diff --git a/e2e/utils/TestUtils.ts b/e2e/utils/TestUtils.ts
index d76126af0bb..0404465425a 100644
--- a/e2e/utils/TestUtils.ts
+++ b/e2e/utils/TestUtils.ts
@@ -355,8 +355,9 @@ export async function startRancherDesktop(testInfo: TestInfo, options: startRanc
   currentTest = {
     file: testInfo.file, options, startTime: Date.now(),
   };
+  const packageMeta = require('../../package.json');
   const args = [
-    path.join(__dirname, '../../'),
+    path.join(__dirname, '../..', packageMeta.main),
     '--disable-gpu',
     '--whitelisted-ips=',
     // See pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/commandLine.ts before changing the next item as the final option.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 08994326018..6de506769a2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
     "@nuxtjs/router-extras": "1.1.1",
     "@nuxtjs/style-resources": "1.2.2",
     "@octokit/rest": "20.1.1",
-    "@playwright/test": "1.43.1",
+    "@playwright/test": "1.44.1",
     "@types/cross-spawn": "6.0.6",
     "@types/dompurify": "3.0.5",
     "@types/ejs": "3.1.5",
diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/paths.ts b/pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/paths.ts
index dd3c0c50e7e..988611256be 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/paths.ts
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/paths.ts
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ export function getRdctlPath(): string | null {
   let basePath: string;
 
   // If we are running as a script (i.e. yarn postinstall), electron.app is undefined
-  if (electron.app === undefined) {
-    basePath = process.cwd();
+  if (electron.app?.isPackaged) {
+    basePath = process.resourcesPath;
   } else {
-    basePath = electron.app.isPackaged ? process.resourcesPath : electron.app.getAppPath();
+    basePath = process.cwd();
   }
   const osSpecificName = os.platform().startsWith('win') ? `rdctl.exe` : 'rdctl';
   const rdctlPath = path.join(basePath, 'resources', os.platform(), 'bin', osSpecificName);
@@ -140,9 +140,7 @@ function getPaths(): Paths {
   if (!pathsData) {
     const processType = process.type;
 
-    if (!errorMsg) {
-      errorMsg = `Internal error: attempting to load the paths module from a ${ processType } process.`;
-    }
+    errorMsg ||= `Internal error: attempting to load the paths module from a ${ processType } process. (rdctl: ${ rdctlPath })`;
     if (processType === 'renderer') {
       alert(errorMsg);
     }
diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/protocols.ts b/pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/protocols.ts
index 611b2d4687d..cf0d6dd048b 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/protocols.ts
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/utils/protocols.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,13 @@ function redirectedUrl(relPath: string) {
   if (isDevBuild) {
     return `http://localhost:8888${ relPath }`;
   }
+  if (app.isPackaged) {
+    return path.join(app.getAppPath(), 'dist', 'app', relPath);
+  }
 
-  return path.join(app.getAppPath(), 'dist', 'app', relPath);
+  // Unpackaged non-dev build; this normally means E2E tests, where
+  // `app.getAppPath()` is `.../dist/app.
+  return path.join(process.cwd(), 'dist', 'app', relPath);
 }
 
 // Latch that is set when the app:// protocol handler has been registered.
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index d389108161a..b06ab644541 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -2396,12 +2396,12 @@
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@pkgjs/parseargs/-/parseargs-0.11.0.tgz#a77ea742fab25775145434eb1d2328cf5013ac33"
   integrity sha512-+1VkjdD0QBLPodGrJUeqarH8VAIvQODIbwh9XpP5Syisf7YoQgsJKPNFoqqLQlu+VQ/tVSshMR6loPMn8U+dPg==
 
-"@playwright/test@1.43.1":
-  version "1.43.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@playwright/test/-/test-1.43.1.tgz#16728a59eb8ce0f60472f98d8886d6cab0fa3e42"
-  integrity sha512-HgtQzFgNEEo4TE22K/X7sYTYNqEMMTZmFS8kTq6m8hXj+m1D8TgwgIbumHddJa9h4yl4GkKb8/bgAl2+g7eDgA==
+"@playwright/test@1.44.1":
+  version "1.44.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@playwright/test/-/test-1.44.1.tgz#cc874ec31342479ad99838040e99b5f604299bcb"
+  integrity sha512-1hZ4TNvD5z9VuhNJ/walIjvMVvYkZKf71axoF/uiAqpntQJXpG64dlXhoDXE3OczPuTuvjf/M5KWFg5VAVUS3Q==
   dependencies:
-    playwright "1.43.1"
+    playwright "1.44.1"
 
 "@polka/url@^1.0.0-next.20":
   version "1.0.0-next.21"
@@ -10499,17 +10499,17 @@ pkg-dir@^4.1.0, pkg-dir@^4.2.0:
   dependencies:
     find-up "^4.0.0"
 
-playwright-core@1.43.1:
-  version "1.43.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/playwright-core/-/playwright-core-1.43.1.tgz#0eafef9994c69c02a1a3825a4343e56c99c03b02"
-  integrity sha512-EI36Mto2Vrx6VF7rm708qSnesVQKbxEWvPrfA1IPY6HgczBplDx7ENtx+K2n4kJ41sLLkuGfmb0ZLSSXlDhqPg==
+playwright-core@1.44.1:
+  version "1.44.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/playwright-core/-/playwright-core-1.44.1.tgz#53ec975503b763af6fc1a7aa995f34bc09ff447c"
+  integrity sha512-wh0JWtYTrhv1+OSsLPgFzGzt67Y7BE/ZS3jEqgGBlp2ppp1ZDj8c+9IARNW4dwf1poq5MgHreEM2KV/GuR4cFA==
 
-playwright@1.43.1:
-  version "1.43.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/playwright/-/playwright-1.43.1.tgz#8ad08984ac66c9ef3d0db035be54dd7ec9f1c7d9"
-  integrity sha512-V7SoH0ai2kNt1Md9E3Gwas5B9m8KR2GVvwZnAI6Pg0m3sh7UvgiYhRrhsziCmqMJNouPckiOhk8T+9bSAK0VIA==
+playwright@1.44.1:
+  version "1.44.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/playwright/-/playwright-1.44.1.tgz#5634369d777111c1eea9180430b7a184028e7892"
+  integrity sha512-qr/0UJ5CFAtloI3avF95Y0L1xQo6r3LQArLIg/z/PoGJ6xa+EwzrwO5lpNr/09STxdHuUoP2mvuELJS+hLdtgg==
   dependencies:
-    playwright-core "1.43.1"
+    playwright-core "1.44.1"
   optionalDependencies:
     fsevents "2.3.2"