diff --git a/tests/e2e/helpers/startup-exec-readiness-oracle.ts b/tests/e2e/helpers/startup-exec-readiness-oracle.ts
index 577702c8ea0..7aa56e38863 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/helpers/startup-exec-readiness-oracle.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/helpers/startup-exec-readiness-oracle.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import type {
 import { toWebTerminalSurfaceTabId } from '../../../src/shared/terminal-surface-id'
 import { expect } from './orca-app'
 import { getTerminalContent, waitForActivePanePtyId } from './terminal'
+import { readFreshTerminalInventory } from './terminal-inventory-observation'
 
 const RECOVERY_DEADLINE_MS = 8_000
 
@@ -76,10 +77,6 @@ function count(text: string, marker: string): number {
   return text.split(marker).length - 1
 }
 
-function isTransientPtyLivenessError(error: unknown): boolean {
-  return error instanceof Error && error.message.includes('terminal_liveness_unavailable')
-}
-
 async function expectSingleOwningPty(
   page: Page,
   worktreeId: string,
@@ -90,24 +87,15 @@ async function expectSingleOwningPty(
   await expect
     .poll(
       async () => {
-        try {
-          const listed = await callStartupExecRuntime<RuntimeTerminalListResult>(
-            page,
-            'terminal.list',
-            {
-              worktree: `id:${worktreeId}`,
-              requireFreshPtyLiveness: true
-            }
-          )
-          return listed.terminals
-            .filter((candidate) => candidate.tabId === tabId)
-            .map((candidate) => ({ handle: candidate.handle, ptyId: candidate.ptyId }))
-        } catch (error) {
-          if (isTransientPtyLivenessError(error)) {
-            return []
-          }
-          throw error
-        }
+        const listed = await readFreshTerminalInventory(() =>
+          callStartupExecRuntime<RuntimeTerminalListResult>(page, 'terminal.list', {
+            worktree: `id:${worktreeId}`,
+            requireFreshPtyLiveness: true
+          })
+        )
+        return (listed?.terminals ?? [])
+          .filter((candidate) => candidate.tabId === tabId)
+          .map((candidate) => ({ handle: candidate.handle, ptyId: candidate.ptyId }))
       },
       { timeout: 30_000 }
     )
diff --git a/tests/e2e/helpers/terminal-inventory-observation.ts b/tests/e2e/helpers/terminal-inventory-observation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0fcefdb23c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/helpers/terminal-inventory-observation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import type { RuntimeTerminalListResult } from '../../../src/shared/runtime-types'
+
+export async function readFreshTerminalInventory(
+  read: () => Promise<RuntimeTerminalListResult>
+): Promise<RuntimeTerminalListResult | null> {
+  try {
+    return await read()
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof Error && error.message.includes('terminal_liveness_unavailable')) {
+      return null
+    }
+    throw error
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/paired-remote-terminal-materialization-reconnect.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/paired-remote-terminal-materialization-reconnect.spec.ts
index 64d6b6510d2..fda18fc74c6 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/paired-remote-terminal-materialization-reconnect.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/paired-remote-terminal-materialization-reconnect.spec.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   launchPairedElectronClient
 } from './helpers/paired-electron-client'
 import { getTerminalContent, waitForActivePanePtyId } from './helpers/terminal'
+import { readFreshTerminalInventory } from './helpers/terminal-inventory-observation'
 
 const scratch = mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-paired-materialize-'))
 const fixturePath = path.join(scratch, 'materialize-terminal.mjs')
@@ -316,18 +317,17 @@ async function runMaterializationJourney(
   await tab.click()
   await expect.poll(() => getTerminalContent(page), { timeout: 10_000 }).toContain(marker)
 
-  const listed = await callRuntime<RuntimeTerminalListResult>(
-    page,
-    environmentId,
-    'terminal.list',
-    {
-      worktree: `id:${worktreeId}`,
-      requireFreshPtyLiveness: true
-    }
-  )
-  expect(
-    listed.terminals.filter((terminal) => terminal.tabId === created.tab.parentTabId)
-  ).toHaveLength(1)
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => {
+      const listed = await readFreshTerminalInventory(() =>
+        callRuntime<RuntimeTerminalListResult>(page, environmentId, 'terminal.list', {
+          worktree: `id:${worktreeId}`,
+          requireFreshPtyLiveness: true
+        })
+      )
+      return listed?.terminals.filter((terminal) => terminal.tabId === created.tab.parentTabId)
+    })
+    .toHaveLength(1)
   await callRuntime(page, environmentId, 'terminal.closeTab', { terminal: replacementHandle })
 }