diff --git a/.DS_Store b/.DS_Store
deleted file mode 100644
index 1042fc9a..00000000
Binary files a/.DS_Store and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
index 49ed3c80..125abd9b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -392,22 +392,7 @@ jobs:
           SQL
 
       - name: Start Go server with fixture DB
-        run: |
-          fuser -k 13581/tcp 2>/dev/null || true
-          sleep 1
-          ./corescope-server -port 13581 -db test-fixtures/e2e-fixture.db -public public-instrumented &
-          echo $! > .server.pid
-          for i in $(seq 1 30); do
-            if curl -sf http://localhost:13581/api/healthz > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-              echo "Server ready after ${i}s"
-              break
-            fi
-            if [ "$i" -eq 30 ]; then
-              echo "Server failed to start within 30s"
-              exit 1
-            fi
-            sleep 1
-          done
+        run: bash scripts/e2e-fresh-server.sh
 
       - name: Run Playwright E2E tests (fail-fast)
         run: |
@@ -665,6 +650,7 @@ jobs:
           run_e2e_suite || {
             echo "::warning::E2E suite failed - flake-guard retry once (issue #61)"
             cp e2e-output.txt e2e-output.attempt1.txt 2>/dev/null || true
+            bash scripts/e2e-fresh-server.sh
             run_e2e_suite
           }
 
diff --git a/scripts/e2e-fresh-server.sh b/scripts/e2e-fresh-server.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..982e1a2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/e2e-fresh-server.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Restore the pristine E2E fixture, freshen its timestamps, and (re)start the
+# server. The Packets page defaults to a 15-minute window, so fixture data goes
+# stale ~15 min after freshen; every suite attempt needs its own fresh start.
+# Run from the repo root.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+PORT="${E2E_PORT:-13581}"
+DB="${E2E_DB:-test-fixtures/e2e-fixture.db}"
+PRISTINE="${E2E_PRISTINE:-/tmp/e2e-fixture.pristine.db}"
+PUBLIC_DIR="${E2E_PUBLIC:-public-instrumented}"
+LOG="${E2E_SERVER_LOG:-server.log}"
+
+# First call: snapshot the seeded fixture before the server ever opens it.
+if [ ! -f "$PRISTINE" ]; then
+  sqlite3 "$DB" "PRAGMA wal_checkpoint(TRUNCATE);" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  cp "$DB" "$PRISTINE"
+fi
+
+if [ -f .server.pid ]; then kill "$(cat .server.pid)" 2>/dev/null || true; fi
+fuser -k "$PORT"/tcp 2>/dev/null || true
+sleep 1
+
+rm -f "$DB-wal" "$DB-shm"
+cp "$PRISTINE" "$DB"
+bash tools/freshen-fixture.sh "$DB"
+
+./corescope-server -port "$PORT" -db "$DB" -public "$PUBLIC_DIR" >"$LOG" 2>&1 &
+echo $! > .server.pid
+
+for i in $(seq 1 180); do
+  if curl -sf "http://localhost:$PORT/api/healthz" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "Server ready after ${i}s"
+    exit 0
+  fi
+  sleep 1
+done
+echo "Server failed to start within 180s" >&2
+tail -n 50 "$LOG" >&2 || true
+exit 1
\ No newline at end of file