diff --git a/tests/e2e/helpers/git-status-retry-barrier.ts b/tests/e2e/helpers/git-status-retry-barrier.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e166313d003
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/helpers/git-status-retry-barrier.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import type { ElectronApplication } from '@stablyai/playwright-test'
+
+type StatusArgs = { worktreePath?: string; admissionTier?: string }
+type StatusHandler = (event: unknown, args?: StatusArgs) => unknown
+type RetryBarrier = {
+  captured: boolean
+  release: () => void
+  original: StatusHandler
+}
+type BarrierScope = typeof globalThis & { __gitStatusRetryBarrier?: RetryBarrier }
+
+export async function installGitStatusRetryBarrier(
+  app: ElectronApplication,
+  repoPath: string
+): Promise<void> {
+  await app.evaluate(({ ipcMain }, repoPath) => {
+    const scope = globalThis as BarrierScope
+    const handlers = (ipcMain as unknown as { _invokeHandlers: Map<string, StatusHandler> })
+      ._invokeHandlers
+    const original = handlers.get('git:status')
+    if (!original || scope.__gitStatusRetryBarrier) {
+      throw new Error('Git status handler unavailable or retry barrier already installed')
+    }
+    let release!: () => void
+    const pending = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      release = resolve
+    })
+    const state: RetryBarrier = { captured: false, release, original }
+    scope.__gitStatusRetryBarrier = state
+    handlers.set('git:status', async (event, args) => {
+      if (
+        !state.captured &&
+        args?.worktreePath === repoPath &&
+        args.admissionTier === 'interactive'
+      ) {
+        state.captured = true
+        await pending
+      }
+      return original(event, args)
+    })
+  }, repoPath)
+}
+
+export async function hasCapturedGitStatusRetry(app: ElectronApplication): Promise<boolean> {
+  return app.evaluate(() => (globalThis as BarrierScope).__gitStatusRetryBarrier?.captured ?? false)
+}
+
+export async function restoreGitStatusRetryHandler(app: ElectronApplication): Promise<void> {
+  await app.evaluate(({ ipcMain }) => {
+    const scope = globalThis as BarrierScope
+    const state = scope.__gitStatusRetryBarrier
+    if (!state) {
+      return
+    }
+    const handlers = (ipcMain as unknown as { _invokeHandlers: Map<string, StatusHandler> })
+      ._invokeHandlers
+    handlers.set('git:status', state.original)
+    state.release()
+    delete scope.__gitStatusRetryBarrier
+  })
+}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/helpers/git-status-retry-barrier.unit.test.ts b/tests/e2e/helpers/git-status-retry-barrier.unit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..74bdd8d8159
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/helpers/git-status-retry-barrier.unit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import type { ElectronApplication } from '@stablyai/playwright-test'
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  hasCapturedGitStatusRetry,
+  installGitStatusRetryBarrier,
+  restoreGitStatusRetryHandler
+} from './git-status-retry-barrier'
+
+describe('Git status retry barrier', () => {
+  it('holds the target interactive request and restores the real handler on cleanup', async () => {
+    const original = vi.fn(async (_event: unknown, args: unknown) => args)
+    const handlers = new Map([['git:status', original]])
+    const app = {
+      evaluate: (callback: (electron: unknown, arg?: unknown) => unknown, arg?: unknown) =>
+        Promise.resolve(callback({ ipcMain: { _invokeHandlers: handlers } }, arg))
+    } as unknown as ElectronApplication
+    await installGitStatusRetryBarrier(app, 'target-repo')
+    try {
+      const handler = handlers.get('git:status')!
+      const background = { worktreePath: 'target-repo', admissionTier: 'background' }
+      const otherRepo = { worktreePath: 'another-repo', admissionTier: 'interactive' }
+      await expect(handler({}, background)).resolves.toEqual(background)
+      await expect(handler({}, otherRepo)).resolves.toEqual(otherRepo)
+      expect(await hasCapturedGitStatusRetry(app)).toBe(false)
+
+      const retry = { worktreePath: 'target-repo', admissionTier: 'interactive' }
+      const event = {}
+      const pending = handler(event, retry)
+      expect(await hasCapturedGitStatusRetry(app)).toBe(true)
+      expect(original).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+      await restoreGitStatusRetryHandler(app)
+      await expect(pending).resolves.toEqual(retry)
+      expect(original).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(event, retry)
+      expect(handlers.get('git:status')).toBe(original)
+    } finally {
+      await restoreGitStatusRetryHandler(app)
+    }
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/e2e/source-control-large-file-count.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/source-control-large-file-count.spec.ts
index 28a5e7758f2..85f3710b308 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/source-control-large-file-count.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/source-control-large-file-count.spec.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 import type { ElectronApplication, Page } from '@stablyai/playwright-test'
 import { test, expect } from './helpers/orca-app'
 import { waitForSessionReady } from './helpers/store'
+import {
+  hasCapturedGitStatusRetry,
+  installGitStatusRetryBarrier,
+  restoreGitStatusRetryHandler
+} from './helpers/git-status-retry-barrier'
 import {
   createLargeFileCountRepo,
   removeLargeFileCountRepo,
@@ -434,13 +439,17 @@ test.describe('Source Control large file count (#8013)', () => {
       )
       expect(hugeState).not.toBeNull()
 
-      // Why: watcher refreshes stay parked while huge; the visible Retry is the
-      // explicit recovery path after the underlying change count drops.
-      removeLargeFileCountUntrackedTree(fixture.repoPath)
-      await expect(tooManyChangesBanner).toBeVisible()
       const retryButton = tooManyChangesBanner.locator('..').getByRole('button', { name: 'Retry' })
       await expect(retryButton).toBeVisible()
-      await retryButton.click()
+      // Keep automatic refreshes from removing Retry before its real request starts.
+      await installGitStatusRetryBarrier(electronApp, fixture.repoPath)
+      try {
+        await retryButton.click()
+        await expect.poll(() => hasCapturedGitStatusRetry(electronApp)).toBe(true)
+        removeLargeFileCountUntrackedTree(fixture.repoPath)
+      } finally {
+        await restoreGitStatusRetryHandler(electronApp)
+      }
       await expect(tooManyChangesBanner).not.toBeVisible()
       await expect
         .poll(() =>