diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 24935437792fa35765ad40e7c0cb92c9b9f3239d..fb4927a86bdb097d484f30256894270c6dba3da8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -330,6 +330,9 @@ jobs:
       # No Electron setup here: `t3` (apps/server) has no Electron dependency
       # and none of its tests touch the runtime. Only the non-server `test`
       # job, which covers @t3tools/desktop, needs the download.
+      - name: Install Chromium for server browser integration tests
+        run: node apps/server/node_modules/playwright-core/cli.js install --with-deps --only-shell chromium
+
       - name: Test
         run: vp run --filter t3 test --shard ${{ matrix.shard }}/${{ strategy.job-total }}
 
diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserContexts.test.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserContexts.test.ts
index 8bb8413a1949ca9fb5d03eaaa8e3b1135b78dd66..4353377ffc25b9a155a1e1884a3ff31899d5b265 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserContexts.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserContexts.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as NodeEvents from "node:events";
 
 import { INCOGNITO_BROWSER_PROFILE_ID } from "@t3tools/contracts";
-import type { Browser, BrowserContext, BrowserType } from "playwright-core";
+import { chromium, type Browser, type BrowserContext, type BrowserType } from "playwright-core";
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vite-plus/test";
 
 import { ServerBrowserContexts } from "./ServerBrowserContexts.ts";
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@ const launches = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   mkdir: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
   rm: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
 }));
-vi.mock("playwright-core", () => ({
-  chromium: { launch: launches.launch, launchPersistentContext: launches.persistent },
-}));
+vi.spyOn(chromium, "launch").mockImplementation(launches.launch);
+vi.spyOn(chromium, "launchPersistentContext").mockImplementation(launches.persistent);
 vi.mock("node:fs/promises", () => ({ mkdir: launches.mkdir, rm: launches.rm }));
 
 const makeContext = () => {
diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserContexts.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserContexts.ts
index 20534757e8fbbe26a0920fbb8db875020ec92977..3e48bfb6b88c44d016fdb1c334c257a22b175e85 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserContexts.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowserContexts.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,17 @@
 import { INCOGNITO_BROWSER_PROFILE_ID } from "@t3tools/contracts";
 import { constVoid } from "effect/Function";
 import * as NodeFSP from "node:fs/promises";
+import * as NodeModule from "node:module";
 import * as NodePath from "node:path";
 import type { Browser, BrowserContext } from "playwright-core";
 
 import { sandboxDisabled } from "./PreviewBrowserHost.ts";
 
+// Playwright needs its files on disk. createRequire also resolves it from a Node SEA executable.
+const requirePlaywright = NodeModule.createRequire(import.meta.url);
+const loadPlaywright = () =>
+  requirePlaywright("playwright-core") as typeof import("playwright-core");
+
 interface Options {
   readonly profilesDir: string;
   /** The shared headless browser's executable, installing it on first use. */
@@ -54,7 +60,7 @@ export class ServerBrowserContexts {
   private sharedBrowser() {
     if (!this.browser) {
       const launched = this.launchOptions().then(async (options) => {
-        const { chromium } = await import("playwright-core");
+        const { chromium } = loadPlaywright();
         const browser = await this.launch(options, () => chromium.launch(options));
         browser.on("disconnected", () => {
           if (this.browser === launched) this.browser = undefined;
@@ -104,7 +110,7 @@ export class ServerBrowserContexts {
     }
     const directory = this.profileDirectory(profileId);
     const options = await this.launchOptions();
-    const { chromium } = await import("playwright-core");
+    const { chromium } = loadPlaywright();
     await NodeFSP.mkdir(directory, { recursive: true });
     return this.launch(options, () =>
       chromium.launchPersistentContext(directory, { ...options, ...contextOptions }),
@@ -133,7 +139,7 @@ export class ServerBrowserContexts {
    * serves. The page keeps the desktop's storage, size, and window.
    */
   async connectDesktopPage(endpoint: string) {
-    const { chromium } = await import("playwright-core");
+    const { chromium } = loadPlaywright();
     const browser = await chromium.connectOverCDP(endpoint, { timeout: 15_000 });
     const page = browser.contexts().flatMap((context) => context.pages())[0];
     if (!page) {