diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-cut.yml b/.github/workflows/release-cut.yml
index 1d65ad89a21..79cec67b738 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-cut.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-cut.yml
@@ -887,23 +887,24 @@ jobs:
       # out the release tag. Cherry-pick / hotfix tags can predate a golden
       # script that main already calls; --if-present keeps those cuts green
       # instead of failing with ERR_PNPM_NO_SCRIPT.
+      # One retry separates transient runner/PTY startup failures from regressions.
       - name: Run terminal rendering golden on Linux
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
         run: |
-          xvfb-run --auto-servernum env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:workspace-session-golden
-          xvfb-run --auto-servernum env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run test:e2e:terminal-rendering-golden
-          xvfb-run --auto-servernum env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:posix-profile-index-golden
+          xvfb-run --auto-servernum env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:workspace-session-golden -- --retries=1
+          xvfb-run --auto-servernum env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run test:e2e:terminal-rendering-golden -- --retries=1
+          xvfb-run --auto-servernum env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:posix-profile-index-golden -- --retries=1
 
       - name: Run source-control golden on Linux
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
-        run: xvfb-run --auto-servernum env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:source-control-golden
+        run: xvfb-run --auto-servernum env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:source-control-golden -- --retries=1
 
       - name: Run terminal rendering golden on macOS
         if: runner.os == 'macOS'
         run: |
-          env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:workspace-session-golden
-          env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run test:e2e:terminal-rendering-golden
-          env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:posix-profile-index-golden
+          env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:workspace-session-golden -- --retries=1
+          env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run test:e2e:terminal-rendering-golden -- --retries=1
+          env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:posix-profile-index-golden -- --retries=1
 
       - name: Run agent TUI golden on Linux
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
@@ -915,7 +916,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run source-control golden on macOS
         if: runner.os == 'macOS'
-        run: env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:source-control-golden
+        run: env SKIP_BUILD=1 ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS=1 pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:source-control-golden -- --retries=1
 
       - name: Run fresh-startup golden on Windows
         if: runner.os == 'Windows'
@@ -923,9 +924,9 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           $env:SKIP_BUILD = '1'
           $env:ORCA_E2E_FORWARD_APP_LOGS = '1'
-          pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:workspace-session-golden
-          pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:windows-fresh-startup-golden
-          pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:source-control-golden
+          pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:workspace-session-golden -- --retries=1
+          pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:windows-fresh-startup-golden -- --retries=1
+          pnpm run --if-present test:e2e:source-control-golden -- --retries=1
 
       - name: Upload Playwright traces
         if: failure()