diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/playwright-support.config.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/playwright-support.config.ts
index 72cc2bfac65..0960467d8ce 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/playwright-support.config.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/playwright-support.config.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { defineConfig } from "@playwright/test";
 /** Browser-only harness regressions: no Paperclip instance or provider credentials. */
 export default defineConfig({
   testDir: ".",
-  testMatch: ["question-resume-ui.spec.ts", "clarification-readback.spec.ts", "project-context-readback.spec.ts", "skill-studio-flow.spec.ts", "native-task-reply.spec.ts", "screenshot-readiness.spec.ts", "service-worker-reload.spec.ts", "lost-send.spec.ts", "chat-restart.spec.ts", "settings-toggle.spec.ts", "browser-bootstrap-diagnostics.spec.ts", "service-worker-module-loading.spec.ts", "browser-bootstrap-recovery.spec.ts", "blocker-input.spec.ts", "native-blocker-visible.spec.ts", "copilot-permission-card.spec.ts", "kimi-permission-card.spec.ts", "github-review-check.spec.ts", "antigravity-journey-browser.spec.ts", "task-search-filter.spec.ts"],
+  testMatch: ["question-resume-ui.spec.ts", "clarification-readback.spec.ts", "project-context-readback.spec.ts", "skill-studio-flow.spec.ts", "native-task-reply.spec.ts", "screenshot-readiness.spec.ts", "service-worker-reload.spec.ts", "lost-send.spec.ts", "chat-restart.spec.ts", "settings-toggle.spec.ts", "browser-bootstrap-diagnostics.spec.ts", "service-worker-module-loading.spec.ts", "browser-bootstrap-recovery.spec.ts", "blocker-input.spec.ts", "native-blocker-visible.spec.ts", "copilot-permission-card.spec.ts", "kimi-permission-card.spec.ts", "github-review-check.spec.ts", "antigravity-journey-browser.spec.ts", "task-search-filter.spec.ts", "task-document-navigation.spec.ts"],
   workers: 1,
   retries: 0,
   timeout: 10_000,
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/product-journeys/task-document-flow.test.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/product-journeys/task-document-flow.test.ts
index 0d28da0be36..21b546778ee 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/product-journeys/task-document-flow.test.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/product-journeys/task-document-flow.test.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ describe("task document reopen navigation", () => {
             expect(hasText).toBe(issue.title);
             return { first: () => ({ click }) };
           } }
-          : { isVisible: async () => true },
+          : { isVisible: async () => true, first: () => ({ isVisible: async () => true }) },
       },
     } as unknown as JourneyContext;
     await reopenTaskDocument(context, issue);
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/product-journeys/task-document-flow.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/product-journeys/task-document-flow.ts
index 29ea5491a7d..8e6327f68c2 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/product-journeys/task-document-flow.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/product-journeys/task-document-flow.ts
@@ -4,13 +4,20 @@ import { JourneyError, type JourneyContext, type JourneyEvidence, type TargetSes
 
 async function openDocumentAuthoring({ page }: JourneyContext) {
   const create = page.getByRole("button", { name: "New document", exact: true });
-  if (await create.isVisible()) return;
   const properties = page.getByRole("button", { name: /^(Show properties|Properties)$/ }).first();
-  if (await properties.isVisible()) await properties.click();
   const artifacts = page.getByRole("tab", { name: /^Artifacts/ }).first();
+  const addTab = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Open a new tab", exact: true });
+  const panelReady = async () => await create.isVisible() || await artifacts.isVisible() || await addTab.isVisible();
+  await expect.poll(async () => await properties.isVisible() || await panelReady()).toBe(true);
+  if (await create.isVisible()) return;
+  if (await properties.isVisible()) {
+    await properties.click();
+    await expect.poll(panelReady).toBe(true);
+    if (await create.isVisible()) return;
+  }
   if (await artifacts.isVisible()) await artifacts.click();
   else {
-    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Open a new tab", exact: true }).click();
+    await addTab.click();
     await page.getByRole("option", { name: /^Artifacts/ }).click();
   }
   await expect(create).toBeVisible();
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/task-document-navigation.spec.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/task-document-navigation.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8571290d779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/task-document-navigation.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test";
+import { reopenTaskDocument } from "./product-journeys/task-document-flow.js";
+import type { JourneyContext } from "./product-journeys/types.js";
+
+for (const layout of ["collapsed", "artifacts", "launcher", "classic"] as const) {
+  test(`document reopen waits for the ${layout} task controls after reload`, async ({ page }) => {
+    const issue = { title: "Journey QA document navigation" };
+    let taskLoads = 0;
+    await page.route("https://document-navigation.test/**", async route => {
+      if (new URL(route.request().url()).pathname.endsWith("/issues")) {
+        await route.fulfill({ contentType: "text/html", body: `<a href="/QA/issues/QA-201">${issue.title}</a>` });
+        return;
+      }
+      taskLoads++;
+      await route.fulfill({ contentType: "text/html", body: `<main><div id="controls"></div></main><script>
+        const controls = document.querySelector('#controls');
+        function authoring() { controls.innerHTML = '<button>New document</button><section id="document-qa-note">Saved revision two</section>'; }
+        function panel() {
+          controls.innerHTML = ${JSON.stringify(layout === "artifacts" ? '<button role="tab">Artifacts</button>' : '<button>Open a new tab</button>')};
+          controls.querySelector('button').onclick = ${layout === "artifacts" ? "authoring" : `() => { controls.innerHTML = '<div role="option">Artifacts</div>'; controls.querySelector('[role="option"]').onclick = authoring; }`};
+        }
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          ${layout === "classic" ? "authoring();" : layout === "collapsed" ? `controls.innerHTML = '<button>Show properties</button>'; controls.querySelector('button').onclick = () => setTimeout(panel, 100);` : "panel();"}
+        }, 200);
+        </script>` });
+    });
+    const context = { page, api: { origin: "https://document-navigation.test" }, company: { issuePrefix: "QA" } } as JourneyContext;
+    await reopenTaskDocument(context, issue);
+    await expect(page.locator("#document-qa-note")).toHaveText("Saved revision two");
+    expect(taskLoads).toBe(2);
+  });
+}
+
+test("document reopen fails when the task has no authoring controls", async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.route("https://document-navigation.test/**", async route => {
+    const list = new URL(route.request().url()).pathname.endsWith("/issues");
+    await route.fulfill({ contentType: "text/html", body: list ? '<a href="/QA/issues/QA-201">Journey QA document navigation</a>' : '<main>Task without document permissions</main>' });
+  });
+  const context = { page, api: { origin: "https://document-navigation.test" }, company: { issuePrefix: "QA" } } as JourneyContext;
+  await expect(reopenTaskDocument(context, { title: "Journey QA document navigation" })).rejects.toThrow();
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "New document", exact: true })).toHaveCount(0);
+});