diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/daemon-client.e2e.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/daemon-client.e2e.test.ts
index 701a7f6108..55aa4537c1 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/daemon-client.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/daemon-client.e2e.test.ts
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ class RejectingMcpResumeClient implements AgentClient {
   }
 }
 
-test("createAgent fails when the initial turn cannot start", async () => {
+test("createAgent preserves the error snapshot when the initial turn cannot start", async () => {
   const testAgent = new StubAgentClient({
     sessionId: "start-turn-failure-session",
     supportsStreaming: false,
@@ -425,16 +425,18 @@ test("createAgent fails when the initial turn cannot start", async () => {
     await client.connect();
     await client.fetchAgents({ subscribe: {} });
 
-    await expect(
-      client.createAgent({
-        provider: "codex",
-        cwd: tmpCwd(),
-        title: "Start failure agent",
-        modeId: "full-access",
-        model: "gpt-5.4-mini",
-        initialPrompt: "Run exactly: sleep 30",
-      }),
-    ).rejects.toThrow("Initial turn failed to start");
+    const created = await client.createAgent({
+      provider: "codex",
+      cwd: tmpCwd(),
+      title: "Start failure agent",
+      modeId: "full-access",
+      model: "gpt-5.4-mini",
+      initialPrompt: "Run exactly: sleep 30",
+    });
+    expect(created.status).toBe("error");
+    expect(created.lastError).toBe("Initial turn failed to start");
+    const fetched = await client.fetchAgent({ agentId: created.id });
+    expect(fetched?.agent.lastError).toBe("Initial turn failed to start");
   } finally {
     await client.close();
     await daemon.close();
@@ -1405,27 +1407,6 @@ test("creates agent and exercises lifecycle", async () => {
   });
 
   const createRequestId = `create-${Date.now()}`;
-  const createdStatusPromise = waitForSignal(15000, (resolve) => {
-    const unsubscribe = ctx.client.on("status", (message) => {
-      if (message.type !== "status") {
-        return;
-      }
-      const payload = message.payload as {
-        status?: string;
-        agentId?: string;
-        requestId?: string;
-      };
-      if (payload.status !== "agent_created") {
-        return;
-      }
-      if (payload.requestId !== createRequestId) {
-        return;
-      }
-      resolve(message);
-    });
-    return unsubscribe;
-  });
-
   const agent = await ctx.client.createAgent({
     ...getFullAccessConfig("codex"),
     cwd,
@@ -1440,30 +1421,8 @@ test("creates agent and exercises lifecycle", async () => {
 
   const agentUpdate = await agentUpdatePromise;
   expect(agentUpdate.payload.agent.id).toBe(agent.id);
-  const createdStatus = await createdStatusPromise;
-  expect((createdStatus.payload as { agentId?: string }).agentId).toBe(agent.id);
 
   const failRequestId = `fail-${Date.now()}`;
-  const failedStatusPromise = waitForSignal(15000, (resolve) => {
-    const unsubscribe = ctx.client.on("status", (message) => {
-      if (message.type !== "status") {
-        return;
-      }
-      const payload = message.payload as {
-        status?: string;
-        requestId?: string;
-      };
-      if (payload.status !== "agent_create_failed") {
-        return;
-      }
-      if (payload.requestId !== failRequestId) {
-        return;
-      }
-      resolve(message);
-    });
-    return unsubscribe;
-  });
-
   await expect(
     ctx.client.createAgent({
       ...getFullAccessConfig("codex"),
@@ -1472,7 +1431,6 @@ test("creates agent and exercises lifecycle", async () => {
       requestId: failRequestId,
     }),
   ).rejects.toThrow("Working directory does not exist");
-  await failedStatusPromise;
 
   let sawRefresh = false;
   const unsubscribe = ctx.client.subscribe((event) => {
@@ -1651,6 +1609,11 @@ test("creates agent and exercises lifecycle", async () => {
 }, 300000);
 
 test("handles permission flow", async () => {
+  const permissionEvents = ctx.client.observeEvents([
+    "agent_permission_request",
+    "agent_permission_resolved",
+  ]);
+  await permissionEvents.ready;
   const cwd = tmpCwd();
   const filePath = path.join(cwd, "permission.txt");
 
@@ -1719,6 +1682,7 @@ test("handles permission flow", async () => {
     // Prevent unhandled rejections if the test fails before promises resolve.
     await permissionRequestPromise.catch(() => {});
     await permissionResolvedPromise.catch(() => {});
+    await permissionEvents.release();
     await ctx.client.deleteAgent(agent.id);
     rmSync(cwd, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }