diff --git a/e2e/work-checkpoints.playwright.ts b/e2e/work-checkpoints.playwright.ts
index 013b1b7..b41624b 100644
--- a/e2e/work-checkpoints.playwright.ts
+++ b/e2e/work-checkpoints.playwright.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ import { readFileSync, readlinkSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { createHash } from 'node:crypto'
 
 const manifestPath=process.env.WORK_CHECKPOINT_HTTP_MANIFEST
-if(!manifestPath)throw new Error('Explicit task-owned mechanism instance manifest required')
-const manifest=JSON.parse(readFileSync(manifestPath,'utf8'))
-if(manifest.mode!=='mechanism'||!manifest.dataDir.includes('fast-slow-u2-u3-')||readlinkSync(`/proc/${manifest.pid}/exe`)!==manifest.binary||createHash('sha256').update(readFileSync(manifest.binary)).digest('hex')!==manifest.binarySHA256)throw new Error('Owned mechanism instance verification failed')
+test.skip(!manifestPath,'Run explicitly with a task-owned mechanism instance manifest')
+const manifest=manifestPath?JSON.parse(readFileSync(manifestPath,'utf8')):null
+if(manifest&&(manifest.mode!=='mechanism'||!manifest.dataDir.includes('fast-slow-u2-u3-')||readlinkSync(`/proc/${manifest.pid}/exe`)!==manifest.binary||createHash('sha256').update(readFileSync(manifest.binary)).digest('hex')!==manifest.binarySHA256))throw new Error('Owned mechanism instance verification failed')
 
 async function setup(request:any){
  const project=await(await request.post(manifest.base+'/api/projects',{data:{name:'browser-'+Date.now()}})).json()