diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/daytona-image.test.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/daytona-image.test.ts
index c046f37b4c3..f7d1ce33b77 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/daytona-image.test.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/daytona-image.test.ts
@@ -32,12 +32,14 @@ describe("runner E2E Daytona image contract", () => {
     }
     for (const transport of ["dial_ws_loopback", "dial_wss", "listen_ws"]) {
       expect(dockerfile).toContain(transport);
-      expect(workflow).toContain(transport);
     }
-    expect(workflow).toContain('"binaryContractVersion":2');
+    expect(dockerfile).toContain('metadata="$(paperclip-runnerd --build-metadata)"');
+    expect(dockerfile).toContain("provider-pack.json");
     expect(workflow).toContain("--platform linux/amd64");
     expect(workflow).toContain("cosign sign --yes");
-    expect(workflow).toContain(".runnerSourceRevision == $revision");
+    expect(workflow).toContain("docker image inspect");
+    expect(workflow).toContain('.Config.User == "daytona"');
+    expect(workflow).toContain("PAPERCLIP_RUNNER_PROVIDER_PACK_ROOT=");
     expect(workflow).toContain("anonymous_config");
   });
 });
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/live-fixtures.test.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/live-fixtures.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bb0b8815b6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/live-fixtures.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { RunnerApi } from "./api.js";
+import { runnerMatrix } from "./catalog.js";
+import { setupLiveFixtures } from "./live-fixtures.js";
+
+describe("live runner fixtures", () => {
+  it("installs the Daytona provider through the public API before creating its environment", async () => {
+    const calls: string[] = [];
+    const api = {
+      async post(path: string, data?: Record<string, unknown>) {
+        calls.push(`POST ${path}`);
+        if (path === "/api/plugins/install") {
+          expect(data).toMatchObject({ isLocalPath: true });
+          expect(data?.packageName).toEqual(
+            expect.stringContaining(
+              "packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona",
+            ),
+          );
+          return {
+            id: "plugin-daytona",
+            pluginKey: "paperclip.daytona-sandbox-provider",
+            status: "ready",
+          };
+        }
+        if (path === "/api/companies") {
+          return { id: "company-1", name: "Runner E2E" };
+        }
+        if (path.endsWith("/environments")) {
+          expect(calls).toContain("POST /api/plugins/install");
+          return { id: "environment-1", driver: "sandbox" };
+        }
+        if (path.endsWith("/agents")) {
+          return { id: "agent-1", name: "Agent", companyId: "company-1" };
+        }
+        throw new Error(`Unexpected POST ${path}`);
+      },
+      async postSensitive(path: string, data?: Record<string, unknown>) {
+        calls.push(`POST ${path}`);
+        return { id: `secret-${String(data?.key).toLowerCase()}` };
+      },
+      async delete(path: string) {
+        calls.push(`DELETE ${path}`);
+      },
+    } as unknown as RunnerApi;
+    const execution = runnerMatrix.find(
+      (candidate) =>
+        candidate.id === "legacy-codex.daytona.message-marker",
+    );
+    expect(execution).toBeDefined();
+
+    const fixtures = await setupLiveFixtures({
+      api,
+      execution: execution!,
+      executionNonce: "nonce",
+      workspacePath: "/tmp/workspace",
+      credentials: {
+        OPENAI_API_KEY: "openai-test-value",
+        DAYTONA_API_KEY: "daytona-test-value",
+      },
+      daytonaImage: "ghcr.io/paperclip/image@sha256:aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa",
+    });
+
+    expect(calls.indexOf("POST /api/plugins/install")).toBeLessThan(
+      calls.indexOf("POST /api/companies/company-1/environments"),
+    );
+    await fixtures.teardown();
+    expect(calls).toContain(
+      "DELETE /api/environments/environment-1?destroyReusableSandboxLeases=true",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/live-fixtures.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/live-fixtures.ts
index 0efa5c7f434..4ab928c4000 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/live-fixtures.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/live-fixtures.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import path from "node:path";
 import { FixtureRegistry } from "./fixture-registry.js";
 import type { RunnerApi } from "./api.js";
 import type {
@@ -16,6 +17,11 @@ interface CompanyRecord {
 interface SecretRecord {
   id: string;
 }
+interface PluginRecord {
+  id: string;
+  pluginKey: string;
+  status: string;
+}
 interface EnvironmentRecord {
   id: string;
   driver: string;
@@ -74,6 +80,26 @@ export async function setupLiveFixtures(input: {
   const { api, execution } = input;
   const registry = new FixtureRegistry();
 
+  if (execution.environment.id === "daytona") {
+    registry.register<PluginRecord>({
+      id: "sandbox-provider",
+      async setup() {
+        return api.post<PluginRecord>("/api/plugins/install", {
+          packageName: path.resolve(
+            import.meta.dirname,
+            "../../packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona",
+          ),
+          isLocalPath: true,
+        });
+      },
+      async teardown() {
+        // The plugin is installed only in the isolated instance/database. The
+        // launcher removes that complete instance after the environment lease
+        // has been destroyed, so no global uninstall mutation is necessary.
+      },
+    });
+  }
+
   registry.register<CompanyRecord>({
     id: "company",
     async setup() {
@@ -120,7 +146,13 @@ export async function setupLiveFixtures(input: {
 
   registry.register<EnvironmentRecord>({
     id: "environment",
-    dependencies: ["company", "secrets"],
+    dependencies: [
+      "company",
+      "secrets",
+      ...(execution.environment.id === "daytona"
+        ? ["sandbox-provider"]
+        : []),
+    ],
     async setup(resolved) {
       const company = value<CompanyRecord>(resolved, "company");
       const secretRefs = value<SecretReferenceMap>(resolved, "secrets");