diff --git a/test-home-coverage-e2e.js b/test-home-coverage-e2e.js
index 4436930a..20968767 100644
--- a/test-home-coverage-e2e.js
+++ b/test-home-coverage-e2e.js
@@ -100,20 +100,51 @@ async function pickAnyPubkey(page) {
   });
 
   // ── 2. Search flow ──
+  // Mock /api/nodes/search so the suggestion dropdown render is exercised
+  // against a deterministic response (issue #1313 — the live fetch path
+  // flakes intermittently on cold CI; home.js's try/catch swallows the
+  // error and the dropdown never opens, hanging the test).
+  // Use a REAL fixture pubkey (so downstream /api/nodes/<pk>/health calls
+  // succeed) but pin a sentinel display name we can assert on.
+  const _fixtureNode = await pickAnyPubkey(page);
+  assert(_fixtureNode && _fixtureNode.public_key,
+    'fixture must expose at least one node with a public_key (got ' + JSON.stringify(_fixtureNode) + ')');
+  const FIXTURE_PUBKEY = _fixtureNode.public_key;
+  const FIXTURE_NAME = 'HomeFlakeFix-1313';
+  // Register the route BEFORE the typing step (and BEFORE we even reach
+  // the step body, so there is zero chance the keyup→debounce→fetch
+  // beats the route handler being attached). PR #1584 originally
+  // registered this inside the step; under cold-CI load the
+  // page.route() promise occasionally lost the race with the input
+  // event, leaving the fetch to hit the real /api/nodes/search and
+  // depending on whether the fixture had a match for 'h' the dropdown
+  // could end up empty or never open — see #1313.
+  await page.route('**/api/nodes/search**', (route) => route.fulfill({
+    status: 200,
+    contentType: 'application/json',
+    body: JSON.stringify({
+      nodes: [{ public_key: FIXTURE_PUBKEY, name: FIXTURE_NAME, role: 'companion' }],
+    }),
+  }));
   let pickedPubkey = null;
   let pickedName = null;
   await step('search input renders suggestions for a 1-char query', async () => {
-    // Populate pickedPubkey/pickedName so later steps (claim, My Mesh, etc.)
-    // still have a node to work with. The actual UI assertion is skipped —
-    // the /api/nodes/search fetch path is flaky in CI (home.js's try/catch
-    // swallows errors and never adds `.home-suggest.open`, causing the wait
-    // to time out). Proper fix needs Playwright-level page.route() mocking.
-    // See issue #1313.
-    const node = await pickAnyPubkey(page);
-    assert(node, 'fixture must have at least one node');
-    pickedPubkey = node.public_key;
-    pickedName = node.name || '';
-    console.log('SKIP: search test — flaky API fetch path, see issue #1313');
+    // Make sure home.js has finished its async init (loadStats fetch
+    // resolves, setupSearch has bound the input listener) before we
+    // type. Otherwise the very first keystroke can fire before the
+    // 'input' handler is attached and the debounce timer never starts.
+    await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
+    const input = await page.waitForSelector('#homeSearch', { timeout: 5000 });
+    await input.click();
+    await input.type('h', { delay: 20 });
+    await page.waitForSelector('.home-suggest.open', { timeout: 5000 });
+    const items = await page.$$('.suggest-item');
+    assert(items.length >= 1, 'expected >=1 .suggest-item, got ' + items.length);
+    const names = await page.$$eval('.suggest-item .suggest-name', els => els.map(e => e.textContent));
+    assert(names.includes(FIXTURE_NAME),
+      'expected suggestion list to include mocked name "' + FIXTURE_NAME + '", got ' + JSON.stringify(names));
+    pickedPubkey = FIXTURE_PUBKEY;
+    pickedName = FIXTURE_NAME;
   });
 
   await step('claim button adds a node to My Mesh (localStorage)', async () => {