diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index ca7463347..db38d1a1b 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -57,8 +57,9 @@ need an ssh-agent use the `sshAuthSock` fixture and create a peer with a
 `passphrase`. When a fixture depends on one peer seeing another's changes,
 wait for the node event with `waitForEvent` instead of sleeping.
 Reload pages with `reload(page)` from `@tests/support/fixtures.js`, not
-`page.reload()`: the app polls the backend, and the harness would otherwise
-fail the test on the request the reload cancels.
+`page.reload()`, and navigate a page that already shows the app with
+`goto(page, url)`: the app polls the backend, and the harness would otherwise
+fail the test on the request the navigation cancels.
 
 Tests run against a production build in `tests/tmp/build`, served by
 `vite preview`; the build takes a few seconds at startup. Set
diff --git a/tests/e2e/repo/permissions.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/repo/permissions.spec.ts
index f34e09e84..f75e55e15 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/repo/permissions.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/repo/permissions.spec.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
 } from "@tests/support/collaboration.js";
 import {
   expect,
+  goto,
   test,
   useBackend,
   waitForCommand,
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ test("a contributor can't resolve someone else's review comment", async ({
   // Now as eve.
   await eve.startHttpd();
   await useBackend(page, eve);
-  await page.goto(`/repos/${rid}/patches/${patchId}?view=changes`);
+  await goto(page, `/repos/${rid}/patches/${patchId}?view=changes`);
   const thread = page.getByRole("group").filter({ hasText: "Keep it loud" });
   await thread.hover();
   await expect(thread.getByTitle("Reply")).toBeVisible();
diff --git a/tests/support/fixtures.ts b/tests/support/fixtures.ts
index 455699913..4bbcd978e 100644
--- a/tests/support/fixtures.ts
+++ b/tests/support/fixtures.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export const test = base.extend<{
           if (tearingDown.has(page)) {
             return;
           }
-          if (reloading.has(page) && isCancelledFetch(msg)) {
+          if (navigating.has(page) && isCancelledFetch(msg)) {
             return;
           }
           // Only says some resize notifications waited for the next frame.
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ export const test = base.extend<{
   },
 });
 
-const reloading = new WeakSet<Page>();
+const navigating = new WeakSet<Page>();
 const tearingDown = new WeakSet<Page>();
 
 // WebKit reports a fetch that was cancelled because the page went away as an
@@ -184,18 +184,27 @@ function isCancelledFetch(error: Error) {
   );
 }
 
-export async function reload(page: Page) {
-  reloading.add(page);
+async function navigate(page: Page, action: () => Promise<unknown>) {
+  navigating.add(page);
   try {
-    await page.reload();
+    await action();
     // WebKit reports fetches the old page had in flight after the new one
     // has loaded, so keep ignoring them until the network settles.
     await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
   } finally {
-    reloading.delete(page);
+    navigating.delete(page);
   }
 }
 
+export async function reload(page: Page) {
+  await navigate(page, () => page.reload());
+}
+
+// Use instead of `page.goto` when the page already shows the app.
+export async function goto(page: Page, url: string) {
+  await navigate(page, () => page.goto(url));
+}
+
 // Runs `action` and waits for the backend command it sends to finish. The UI
 // often updates before the write lands, and a reload would cancel it.
 export async function waitForCommand(