diff --git a/packages/matrix/scripts/test.sh b/packages/matrix/scripts/test.sh
index df4e29fb9b2..e0ca78709d5 100755
--- a/packages/matrix/scripts/test.sh
+++ b/packages/matrix/scripts/test.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,13 @@ echo "running tests: ${1}"
 # this and narrows `testMatch` to the spec files bin-packed onto this shard;
 # Playwright's own `--shard` is not used because it balances test count rather
 # than test cost. See packages/matrix/support/shard-spec-files.ts.
-MATRIX_TEST_SHARD="${1:-}"
+# THROWAWAY VERIFICATION: every shard runs only the email screenshot tests,
+# repeated, one worker, no retries. The template job has nothing to run.
+if [ -n "${MATRIX_SYNAPSE_TEMPLATE:-}" ]; then
+  echo "verification run: skipping template job"
+  exit 0
+fi
+MATRIX_TEST_SHARD=""
 export MATRIX_TEST_SHARD
 
 BASE_REALM="https-get://localhost:4201/base/"
@@ -20,4 +26,4 @@ BASE_REALM_READY="$BASE_REALM$READY_PATH"
 WAIT_ON_TIMEOUT=600000 START_SERVER_AND_TEST_INSECURE=1 start-server-and-test \
   'pnpm run wait' \
   "$BASE_REALM_READY" \
-  'pnpm playwright test'
+  'pnpm playwright test tests/profile.spec.ts:90 tests/forgot-password.spec.ts:27 tests/registration-with-token.spec.ts:51 --repeat-each=5 --retries=0 --workers=1'
diff --git a/packages/matrix/tests/fixtures.ts b/packages/matrix/tests/fixtures.ts
index 792c2daffce..182ee64be99 100644
--- a/packages/matrix/tests/fixtures.ts
+++ b/packages/matrix/tests/fixtures.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,25 @@
 import { test as base, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+import type { BrowserContext } from '@playwright/test';
 import { setRealmRedirects } from '../helpers/index.ts';
 
+// THROWAWAY VERIFICATION: hold the Poppins 700 stylesheet the email templates
+// load, as in the CI failure where it had no response at screenshot time.
+async function stallEmailFontStylesheet(context: BrowserContext) {
+  await context.route(
+    'https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@700',
+    async (route) => {
+      console.log('stalling Poppins 700 stylesheet for 8000ms');
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 8000));
+      await route.continue();
+    },
+  );
+}
+
 export const test = base.extend({
+  context: async ({ context }, use) => {
+    await stallEmailFontStylesheet(context);
+    await use(context);
+  },
   page: async ({ page }, use) => {
     await setRealmRedirects(page);
     await use(page);