diff --git a/scripts/ensure-playwright-chromium.mjs b/scripts/ensure-playwright-chromium.mjs
index 5e158d3394bf..98dd7e9a8a40 100644
--- a/scripts/ensure-playwright-chromium.mjs
+++ b/scripts/ensure-playwright-chromium.mjs
@@ -151,48 +151,55 @@ export function ensurePlaywrightChromium(options = {}) {
   }
 
   log(`[ui-e2e] Playwright Chromium is not runnable at ${executablePath}; installing chromium.`);
-  const runner = resolvePlaywrightInstallRunner({
-    comSpec: options.comSpec,
+  const canInstallSystemDependencies = shouldInstallPlaywrightSystemDependencies({
     env,
+    getuid: options.getuid,
     platform: options.platform,
   });
-  const result = spawnSync(runner.command, runner.args, {
-    cwd: options.cwd ?? repoRoot,
-    env,
-    shell: runner.shell,
-    stdio: options.stdio ?? "inherit",
-    windowsVerbatimArguments: runner.windowsVerbatimArguments,
-  });
-  const status = result.status ?? 1;
+  const runPlaywrightInstall = (withDeps = false) => {
+    const runner = resolvePlaywrightInstallRunner({
+      comSpec: options.comSpec,
+      env,
+      platform: options.platform,
+      withDeps,
+    });
+    const result = spawnSync(runner.command, runner.args, {
+      cwd: options.cwd ?? repoRoot,
+      env,
+      shell: runner.shell,
+      stdio: options.stdio ?? "inherit",
+      windowsVerbatimArguments: runner.windowsVerbatimArguments,
+    });
+    return result.status ?? 1;
+  };
+
+  const status = runPlaywrightInstall();
   if (status !== 0) {
+    if (canInstallSystemDependencies) {
+      log(
+        `[ui-e2e] Chromium install failed in a Linux CI/root lane; installing Linux system dependencies.`,
+      );
+      const depsStatus = runPlaywrightInstall(true);
+      if (depsStatus !== 0) {
+        return depsStatus;
+      }
+      if (existsSync(executablePath) && canRunChromiumExecutable(executablePath, spawnSync)) {
+        return 0;
+      }
+      log(
+        `[ui-e2e] Playwright install completed but Chromium is still not runnable at ${executablePath}.`,
+      );
+      return 1;
+    }
     return status;
   }
 
   if (!existsSync(executablePath) || !canRunChromiumExecutable(executablePath, spawnSync)) {
-    if (
-      shouldInstallPlaywrightSystemDependencies({
-        env,
-        getuid: options.getuid,
-        platform: options.platform,
-      })
-    ) {
+    if (canInstallSystemDependencies) {
       log(
         `[ui-e2e] Chromium is installed but still cannot start; installing Linux system dependencies.`,
       );
-      const depsRunner = resolvePlaywrightInstallRunner({
-        comSpec: options.comSpec,
-        env,
-        platform: options.platform,
-        withDeps: true,
-      });
-      const depsResult = spawnSync(depsRunner.command, depsRunner.args, {
-        cwd: options.cwd ?? repoRoot,
-        env,
-        shell: depsRunner.shell,
-        stdio: options.stdio ?? "inherit",
-        windowsVerbatimArguments: depsRunner.windowsVerbatimArguments,
-      });
-      const depsStatus = depsResult.status ?? 1;
+      const depsStatus = runPlaywrightInstall(true);
       if (depsStatus !== 0) {
         return depsStatus;
       }
diff --git a/test/scripts/ensure-playwright-chromium.test.ts b/test/scripts/ensure-playwright-chromium.test.ts
index fc47576e4cdd..52b83b5e395d 100644
--- a/test/scripts/ensure-playwright-chromium.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/ensure-playwright-chromium.test.ts
@@ -193,6 +193,56 @@ describe("ensurePlaywrightChromium", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("retries with Linux system dependencies when the Chromium install reports missing host deps", () => {
+    const logs: string[] = [];
+    const spawnSync = vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockReturnValueOnce({ status: 23 })
+      .mockReturnValueOnce({ status: 0 })
+      .mockReturnValueOnce({ status: 0 });
+    let existsCalls = 0;
+
+    expect(
+      ensurePlaywrightChromium({
+        cwd: "/repo",
+        env: { CI: "1", PATH: "/bin" },
+        executablePath: "/cache/chromium/chrome",
+        existsSync: () => ++existsCalls > 1,
+        getuid: () => 501,
+        log: (line: string) => logs.push(line),
+        platform: "linux",
+        spawnSync,
+        stdio: "pipe",
+        systemExecutablePath: "",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(0);
+    expect(spawnSync).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      1,
+      "pnpm",
+      ["--dir", "ui", "exec", "playwright", "install", "chromium"],
+      {
+        cwd: "/repo",
+        env: { CI: "1", PATH: "/bin" },
+        shell: false,
+        stdio: "pipe",
+        windowsVerbatimArguments: undefined,
+      },
+    );
+    expect(spawnSync).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      2,
+      "pnpm",
+      ["--dir", "ui", "exec", "playwright", "install", "--with-deps", "chromium"],
+      {
+        cwd: "/repo",
+        env: { CI: "1", PATH: "/bin" },
+        shell: false,
+        stdio: "pipe",
+        windowsVerbatimArguments: undefined,
+      },
+    );
+    expect(logs.join("\n")).toContain("installing Linux system dependencies");
+  });
+
   it("does not install Linux system dependencies for an unprivileged local lane", () => {
     const spawnSync = vi
       .fn()