diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/web-e2e.yml b/.gitea/workflows/web-e2e.yml
index 7ad4804..2b69909 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/web-e2e.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/web-e2e.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,19 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Rust
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
 
+      - name: Cache cargo build
+        uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
+
+      # Prebuild the server so Playwright's `webServer` (which runs
+      # `cargo run -p solitaire_server`) starts from a compiled binary instead
+      # of cold-compiling the whole dependency graph (axum/sqlx/reqwest) inside
+      # its 120s startup window — the timeout that was failing every run.
+      # SQLX_OFFLINE uses the checked-in `.sqlx/` query cache (no live DB).
+      - name: Prebuild server
+        env:
+          SQLX_OFFLINE: 'true'
+        run: cargo build -p solitaire_server --quiet
+
       - name: Set up Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
diff --git a/solitaire_server/e2e/playwright.config.js b/solitaire_server/e2e/playwright.config.js
index 61801c5..4583a0e 100644
--- a/solitaire_server/e2e/playwright.config.js
+++ b/solitaire_server/e2e/playwright.config.js
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ module.exports = defineConfig({
             `cargo run -p solitaire_server --quiet`,
         cwd: repoRoot,
         url: `http://127.0.0.1:${serverPort}/health`,
-        timeout: 120_000,
+        // CI prebuilds the server (see web-e2e.yml) so `cargo run` reuses the
+        // compiled binary and starts in seconds. The generous timeout is a
+        // safety margin for a cold cargo cache (e.g. first run after a deps
+        // bump) where `cargo run` may still recompile.
+        timeout: 300_000,
         reuseExistingServer: !process.env.CI,
     },
 });