diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index d38a27ccec..861bf185ab 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   pr:
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
+      max-parallel: 1
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-24.04, macos-26, windows-2022]
+        attempt: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]
     timeout-minutes: 240
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
@@ -51,49 +52,13 @@ jobs:
       - run: npm run type-check
       - run: npm run lint
       - run: npm run build
-      - run: npx lerna run test --since origin/main
-      - name: Run headless test (with videos)
-        if: matrix.os != 'macos-26'
+      - name: Run quick-pick-color-theme attempt ${{ matrix.attempt }}
         uses: coactions/setup-xvfb@v1
         with:
-          run: node packages/cli/bin/test.js --cwd packages/e2e --record-video
-      - name: Run headless test
-        uses: coactions/setup-xvfb@v1
-        with:
-          run: npm run e2e
-      - name: Run headless test (flakyness check)
-        if: matrix.os != 'macos-26'
-        uses: coactions/setup-xvfb@v1
-        with:
-          run: npm run e2e:check-flakyness
-      - name: Run headless test (second flakyness check)
-        if: matrix.os != 'macos-26'
-        uses: coactions/setup-xvfb@v1
-        with:
-          run: npm run e2e:check-flakyness
-      - name: Run headless test (check leaks, event listener count)
-        if: matrix.os != 'macos-26'
-        uses: coactions/setup-xvfb@v1
-        with:
-          run: node packages/cli/bin/test.js --cwd packages/e2e --check-leaks --measure-after
-      - name: Run headless test (check leaks, event listeners)
-        if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-24.04'
-        uses: coactions/setup-xvfb@v1
-        with:
-          run: node packages/cli/bin/test.js --cwd packages/e2e --check-leaks --measure event-listeners
-      - name: Run Memory City smoke test
-        if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-24.04'
-        uses: coactions/setup-xvfb@v1
-        with:
-          run: node packages/cli/bin/test.js --cwd packages/e2e --check-leaks --measure memory-city --only ^editor-open.ts --workers 1
-      - name: Generate charts
-        run: node packages/charts/src/main.ts
-      - name: Validate Memory City artifact
-        if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-24.04'
-        run: node packages/visualizations/src/validate.ts
+          run: node packages/cli/bin/test.js --cwd packages/e2e --only quick-pick-color-theme.ts --run-skipped-tests-anyway --record-video
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         if: always()
         with:
-          name: vscode-videos-${{ runner.os }}
+          name: quick-pick-color-theme-attempt-${{ matrix.attempt }}
           path: ./.vscode-videos
           include-hidden-files: true
diff --git a/packages/e2e/src/quick-pick-color-theme.ts b/packages/e2e/src/quick-pick-color-theme.ts
index 3f57ff0f7a..ca41f8c9b1 100644
--- a/packages/e2e/src/quick-pick-color-theme.ts
+++ b/packages/e2e/src/quick-pick-color-theme.ts
@@ -6,13 +6,77 @@ export const setup = async ({ QuickPick }: TestContext): Promise<void> => {
   await QuickPick.showColorTheme()
 }
 
-export const run = async ({ Colors, QuickPick, Workbench }: TestContext): Promise<void> => {
-  await Workbench.shouldHaveEditorBackground(Colors.DarkModern)
+interface ThemeState {
+  readonly background: string
+  readonly label: string
+}
+
+const getEditorBackground = async (Workbench: TestContext['Workbench']): Promise<string> => {
+  const background = await Workbench.evaluate({
+    expression: `getComputedStyle(document.querySelector('.monaco-workbench')).getPropertyValue('--vscode-editor-background')`,
+    returnByValue: true,
+  })
+  if (typeof background !== 'string') {
+    throw new Error(`Expected editor background to be a string`)
+  }
+  return background
+}
+
+const waitForEditorBackground = async (
+  Workbench: TestContext['Workbench'],
+  previousBackground: string,
+  expectedBackground = '',
+): Promise<string> => {
+  const background = await Workbench.evaluate({
+    awaitPromise: true,
+    expression: `new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      const workbench = document.querySelector('.monaco-workbench')
+      const getBackground = () => getComputedStyle(workbench).getPropertyValue('--vscode-editor-background')
+      const deadline = performance.now() + 1000
+      const check = () => {
+        const current = getBackground()
+        if (${JSON.stringify(expectedBackground)} ? current === ${JSON.stringify(expectedBackground)} : current !== ${JSON.stringify(previousBackground)}) {
+          resolve(current)
+        } else if (performance.now() >= deadline) {
+          reject(new Error('Editor background remained "' + current + '"'))
+        } else {
+          requestAnimationFrame(check)
+        }
+      }
+      check()
+    })`,
+    returnByValue: true,
+  })
+  if (typeof background !== 'string') {
+    throw new Error(`Expected editor background to be a string`)
+  }
+  return background
+}
+
+const getThemeState = async ({ QuickPick, Workbench }: TestContext, background = ''): Promise<ThemeState> => {
+  const label = await QuickPick.getFocusedItemLabel()
+  return {
+    background: background || (await getEditorBackground(Workbench)),
+    label,
+  }
+}
+
+export const run = async (context: TestContext): Promise<void> => {
+  const { QuickPick, Workbench } = context
+  const initial = await getThemeState(context)
+
   await QuickPick.focusNext()
-  await Workbench.shouldHaveEditorBackground(Colors.DarkPlus)
+  const nextBackground = await waitForEditorBackground(Workbench, initial.background)
+  const next = await getThemeState(context, nextBackground)
+
   await QuickPick.focusNext()
-  await Workbench.shouldHaveEditorBackground(Colors.KimbieDark)
+  await waitForEditorBackground(Workbench, next.background)
+
   await QuickPick.focusPrevious()
   await QuickPick.focusPrevious()
-  await Workbench.shouldHaveEditorBackground(Colors.DarkModern)
+  const restoredBackground = await waitForEditorBackground(Workbench, next.background, initial.background)
+  const restored = await getThemeState(context, restoredBackground)
+  if (restored.label !== initial.label || restored.background !== initial.background) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected color theme "${initial.label}" with background "${initial.background}" to be restored`)
+  }
 }