diff --git a/.github/actions/install-playwright/action.yml b/.github/actions/install-playwright/action.yml
index 6c8ea05d3c91..30815292dea2 100644
--- a/.github/actions/install-playwright/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/install-playwright/action.yml
@@ -5,33 +5,25 @@ inputs:
     description: 'What browsers to install.'
     default: 'chromium webkit firefox'
   cwd:
-    description: 'The working directory to run Playwright in.'
-    default: '.'
-  installed-version:
     description:
-      'A Playwright version that an earlier run of this action already installed. Skips the install if it matches.'
-    default: ''
-
-outputs:
-  version:
-    description: 'The resolved Playwright version, empty if Playwright is not installed or the install was skipped.'
-    value: ${{ steps.playwright-version.outputs.version }}
+      'The directory whose package.json declares the `@playwright/test` version to install. Nothing is installed if it
+      does not depend on `@playwright/test`.'
+    required: true
 
 runs:
   using: 'composite'
   steps:
-    # Resolve the app's @playwright/test version. Some apps (e.g. the node bundler apps) assert via a
-    # plain node script and don't depend on Playwright — emit an empty version instead of failing, so
-    # the steps below skip the (wasted) browser install rather than erroring on the missing package.
+    # Read from package.json rather than node_modules, so this can run before dependencies are installed.
     - name: Get Playwright version
       id: playwright-version
       run: |
-        version=$(node -e "let v = ''; try { v = require('@playwright/test/package.json').version; } catch {} process.stdout.write(String(v));")
-        if [ "$version" = "$INSTALLED_VERSION" ]; then version=''; fi
+        version=$(node -e "
+          const { dependencies, devDependencies } = require('./package.json');
+          const range = devDependencies?.['@playwright/test'] ?? dependencies?.['@playwright/test'] ?? '';
+          process.stdout.write(range.replace(/^[~^=]/, ''));
+        ")
         echo "version=$version" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
       shell: bash
-      env:
-        INSTALLED_VERSION: ${{ inputs.installed-version }}
       working-directory: ${{ inputs.cwd }}
 
     - name: Restore cached playwright binaries
@@ -46,18 +38,19 @@ runs:
 
     # We always install all browsers, if uncached
     - name: Install Playwright dependencies (uncached)
-      run: npx playwright install chromium webkit firefox --with-deps
+      env:
+        PLAYWRIGHT_VERSION: ${{ steps.playwright-version.outputs.version }}
+      run: npx -y "playwright@$PLAYWRIGHT_VERSION" install chromium webkit firefox --with-deps
       if: steps.playwright-version.outputs.version != '' && steps.playwright-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
       shell: bash
-      working-directory: ${{ inputs.cwd }}
 
     - name: Install Playwright system dependencies only (cached)
       env:
         PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS: ${{ inputs.browsers || 'chromium webkit firefox' }}
-      run: npx playwright install-deps "$PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS"
+        PLAYWRIGHT_VERSION: ${{ steps.playwright-version.outputs.version }}
+      run: npx -y "playwright@$PLAYWRIGHT_VERSION" install-deps "$PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS"
       if: steps.playwright-version.outputs.version != '' && steps.playwright-cache.outputs.cache-hit == 'true'
       shell: bash
-      working-directory: ${{ inputs.cwd }}
 
     # Only store cache on develop branch
     - name: Store cached playwright binaries
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 702a6ddbc2cb..cb05f34f6df2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -684,6 +684,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/install-playwright
         with:
           browsers: ${{ matrix.project }}
+          cwd: dev-packages/browser-integration-tests
 
       - name: Run Playwright tests
         env:
@@ -746,6 +747,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/install-playwright
         with:
           browsers: chromium
+          cwd: dev-packages/browser-integration-tests
 
       - name: Run Playwright Loader tests
         env:
@@ -1101,8 +1103,7 @@ jobs:
           name: build-layer-output
           path: ${{ env.BUILD_LAYER_PATH }}
 
-      # Installs the root workspace's Playwright version while the app builds. Most apps use the same version.
-      # The app's own version is only known after its build, so it gets installed then if it differs.
+      # Installs Playwright while the app builds.
       # Started after the artifact downloads: starting next to them made `download-artifact` fail to read the event file.
       - name: Install Playwright
         id: install-playwright
@@ -1110,6 +1111,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/install-playwright
         with:
           browsers: chromium
+          cwd: dev-packages/e2e-tests/test-applications/${{ matrix.test-application }}
 
       - name: Prepare e2e tests
         run: yarn test:prepare
@@ -1138,13 +1140,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - wait: [install-playwright]
 
-      - name: Install Playwright for the app's version
-        uses: ./.github/actions/install-playwright
-        with:
-          browsers: chromium
-          cwd: ${{ runner.temp }}/test-application
-          installed-version: ${{ steps.install-playwright.outputs.version }}
-
       - name: Run E2E test
         working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/test-application
         timeout-minutes: 10
@@ -1248,8 +1243,7 @@ jobs:
           name: build-tarball-output
           path: ${{ env.TARBALL_ARTIFACT_DOWNLOAD_PATH }}
 
-      # Installs the root workspace's Playwright version while the app builds. Most apps use the same version.
-      # The app's own version is only known after its build, so it gets installed then if it differs.
+      # Installs Playwright while the app builds.
       # Started after the artifact downloads: starting next to them made `download-artifact` fail to read the event file.
       - name: Install Playwright
         id: install-playwright
@@ -1257,6 +1251,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/install-playwright
         with:
           browsers: chromium
+          cwd: dev-packages/e2e-tests/test-applications/${{ matrix.test-application }}
 
       - name: Prepare E2E tests
         run: yarn test:prepare
@@ -1283,13 +1278,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - wait: [install-playwright]
 
-      - name: Install Playwright for the app's version
-        uses: ./.github/actions/install-playwright
-        with:
-          browsers: chromium
-          cwd: ${{ runner.temp }}/test-application
-          installed-version: ${{ steps.install-playwright.outputs.version }}
-
       - name: Run E2E test
         working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/test-application
         timeout-minutes: 10
diff --git a/.github/workflows/flaky-test-detector.yml b/.github/workflows/flaky-test-detector.yml
index ae4fbc9ad692..b4c7e6e40c5f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/flaky-test-detector.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/flaky-test-detector.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/install-playwright
         with:
           browsers: 'chromium'
+          cwd: dev-packages/browser-integration-tests
 
       - name: Determine changed tests
         uses: dorny/paths-filter@v4.0.3