diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/browser/new-workspace-composer-draft.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/browser/new-workspace-composer-draft.spec.ts
index 906efcfb42..01fd4638eb 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/browser/new-workspace-composer-draft.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/browser/new-workspace-composer-draft.spec.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { chooseModel, startWithoutRememberedModel } from "../support/helpers/model-memory";
 import {
   composerLocator,
   enterComposerFullscreen,
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ test.describe("New workspace composer draft", () => {
     const project = await seedWorkspace({ repoPrefix: "new-workspace-submitted-draft-" });
 
     try {
+      await startWithoutRememberedModel(page);
       await gotoAppShell(page);
       await waitForSidebarHydration(page);
       await openNewWorkspaceComposer(page, {
@@ -104,6 +106,7 @@ test.describe("New workspace composer draft", () => {
         projectDisplayName: project.projectDisplayName,
       });
 
+      await chooseModel(page, "mock", "Ten second stream");
       const composer = page.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Message agent..." });
       const createButton = page.getByTestId("workspace-create-submit");
       await expect(composer).toBeEditable({ timeout: 30_000 });
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/connected-hosts/hosts.e2e.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/connected-hosts/hosts.e2e.test.ts
index 0b7bff0532..a587d8c04f 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/connected-hosts/hosts.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/connected-hosts/hosts.e2e.test.ts
@@ -2107,17 +2107,24 @@ test(
       config: { provider: "claude/claude-test", modeId: "full-access" },
       title: "Large history",
     });
-    const text = "x".repeat(50 * 1024 * 1024);
-    await b.daemon.agentManager.appendTimelineItem(agent.id, { type: "assistant_message", text });
+    // Keep each row below the established item budget; exercise transport size across rows.
+    const text = "x".repeat(240 * 1024);
+    const rowCount = 220;
+    for (let index = 0; index < rowCount; index++) {
+      await b.daemon.agentManager.appendTimelineItem(agent.id, { type: "user_message", text });
+    }
     await origin.paseo.hosts.add({ connection: `127.0.0.1:${b.port}` });
     const serverId = (await online(origin.paseo)).hosts[0]!.serverId!;
     const remote = await origin.paseo.hosts.client(serverId);
-    const response = await remote.agents.ref(agent.id).timeline.refetch({ limit: 20 });
+    const response = await remote.agents.ref(agent.id).timeline.refetch({ limit: 0 });
     const messages = response.entries.flatMap((row) =>
-      row.item.type === "assistant_message" ? [row.item.text] : [],
+      row.item.type === "user_message" ? [row.item.text] : [],
     );
-    expect(messages).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(messages[0] === text).toBe(true);
+    expect(messages).toHaveLength(rowCount);
+    expect(messages.every((message) => message === text)).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      messages.reduce((bytes, message) => bytes + Buffer.byteLength(message), 0),
+    ).toBeGreaterThan(50 * 1024 * 1024);
     expect((await remote.workspaces.list()).entries).toHaveLength(1);
     await remote.dispose();
   },