diff --git a/playwright/e2e/context-navigation.spec.ts b/playwright/e2e/context-navigation.spec.ts
index fcada0d98c..6b6f498ebf 100644
--- a/playwright/e2e/context-navigation.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/e2e/context-navigation.spec.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,23 @@
  */
 
 import { test, expect } from '../support/fixtures'
+import type { Page } from '@playwright/test'
 import { createContext, ensureNavigationOpen } from '../support/commands'
 
-function appMenuEntry(page: import('@playwright/test').Page, contextTitle: string) {
-	return page
-		.locator('nav[aria-label="Applications menu"]')
-		.locator(`[title="${contextTitle}"]`)
+// Returns the locator for an app menu entry, opening the NC34 waffle popover first if needed.
+async function getAppMenuEntry(page: Page, contextTitle: string) {
+	const waffleBtn = page.locator('button.app-menu__waffle')
+	if (await waffleBtn.isVisible().catch(() => false)) {
+		// NC34+: app entries live inside a popover opened by the waffle button
+		const isExpanded = await waffleBtn.getAttribute('aria-expanded').catch(() => null)
+		if (isExpanded !== 'true') {
+			await waffleBtn.click()
+			await page.waitForTimeout(300)
+		}
+		return page.locator(`.app-menu__grid .app-item[title="${contextTitle}"]`)
+	}
+	// NC33: entries are always visible inline in the header nav
+	return page.locator('nav[aria-label="Applications menu"]').locator(`[title="${contextTitle}"]`)
 }
 
 test.describe('Test context navigation', () => {
@@ -21,7 +32,7 @@ test.describe('Test context navigation', () => {
 		await createContext(page, contextTitle, false)
 		await page.reload({ waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' })
 		await ensureNavigationOpen(page)
-		await expect(appMenuEntry(page, contextTitle)).toBeHidden()
+		await expect(await getAppMenuEntry(page, contextTitle)).toBeHidden()
 
 		const contextButton = page
 			.locator('[data-cy="navigationContextItem"]')
@@ -49,6 +60,6 @@ test.describe('Test context navigation', () => {
 			page.locator('[data-cy="navigationContextShowInNavSwitch"] input'),
 		).toBeChecked()
 
-		await expect(appMenuEntry(page, contextTitle)).toBeVisible()
+		await expect(await getAppMenuEntry(page, contextTitle)).toBeVisible()
 	})
 })
diff --git a/playwright/e2e/tables-sharing-link.spec.ts b/playwright/e2e/tables-sharing-link.spec.ts
index ae831bb38a..25aa814ad9 100644
--- a/playwright/e2e/tables-sharing-link.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/e2e/tables-sharing-link.spec.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  */
 
 import { test, expect } from '../support/fixtures'
-import type { Page } from '@playwright/test'
+import type { Page, Response } from '@playwright/test'
 import { loadTable } from '../support/commands'
 
 async function setupPublicShareTable(page: Page, title: string) {
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ async function createPublicLinkShare(page: Page, options: { password?: string, p
 	return shareToken as string
 }
 
+const isPermissionsPut = (r: Response) =>
+	r.url().includes('/share/') && r.url().includes('/permissions') && r.request().method() === 'PUT'
+
 async function setSharePermissions(page: Page, permissions: { read?: boolean, create?: boolean, update?: boolean, delete?: boolean }) {
 	const isCanEdit = permissions.read && permissions.create && permissions.update && permissions.delete
 	const isViewOnly = permissions.read && !permissions.create && !permissions.update && !permissions.delete
@@ -62,9 +65,14 @@ async function setSharePermissions(page: Page, permissions: { read?: boolean, cr
 	await page.locator('.share-permission-select .action-item__menutoggle').click()
 
 	if (isCanEdit) {
+		// Register listener before click to avoid missing the response on fast servers
+		const permResponse = page.waitForResponse(isPermissionsPut)
 		await page.locator('button[role="menuitemradio"]').filter({ hasText: 'Can edit' }).click()
+		await permResponse
 	} else if (isViewOnly) {
+		const permResponse = page.waitForResponse(isPermissionsPut)
 		await page.locator('button[role="menuitemradio"]').filter({ hasText: 'View only' }).click()
+		await permResponse
 	} else {
 		await page.locator('button[role="menuitemradio"]').filter({ hasText: 'Custom permissions' }).click()
 		for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(permissions)) {
@@ -72,15 +80,13 @@ async function setSharePermissions(page: Page, permissions: { read?: boolean, cr
 			const checkbox = page.locator(`[data-cy="sharePermission${key.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + key.slice(1)}"] input[type="checkbox"]`)
 			const isChecked = await checkbox.isChecked()
 			if (isChecked !== value) {
+				const permResponse = page.waitForResponse(isPermissionsPut)
 				await checkbox.click({ force: true })
-				await page.waitForResponse(r => r.url().includes('/share/') && r.url().includes('/permissions') && r.request().method() === 'PUT')
+				await permResponse
 				await page.waitForResponse(r => r.url().includes('/apps/tables/share/') && r.request().method() === 'GET')
 			}
 		}
-		return
 	}
-
-	await page.waitForResponse(r => r.url().includes('/share/') && r.url().includes('/permissions') && r.request().method() === 'PUT')
 }
 
 test.describe('Public link sharing', () => {