diff --git a/frontend/tests/clipboard.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/clipboard.spec.ts
index 4aa42f9..fa574cd 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/clipboard.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/clipboard.spec.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ test("the canvas clipboard yields to the native one", async ({ page }) => {
 
   // A text selection wins, node selection or not. React Flow's own CSS puts
   // `user-select: none` on every node, so the selectable text on this route is
-  // the floating chrome over the canvas — here the open node panel.
+  // the floating chrome over the canvas — here the open node panel. The paste
+  // opened the copy's panel, and the original's is still sliding out in front
+  // of it: a selection made in that one collapses when it unmounts.
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("node-panel")).toHaveCount(1)
   const selected = await page.evaluate(() => {
     const node = document.querySelector(
       '[data-testid="node-panel"]',
diff --git a/frontend/tests/values.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/values.spec.ts
index 2ce3b1a..96ce123 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/values.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/values.spec.ts
@@ -83,8 +83,11 @@ test("a dictionary shows its shape, and its contents on request", async ({
   await expect(summary).toContainText("record · 3 fields")
   await expect(panel).not.toContainText("Recovered")
 
-  // A value cannot push the panel open, however long it is.
-  expect((await panel.boundingBox())?.width).toBe(PANEL_WIDTH)
+  // A value cannot push the panel open, however long it is. Polled, because
+  // the panel slides in and a box read mid-slide is a hair off 400.
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => (await panel.boundingBox())?.width)
+    .toBe(PANEL_WIDTH)
 
   // The contents are one click away.
   await summary.click()