	testE2eWebRoutes = routers.NormalRoutes()
-
-	err := unittest.InitFixtures(
-		unittest.FixturesOptions{
-			Dir: filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(setting.AppPath), "models/fixtures/"),
-		},
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("Error initializing test database: %v\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-
-	exitVal := m.Run()
-
-	testlogger.WriterCloser.Reset()
-
-	if err = util.RemoveAll(setting.Indexer.IssuePath); err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("util.RemoveAll: %v\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-	if err = util.RemoveAll(setting.Indexer.RepoPath); err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("Unable to remove repo indexer: %v\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-
-	os.Exit(exitVal)
-}
-
-// TestE2e should be the only test e2e necessary. It will collect all "*.test.e2e.ts" files in this directory and build a test for each.
-func TestE2e(t *testing.T) {
-	// Find the paths of all e2e test files in test directory.
-	searchGlob := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(setting.AppPath), "tests", "e2e", "*.test.e2e.ts")
-	paths, err := filepath.Glob(searchGlob)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	} else if len(paths) == 0 {
-		t.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("No e2e tests found in %s", searchGlob))
-	}
-
-	runArgs := []string{"npx", "playwright", "test"}
-
-	// To update snapshot outputs
-	if _, set := os.LookupEnv("ACCEPT_VISUAL"); set {
-		runArgs = append(runArgs, "--update-snapshots")
-	}
-
-	// Create new test for each input file
-	for _, path := range paths {
-		_, filename := filepath.Split(path)
-		testname := filename[:len(filename)-len(filepath.Ext(path))]
-
-		t.Run(testname, func(t *testing.T) {
-			// Default 2 minute timeout
-			onGiteaRun(t, func(*testing.T, *url.URL) {
-				cmd := exec.Command(runArgs[0], runArgs...)
-				cmd.Env = os.Environ()
-				cmd.Env = append(cmd.Env, "GITEA_TEST_SERVER_URL="+setting.AppURL)
-
-				var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
-				cmd.Stdout = &stdout
-				cmd.Stderr = &stderr
-
-				err = cmd.Run()
-				if err != nil {
-					// Currently colored output is conflicting. Using Printf until that is resolved.
-					fmt.Printf("%v", stdout.String())
-					fmt.Printf("%v", stderr.String())
-					log.Fatal("Playwright Failed: %s", err)
-				}
-
-				fmt.Printf("%v", stdout.String())
-			})
-		})
-	}
-}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/env.d.ts b/tests/e2e/env.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..71887f4048c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/env.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+declare namespace NodeJS {
+  interface ProcessEnv {
+    GITEA_TEST_E2E_DOMAIN: string;
+    GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER: string;
+    GITEA_TEST_E2E_EMAIL: string;
+    GITEA_TEST_E2E_PASSWORD: string;
+    GITEA_TEST_E2E_URL: string;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/example.test.e2e.ts b/tests/e2e/example.test.e2e.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 1689f1b8efc..00000000000
--- a/tests/e2e/example.test.e2e.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-import {test, expect} from '@playwright/test';
-import {login_user, save_visual, load_logged_in_context} from './utils_e2e.ts';
-
-test.beforeAll(async ({browser}, workerInfo) => {
-  await login_user(browser, workerInfo, 'user2');
-});
-
-test('homepage', async ({page}) => {
-  const response = await page.goto('/');
-  expect(response?.status()).toBe(200); // Status OK
-  await expect(page).toHaveTitle(/^Gitea: Git with a cup of tea\s*$/);
-  await expect(page.locator('.logo')).toHaveAttribute('src', '/assets/img/logo.svg');
-});
-
-test('register', async ({page}, workerInfo) => {
-  const response = await page.goto('/user/sign_up');
-  expect(response?.status()).toBe(200); // Status OK
-  await page.locator('input[name=user_name]').fill(`e2e-test-${workerInfo.workerIndex}`);
-  await page.locator('input[name=email]').fill(`e2e-test-${workerInfo.workerIndex}@test.com`);
-  await page.locator('input[name=password]').fill('test123test123');
-  await page.locator('input[name=retype]').fill('test123test123');
-  await page.click('form button.ui.primary.button:visible');
-  // Make sure we routed to the home page. Else login failed.
-  expect(page.url()).toBe(`${workerInfo.project.use.baseURL}/`);
-  await expect(page.locator('.secondary-nav span>img.ui.avatar')).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(page.locator('.ui.positive.message.flash-success')).toHaveText('Account was successfully created. Welcome!');
-
-  save_visual(page);
-});
-
-test('login', async ({page}, workerInfo) => {
-  const response = await page.goto('/user/login');
-  expect(response?.status()).toBe(200); // Status OK
-
-  await page.locator('input[name=user_name]').fill(`user2`);
-  await page.locator('input[name=password]').fill(`password`);
-  await page.click('form button.ui.primary.button:visible');
-
-  await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle'); // eslint-disable-line playwright/no-networkidle
-
-  expect(page.url()).toBe(`${workerInfo.project.use.baseURL}/`);
-
-  save_visual(page);
-});
-
-test('logged in user', async ({browser}, workerInfo) => {
-  const context = await load_logged_in_context(browser, workerInfo, 'user2');
-  const page = await context.newPage();
-
-  await page.goto('/');
-
-  // Make sure we routed to the home page. Else login failed.
-  expect(page.url()).toBe(`${workerInfo.project.use.baseURL}/`);
-
-  save_visual(page);
-});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/explore.test.ts b/tests/e2e/explore.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..49cd9bb87af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/explore.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import {test, expect} from '@playwright/test';
+
+test('explore repositories', async ({page}) => {
+  await page.goto('/explore/repos');
+  await expect(page.getByPlaceholder('Search repos…')).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByRole('link', {name: 'Repositories'})).toBeVisible();
+});
+
+test('explore users', async ({page}) => {
+  await page.goto('/explore/users');
+  await expect(page.getByPlaceholder('Search users…')).toBeVisible();
+});
+
+test('explore organizations', async ({page}) => {
+  await page.goto('/explore/organizations');
+  await expect(page.getByPlaceholder('Search orgs…')).toBeVisible();
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/login.test.ts b/tests/e2e/login.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ecf80d24744
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/login.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import {test, expect} from '@playwright/test';
+import {login, logout} from './utils.ts';
+
+test('homepage', async ({page}) => {
+  await page.goto('/');
+  await expect(page.getByRole('img', {name: 'Logo'})).toHaveAttribute('src', '/assets/img/logo.svg');
+});
+
+test('login and logout', async ({page}) => {
+  await login(page);
+  await logout(page);
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/milestone.test.ts b/tests/e2e/milestone.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d63aee0cf28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/milestone.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import {env} from 'node:process';
+import {test, expect} from '@playwright/test';
+import {login, apiCreateRepo, apiDeleteRepo} from './utils.ts';
+
+test('create a milestone', async ({page}) => {
+  const repoName = `e2e-milestone-${Date.now()}`;
+  await login(page);
+  await apiCreateRepo(page.request, {name: repoName});
+  await page.goto(`/${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER}/${repoName}/milestones/new`);
+  await page.getByPlaceholder('Title').fill('Test Milestone');
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Create Milestone'}).click();
+  await expect(page.locator('.milestone-list')).toContainText('Test Milestone');
+  await apiDeleteRepo(page.request, env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER, repoName);
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/org.test.ts b/tests/e2e/org.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b4d4fc2e7d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/org.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import {test, expect} from '@playwright/test';
+import {login, apiDeleteOrg} from './utils.ts';
+
+test('create an organization', async ({page}) => {
+  const orgName = `e2e-org-${Date.now()}`;
+  await login(page);
+  await page.goto('/org/create');
+  await page.getByLabel('Organization Name').fill(orgName);
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Create Organization'}).click();
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(new RegExp(`/org/${orgName}`));
+  // delete via API because of issues related to form-fetch-action
+  await apiDeleteOrg(page.request, orgName);
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/readme.test.ts b/tests/e2e/readme.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..94755a254fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/readme.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import {env} from 'node:process';
+import {test, expect} from '@playwright/test';
+import {apiCreateRepo, apiDeleteRepo} from './utils.ts';
+
+test('repo readme', async ({page}) => {
+  const repoName = `e2e-readme-${Date.now()}`;
+  await apiCreateRepo(page.request, {name: repoName});
+  await page.goto(`/${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER}/${repoName}`);
+  await expect(page.locator('#readme')).toContainText(repoName);
+  await apiDeleteRepo(page.request, env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER, repoName);
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/register.test.ts b/tests/e2e/register.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..425fc7e40c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/register.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import {env} from 'node:process';
+import {test, expect} from '@playwright/test';
+import {login, logout} from './utils.ts';
+
+test.beforeEach(async ({page}) => {
+  await page.goto('/user/sign_up');
+});
+
+test('register page has form', async ({page}) => {
+  await expect(page.getByLabel('Username')).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByLabel('Email Address')).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByLabel('Password', {exact: true})).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByLabel('Confirm Password')).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Register Account'})).toBeVisible();
+});
+
+test('register with empty fields shows error', async ({page}) => {
+  // HTML5 required attribute prevents submission, so verify the fields are required
+  await expect(page.locator('input[name="user_name"][required]')).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.locator('input[name="email"][required]')).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.locator('input[name="password"][required]')).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.locator('input[name="retype"][required]')).toBeVisible();
+});
+
+test('register with mismatched passwords shows error', async ({page}) => {
+  await page.getByLabel('Username').fill('e2e-register-mismatch');
+  await page.getByLabel('Email Address').fill(`e2e-register-mismatch@${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_DOMAIN}`);
+  await page.getByLabel('Password', {exact: true}).fill('password123!');
+  await page.getByLabel('Confirm Password').fill('different123!');
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Register Account'}).click();
+  await expect(page.locator('.ui.negative.message')).toBeVisible();
+});
+
+test('register then login', async ({page}) => {
+  const username = `e2e-register-${Date.now()}`;
+  const email = `${username}@${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_DOMAIN}`;
+  const password = 'password123!';
+
+  await page.getByLabel('Username').fill(username);
+  await page.getByLabel('Email Address').fill(email);
+  await page.getByLabel('Password', {exact: true}).fill(password);
+  await page.getByLabel('Confirm Password').fill(password);
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Register Account'}).click();
+
+  // After successful registration, should be redirected away from sign_up
+  await expect(page).not.toHaveURL(/sign_up/);
+
+  // Logout then login with the newly created account
+  await logout(page);
+  await login(page, username, password);
+
+  // delete via API because of issues related to form-fetch-action
+  const response = await page.request.delete(`/api/v1/admin/users/${username}?purge=true`, {
+    headers: {Authorization: `Basic ${btoa(`${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER}:${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_PASSWORD}`)}`},
+  });
+  expect(response.ok()).toBeTruthy();
+});
+
+test('register with existing username shows error', async ({page}) => {
+  await page.getByLabel('Username').fill(env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER);
+  await page.getByLabel('Email Address').fill(`e2e-duplicate@${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_DOMAIN}`);
+  await page.getByLabel('Password', {exact: true}).fill('password123!');
+  await page.getByLabel('Confirm Password').fill('password123!');
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Register Account'}).click();
+  await expect(page.locator('.ui.negative.message')).toBeVisible();
+});
+
+test('sign in link exists', async ({page}) => {
+  const signInLink = page.getByText('Sign in now!');
+  await expect(signInLink).toBeVisible();
+  await signInLink.click();
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/user\/login$/);
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/repo.test.ts b/tests/e2e/repo.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cca59d612d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/repo.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import {env} from 'node:process';
+import {test} from '@playwright/test';
+import {login, apiDeleteRepo} from './utils.ts';
+
+test('create a repository', async ({page}) => {
+  const repoName = `e2e-repo-${Date.now()}`;
+  await login(page);
+  await page.goto('/repo/create');
+  await page.locator('input[name="repo_name"]').fill(repoName);
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Create Repository'}).click();
+  await page.waitForURL(new RegExp(`/${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER}/${repoName}$`));
+  await apiDeleteRepo(page.request, env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER, repoName);
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/user-settings.test.ts b/tests/e2e/user-settings.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ee1c6c98eb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/user-settings.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import {test, expect} from '@playwright/test';
+import {login} from './utils.ts';
+
+test('update profile biography', async ({page}) => {
+  const bio = `e2e-bio-${Date.now()}`;
+  await login(page);
+  await page.goto('/user/settings');
+  await page.getByLabel('Biography').fill(bio);
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Update Profile'}).click();
+  await expect(page.getByLabel('Biography')).toHaveValue(bio);
+  await page.getByLabel('Biography').fill('');
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Update Profile'}).click();
+  await expect(page.getByLabel('Biography')).toHaveValue('');
+});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/utils.ts b/tests/e2e/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6ee16b32f86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import {env} from 'node:process';
+import {expect} from '@playwright/test';
+import type {APIRequestContext, Locator, Page} from '@playwright/test';
+
+export function apiBaseUrl() {
+  return env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_URL?.replace(/\/$/g, '');
+}
+
+export function apiHeaders() {
+  return {Authorization: `Basic ${globalThis.btoa(`${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER}:${env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_PASSWORD}`)}`};
+}
+
+async function apiRetry(fn: () => Promise<{ok: () => boolean; status: () => number; text: () => Promise<string>}>, label: string) {
+  const maxAttempts = 5;
+  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxAttempts; attempt++) {
+    const response = await fn();
+    if (response.ok()) return;
+    if ([500, 502, 503].includes(response.status()) && attempt < maxAttempts - 1) {
+      const jitter = Math.random() * 500;
+      await new Promise((resolve) => globalThis.setTimeout(resolve, 1000 * (attempt + 1) + jitter));
+      continue;
+    }
+    throw new Error(`${label} failed: ${response.status()} ${await response.text()}`);
+  }
+}
+
+export async function apiCreateRepo(requestContext: APIRequestContext, {name, autoInit = true}: {name: string; autoInit?: boolean}) {
+  await apiRetry(() => requestContext.post(`${apiBaseUrl()}/api/v1/user/repos`, {
+    headers: apiHeaders(),
+    data: {name, auto_init: autoInit},
+  }), 'apiCreateRepo');
+}
+
+export async function apiDeleteRepo(requestContext: APIRequestContext, owner: string, name: string) {
+  await apiRetry(() => requestContext.delete(`${apiBaseUrl()}/api/v1/repos/${owner}/${name}`, {
+    headers: apiHeaders(),
+  }), 'apiDeleteRepo');
+}
+
+export async function apiDeleteOrg(requestContext: APIRequestContext, name: string) {
+  await apiRetry(() => requestContext.delete(`${apiBaseUrl()}/api/v1/orgs/${name}`, {
+    headers: apiHeaders(),
+  }), 'apiDeleteOrg');
+}
+
+export async function clickDropdownItem(page: Page, trigger: Locator, itemText: string) {
+  await trigger.click();
+  await page.getByText(itemText).click();
+}
+
+export async function login(page: Page, username = env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER, password = env.GITEA_TEST_E2E_PASSWORD) {
+  await page.goto('/user/login');
+  await page.getByLabel('Username or Email Address').fill(username);
+  await page.getByLabel('Password').fill(password);
+  await page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Sign In'}).click();
+  await expect(page.getByRole('link', {name: 'Sign In'})).toBeHidden();
+}
+
+export async function logout(page: Page) {
+  await page.context().clearCookies(); // workaround issues related to fomantic dropdown
+  await page.goto('/');
+  await expect(page.getByRole('link', {name: 'Sign In'})).toBeVisible();
+}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/utils_e2e.ts b/tests/e2e/utils_e2e.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0973f0838c8..00000000000
--- a/tests/e2e/utils_e2e.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-import {expect} from '@playwright/test';
-import {env} from 'node:process';
-import type {Browser, Page, WorkerInfo} from '@playwright/test';
-
-const ARTIFACTS_PATH = `tests/e2e/test-artifacts`;
-const LOGIN_PASSWORD = 'password';
-
-// log in user and store session info. This should generally be
-//  run in test.beforeAll(), then the session can be loaded in tests.
-export async function login_user(browser: Browser, workerInfo: WorkerInfo, user: string) {
-  // Set up a new context
-  const context = await browser.newContext();
-  const page = await context.newPage();
-
-  // Route to login page
-  // Note: this could probably be done more quickly with a POST
-  const response = await page.goto('/user/login');
-  expect(response?.status()).toBe(200); // Status OK
-
-  // Fill out form
-  await page.locator('input[name=user_name]').fill(user);
-  await page.locator('input[name=password]').fill(LOGIN_PASSWORD);
-  await page.click('form button.ui.primary.button:visible');
-
-  await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle'); // eslint-disable-line playwright/no-networkidle
-
-  expect(page.url(), {message: `Failed to login user ${user}`}).toBe(`${workerInfo.project.use.baseURL}/`);
-
-  // Save state
-  await context.storageState({path: `${ARTIFACTS_PATH}/state-${user}-${workerInfo.workerIndex}.json`});
-
-  return context;
-}
-
-export async function load_logged_in_context(browser: Browser, workerInfo: WorkerInfo, user: string) {
-  try {
-    return await browser.newContext({storageState: `${ARTIFACTS_PATH}/state-${user}-${workerInfo.workerIndex}.json`});
-  } catch (err) {
-    if (err.code === 'ENOENT') {
-      throw new Error(`Could not find state for '${user}'. Did you call login_user(browser, workerInfo, '${user}') in test.beforeAll()?`);
-    } else {
-      throw err;
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-export async function save_visual(page: Page) {
-  // Optionally include visual testing
-  if (env.VISUAL_TEST) {
-    await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle'); // eslint-disable-line playwright/no-networkidle
-    // Mock page/version string
-    await page.locator('footer div.ui.left').evaluate((node) => node.innerHTML = 'MOCK');
-    await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot({
-      fullPage: true,
-      timeout: 20000,
-      mask: [
-        page.locator('.secondary-nav span>img.ui.avatar'),
-        page.locator('.ui.dropdown.jump.item span>img.ui.avatar'),
-      ],
-    });
-  }
-}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/utils_e2e_test.go b/tests/e2e/utils_e2e_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 5ba05f3453c..00000000000
--- a/tests/e2e/utils_e2e_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2019 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
-// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
-
-package e2e
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"net"
-	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
-	"testing"
-	"time"
-
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/tests"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-)
-
-func onGiteaRunTB(t testing.TB, callback func(testing.TB, *url.URL), prepare ...bool) {
-	if len(prepare) == 0 || prepare[0] {
-		defer tests.PrepareTestEnv(t, 1)()
-	}
-	s := http.Server{
-		Handler: testE2eWebRoutes,
-	}
-
-	u, err := url.Parse(setting.AppURL)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", u.Host)
-	i := 0
-	for err != nil && i <= 10 {
-		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
-		listener, err = net.Listen("tcp", u.Host)
-		i++
-	}
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	u.Host = listener.Addr().String()
-
-	defer func() {
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(t.Context(), 2*time.Minute)
-		s.Shutdown(ctx)
-		cancel()
-	}()
-
-	go s.Serve(listener)
-	// Started by config go ssh.Listen(setting.SSH.ListenHost, setting.SSH.ListenPort, setting.SSH.ServerCiphers, setting.SSH.ServerKeyExchanges, setting.SSH.ServerMACs)
-
-	callback(t, u)
-}
-
-func onGiteaRun(t *testing.T, callback func(*testing.T, *url.URL), prepare ...bool) {
-	onGiteaRunTB(t, func(t testing.TB, u *url.URL) {
-		callback(t.(*testing.T), u)
-	}, prepare...)
-}
diff --git a/tools/test-e2e.sh b/tools/test-e2e.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..d8608a85bbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/test-e2e.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Create isolated work directory
+WORK_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+
+# Find a random free port
+FREE_PORT=$(node -e "const s=require('net').createServer();s.listen(0,'127.0.0.1',()=>{process.stdout.write(String(s.address().port));s.close()})")
+
+cleanup() {
+  if [ -n "${SERVER_PID:-}" ]; then
+    kill "$SERVER_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+    wait "$SERVER_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+  rm -rf "$WORK_DIR"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+# Write config file for isolated instance
+mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/custom/conf"
+cat > "$WORK_DIR/custom/conf/app.ini" <<EOF
+[database]
+DB_TYPE = sqlite3
+PATH = $WORK_DIR/data/gitea.db
+
+[server]
+HTTP_PORT = $FREE_PORT
+ROOT_URL = http://localhost:$FREE_PORT
+STATIC_ROOT_PATH = $(pwd)
+
+[security]
+INSTALL_LOCK = true
+
+[service]
+ENABLE_CAPTCHA = false
+
+[log]
+MODE = console
+LEVEL = Warn
+EOF
+
+export GITEA_WORK_DIR="$WORK_DIR"
+
+# Start Gitea server
+echo "Starting Gitea server on port $FREE_PORT (workdir: $WORK_DIR)..."
+if [ -n "${GITEA_TEST_E2E_DEBUG:-}" ]; then
+  "./$EXECUTABLE" web &
+else
+  "./$EXECUTABLE" web > "$WORK_DIR/server.log" 2>&1 &
+fi
+SERVER_PID=$!
+
+# Wait for server to be reachable
+E2E_URL="http://localhost:$FREE_PORT"
+MAX_WAIT=120
+ELAPSED=0
+while ! curl -sf --max-time 5 "$E2E_URL" > /dev/null 2>&1; do
+  if ! kill -0 "$SERVER_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
+    echo "error: Gitea server process exited unexpectedly. Server log:" >&2
+    cat "$WORK_DIR/server.log" 2>/dev/null >&2 || true
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  if [ "$ELAPSED" -ge "$MAX_WAIT" ]; then
+    echo "error: Gitea server not reachable after ${MAX_WAIT}s. Server log:" >&2
+    cat "$WORK_DIR/server.log" 2>/dev/null >&2 || true
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  sleep 2
+  ELAPSED=$((ELAPSED + 2))
+done
+
+echo "Gitea server is ready at $E2E_URL"
+
+GITEA_TEST_E2E_DOMAIN="e2e.gitea.com"
+GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER="e2e-admin"
+GITEA_TEST_E2E_PASSWORD="password"
+GITEA_TEST_E2E_EMAIL="$GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER@$GITEA_TEST_E2E_DOMAIN"
+
+# Create admin test user
+"./$EXECUTABLE" admin user create \
+  --username "$GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER" \
+  --password "$GITEA_TEST_E2E_PASSWORD" \
+  --email "$GITEA_TEST_E2E_EMAIL" \
+  --must-change-password=false \
+  --admin
+
+export GITEA_TEST_E2E_URL="$E2E_URL"
+export GITEA_TEST_E2E_DOMAIN
+export GITEA_TEST_E2E_USER
+export GITEA_TEST_E2E_PASSWORD
+export GITEA_TEST_E2E_EMAIL
+
+pnpm exec playwright test "$@"