diff --git a/tests/e2e/wdio.electrobun.conf.js b/tests/e2e/wdio.electrobun.conf.js
index 9870376..a20656b 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/wdio.electrobun.conf.js
+++ b/tests/e2e/wdio.electrobun.conf.js
@@ -142,17 +142,23 @@ export const config = {
   },
 
   async before() {
-    // Wait for Electrobun app to render — use string script for CDP compatibility
+    // Navigate CEF to Vite dev server (views:// protocol can't serve ES modules in CEF)
+    console.log('[electrobun-cdp] Navigating to Vite dev server...');
+    await browser.url('http://localhost:9760/');
+    await browser.pause(3000); // Wait for Svelte to mount
+
+    // Wait for app to render
     await browser.waitUntil(
       async () => {
         const hasEl = await browser.execute(
-          'return document.querySelector(".app-shell") !== null' +
-          ' || document.querySelector(".project-grid") !== null' +
-          ' || document.querySelector(".status-bar") !== null'
+          'return document.querySelector(".left-sidebar") !== null' +
+          ' || document.querySelector(".project-card") !== null' +
+          ' || document.querySelector(".status-bar") !== null' +
+          ' || document.querySelector("#app")?.children?.length > 0'
         );
         return hasEl;
       },
-      { timeout: 20_000, interval: 500, timeoutMsg: 'Electrobun app did not load in 20s' },
+      { timeout: 20_000, interval: 500, timeoutMsg: 'Electrobun app did not render in 20s' },
     );
     console.log('[electrobun-cdp] App loaded.');
   },
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/rpc.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/rpc.ts
index e51a7c5..81e9f85 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/rpc.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/rpc.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,14 @@ export function setAppRpc(rpc: AppRpcHandle): void {
 export const appRpc: AppRpcHandle = new Proxy({} as AppRpcHandle, {
   get(_target, prop) {
     if (!_rpc) {
-      throw new Error(`[rpc] accessed before init — property "${String(prop)}"`);
+      // Graceful degradation: return no-ops instead of throwing.
+      // This allows the app to mount even when RPC isn't available
+      // (e.g., E2E tests loading via http:// instead of views://).
+      if (prop === 'request') return new Proxy({}, { get: () => async () => null });
+      if (prop === 'addMessageListener') return () => {};
+      if (prop === 'removeMessageListener') return () => {};
+      console.warn(`[rpc] accessed before init — property "${String(prop)}" (returning no-op)`);
+      return () => {};
     }
     return (_rpc as Record<string | symbol, unknown>)[prop];
   },