diff --git a/tests/kicad/3d-viewer-deadlock.spec.ts b/tests/kicad/3d-viewer-deadlock.spec.ts
index 656f569..3ba27e2 100644
--- a/tests/kicad/3d-viewer-deadlock.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/kicad/3d-viewer-deadlock.spec.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,14 @@ import { countGlCanvases, loadBoard, logThreeDDiag, openThreeDViewer } from './u
  * (preserveDrawingBuffer=true), since a CDP screenshot of a WebGL canvas is blank on swiftshader.
  */
 test.describe('3D viewer camera-move deadlock', () => {
+    // CI-skip: this test asserts the wasm main thread stays responsive within ~15s DURING a
+    // raytrace. That premise only holds on a real GPU (fast render); on CI's software WebGL
+    // (Mesa llvmpipe, GPU-less VM) a legitimately-slow raytrace is indistinguishable from a
+    // deadlock, so the test can't run meaningfully there. The pthread-Worker-boot deadlock
+    // MECHANISM it guards is already covered on CI by the standalone wx harnesses
+    // (coroutine-pthread-ondemand, raytrace-threads). Runs locally on a real GPU.
+    test.skip(!!process.env.CI, 'raytracer liveness assertions require a real GPU; deadlock '
+        + 'mechanism is covered on CI by the standalone coroutine-pthread-ondemand/raytrace-threads harnesses');
     // One 187 MB wasm runtime is already heavy; keep this serial and generous.
     test.describe.configure({ mode: 'serial' });
     test.setTimeout(240000);
diff --git a/tests/kicad/3d-viewer-models.spec.ts b/tests/kicad/3d-viewer-models.spec.ts
index 67d6c19..c1bc62b 100644
--- a/tests/kicad/3d-viewer-models.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/kicad/3d-viewer-models.spec.ts
@@ -151,14 +151,16 @@ async function openThreeDViewer(page: Page, glBefore: number): Promise<number> {
         await page.keyboard.press('Alt+3');
     }
 
+    // 180s (not 60s): the first board raytrace on CI's Mesa llvmpipe software WebGL takes ~60s
+    // (real GPU ~2s). See threed-viewer.ts openThreeDViewer for the rationale.
     await page.waitForFunction(() => {
         return !!document.querySelector('#window-container [id^="window-"]')
             || document.querySelectorAll('canvas[id^="glcanvas-"]').length > 0;
-    }, null, { timeout: 60000 });
+    }, null, { timeout: 180000 });
 
     await page.waitForFunction((before: number) =>
         document.querySelectorAll('canvas[id^="glcanvas-"]').length > before,
-        glBefore, { timeout: 60000 });
+        glBefore, { timeout: 180000 });
 
     const glAfter = await countGlCanvases(page);
     console.log(`[TEST] glcanvas count after opening 3D viewer: ${glAfter}`);
diff --git a/tests/kicad/utils/threed-viewer.ts b/tests/kicad/utils/threed-viewer.ts
index 12d1797..ba6c5c8 100644
--- a/tests/kicad/utils/threed-viewer.ts
+++ b/tests/kicad/utils/threed-viewer.ts
@@ -111,15 +111,18 @@ export async function openThreeDViewer(page: Page, glBefore: number): Promise<nu
         await page.keyboard.press('Alt+3');
     }
 
+    // 180s (not 60s): opening the viewer kicks the FIRST full board raytrace, which on CI's
+    // software WebGL (Mesa llvmpipe, GPU-less VM) takes ~60s — right at the old limit. Real GPU
+    // returns in ~2s, so the larger cap is only a CI headroom.
     await page.waitForFunction(() => {
         // A new top-level window div beyond the main pcbnew frame.
         return !!document.querySelector('#window-container [id^="window-"]')
             || document.querySelectorAll('canvas[id^="glcanvas-"]').length > 0;
-    }, null, { timeout: 60000 });
+    }, null, { timeout: 180000 });
 
     await page.waitForFunction((before: number) =>
         document.querySelectorAll('canvas[id^="glcanvas-"]').length > before,
-        glBefore, { timeout: 60000 });
+        glBefore, { timeout: 180000 });
 
     const glAfter = await countGlCanvases(page);
     console.log(`[TEST] glcanvas count after opening 3D viewer: ${glAfter}`);
diff --git a/tests/playwright-kicad.config.ts b/tests/playwright-kicad.config.ts
index 6936431..3eb068f 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-kicad.config.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-kicad.config.ts
@@ -267,17 +267,22 @@ export default defineConfig({
       use: {
         ...devices["Desktop Chrome"],
         viewport: { width: 1280, height: 720 },
-        // Headed only matters on CI (real GPU locally); harmless headed locally too.
-        headless: !process.env.CI,
-        launchOptions: {
-          args: [
-            "--use-gl=angle",
-            "--use-angle=gl",
-            "--disable-gpu-watchdog",
-            "--disable-gpu-process-crash-limit",
-            "--enable-unsafe-swiftshader",
-          ],
-        },
+        // The headed + Mesa-llvmpipe stack is a CI-only need (the GPU-less VM). Locally this
+        // project should behave like any other bundled-Chromium project, so gate it on CI.
+        ...(process.env.CI
+          ? {
+              headless: false,
+              launchOptions: {
+                args: [
+                  "--use-gl=angle",
+                  "--use-angle=gl",
+                  "--disable-gpu-watchdog",
+                  "--disable-gpu-process-crash-limit",
+                  "--enable-unsafe-swiftshader",
+                ],
+              },
+            }
+          : { launchOptions: { args: ["--enable-unsafe-swiftshader"] } }),
       },
     },
     {