diff --git a/test/e2e/pages/sessions.ts b/test/e2e/pages/sessions.ts
index c418651f63f5..7f916daa4bcd 100644
--- a/test/e2e/pages/sessions.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/pages/sessions.ts
@@ -874,10 +874,10 @@ export class Sessions {
 	 *
 	 * @param version - The descriptive string of the runtime to verify.
 	 */
-	async expectSessionPickerToBe(runtimeName: string) {
+	async expectSessionPickerToBe(runtimeName: string, timeout: number = 15000) {
 		await test.step(`Verify runtime is selected: ${runtimeName}`, async () => {
 			const normalizedRuntimeName = runtimeName.replace(/-\s\d+$/, '').trim();
-			await expect(this.sessionPicker).toHaveText(normalizedRuntimeName);
+			await expect(this.sessionPicker).toHaveText(normalizedRuntimeName, { timeout });
 		}
 		);
 	}
diff --git a/test/e2e/tests/connections/connections-duckdb.test.ts b/test/e2e/tests/connections/connections-duckdb.test.ts
index 28c484c48dfa..6892a22806e9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/tests/connections/connections-duckdb.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/tests/connections/connections-duckdb.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 import { test, tags } from '../_test.setup';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import os from 'node:os';
+import path from 'node:path';
 
 test.use({
 	suiteId: __filename
@@ -11,10 +14,30 @@ test.use({
 
 const randomText = Math.random().toString(36).substring(7);
 
+function configurePasswordStore() {
+	const home = os.homedir();            // likely /root in your container
+	// Adjust folder name to your product; for VS Code it's ".vscode"
+	const argvDir = path.join(home, '.vscode-oss-dev');
+	fs.mkdirSync(argvDir, { recursive: true });
+
+	const argvPath = path.join(argvDir, 'argv.json');
+	const argv = {
+		// use basic Chromium text encryption – fine for throwaway CI machines
+		'password-store': 'basic'
+	};
+
+	fs.writeFileSync(argvPath, JSON.stringify(argv, null, 2));
+}
+
+
 test.describe('DuckDB Connection', {
 	tag: [tags.WEB, tags.CONNECTIONS, tags.WIN, tags.SOFT_FAIL]
 }, () => {
 
+	test.beforeAll(async function ({ app }) {
+		configurePasswordStore();
+	});
+
 	test('Python - Can establish a DuckDB connection', async function ({ python, app }) {
 
 		await app.workbench.console.pasteCodeToConsole(connectionCode, true);
diff --git a/test/e2e/tests/reticulate/reticulate-restart.test.ts b/test/e2e/tests/reticulate/reticulate-restart.test.ts
index 5ed3d745b7a5..15a88397f1ef 100644
--- a/test/e2e/tests/reticulate/reticulate-restart.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/tests/reticulate/reticulate-restart.test.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ test.describe('Reticulate', {
 
 		await sessions.start('pythonReticulate');
 
-		await app.workbench.sessions.expectSessionPickerToBe('Python (reticulate)');
+		await app.workbench.sessions.expectSessionPickerToBe('Python (reticulate)', 60000);
 
 		await app.workbench.sessions.restart('Python (reticulate)', { waitForIdle: false });