diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/browser/turn-collapse.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/browser/turn-collapse.spec.ts
index d990e33009..cd899d1ee8 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/browser/turn-collapse.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/browser/turn-collapse.spec.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { DaemonClient } from "@getpaseo/client/internal/daemon-client";
 import path from "node:path";
 import {
   holdOlderHistoryPages,
+  scrollTimelineRowIntoView,
   userScrollsTimelineToHistoryStart,
 } from "../support/helpers/timeline-pagination";
 import { getActiveTabTestId } from "../support/helpers/launcher";
@@ -529,6 +530,7 @@ async function expectThinkingPresentation(page: Page, autoExpandReasoning: boole
       .last();
     await expect(group).toContainText(/read 1 file/i);
     await expect(group.getByRole("button").first()).not.toContainText(/thought/i);
+    await scrollTimelineRowIntoView(page, group);
     await group.getByRole("button").first().click();
     // Expand thinking is off: the group opens its rows, but the thought row stays closed
     // until the reader opens it.
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/support/helpers/timeline-pagination.ts b/packages/app/e2e/support/helpers/timeline-pagination.ts
index e575f4f0d9..f54fd86812 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/support/helpers/timeline-pagination.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/support/helpers/timeline-pagination.ts
@@ -477,18 +477,29 @@ export async function expectStableHistoryStartGutter(page: Page): Promise<void>
     .toBe(32);
 }
 
-export async function scrollTimelinePromptIntoView(page: Page, prompt: string): Promise<void> {
+/**
+ * Wheels the timeline until `row` is centered, as a reader does. Playwright's own
+ * scroll-into-view is programmatic, which the timeline does not treat as the reader leaving
+ * the bottom: it snaps back to the bottom and can move the row away mid-click.
+ */
+export async function scrollTimelineRowIntoView(page: Page, row: Locator): Promise<void> {
   const timeline = page.locator('[data-testid="agent-chat-scroll"]:visible').first();
-  const row = timeline.getByTestId("user-message").filter({ hasText: prompt });
   const [viewport, target] = await Promise.all([timeline.boundingBox(), row.boundingBox()]);
   if (!viewport || !target) {
-    throw new Error(`Expected a rendered timeline prompt for ${prompt}`);
+    throw new Error("Expected a rendered timeline row");
   }
-  // Programmatic scrolling does not express the user's intent to stop following output.
   await timeline.hover();
   await page.mouse.wheel(0, target.y - viewport.y - (viewport.height - target.height) / 2);
   await expect(row).toBeInViewport({ ratio: 1 });
   await waitForTimelineGeometryToSettle(page);
+}
+
+export async function scrollTimelinePromptIntoView(page: Page, prompt: string): Promise<void> {
+  const timeline = page.locator('[data-testid="agent-chat-scroll"]:visible').first();
+  await scrollTimelineRowIntoView(
+    page,
+    timeline.getByTestId("user-message").filter({ hasText: prompt }),
+  );
   await expect
     .poll(async () => (await readTimelineViewport(page)).scrollTop)
     .toBeGreaterThan(HISTORY_START_THRESHOLD_PX);