diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-ecosystem-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-ecosystem-ci.yml
index ea48334a96..df17337fcd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-ecosystem-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-ecosystem-ci.yml
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ jobs:
       # Avoid Windows dynamic port reservations around the default 63315.
       # https://github.com/vitest-dev/vitest/issues/9035
       ECOSYSTEM_VITEST_PORT: '7357'
+      # Without a project pin, vp runs project commands on the latest LTS.
+      # `node-version` only selects the bootstrap Node.js for actions/setup-node.
+      # vp ignores an empty value.
+      VP_NODE_VERSION: ${{ matrix.project.vp-node-version || '' }}
     permissions:
       contents: read
       packages: read
@@ -251,6 +255,8 @@ jobs:
               vp test
           - name: vinext
             node-version: 24
+            # better-sqlite3 12.6.2 does not compile against the Node 26 headers.
+            vp-node-version: 24.22.1
             # The full vinext suite (~7000 tests) outgrew a 15-minute budget
             # on 4-core runners, so run one shard of the unit project here;
             # the rest of the suite is covered by vinext's own CI.
@@ -375,11 +381,15 @@ jobs:
               vp test run --project browser --browser.name=chrome --api.port="$ECOSYSTEM_VITEST_PORT"
           - name: sqlocal
             node-version: 24
+            # The WebDriverIO provider cannot connect to Chrome on Node 26 (see #3266).
+            vp-node-version: 24.22.1
             command: |
               # OPFS setup can exceed the upstream 1-second hook timeout on CI.
               vp test run --browser.name=chrome --hookTimeout=5000 --api.port="$ECOSYSTEM_VITEST_PORT"
           - name: brazilian-utils
             node-version: 24
+            # The WebDriverIO provider cannot connect to Chrome on Node 26 (see #3266).
+            vp-node-version: 24.22.1
             command: |
               vp test run --browser.enabled --browser.name=chrome --browser.headless --api.port="$ECOSYSTEM_VITEST_PORT"
           - name: solid-vite-plugin
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-standalone-install.yml b/.github/workflows/test-standalone-install.yml
index 71b06a7e0f..45b5e32bda 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-standalone-install.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-standalone-install.yml
@@ -781,7 +781,8 @@ jobs:
             -v "${{ github.workspace }}:/workspace" \
             ubuntu:20.04 bash -c "
               ls -al ~/
-              apt-get update && apt-get install -y curl ca-certificates
+              # The ARM64 Node.js runtime requires libatomic.so.1.
+              apt-get update && apt-get install -y curl ca-certificates libatomic1
               export VP_HOME=\"\$HOME/.vite-plus\"
               cat /workspace/packages/cli/install.sh | VP_LEGACY_INSTALLER_URL=file:///workspace/packages/cli/install-legacy.sh bash
               if [ -f ~/.profile ]; then
diff --git a/crates/vp_cli_snapshots/tests/cli_snapshots/fixtures/command_env_list_remote/snapshots.toml b/crates/vp_cli_snapshots/tests/cli_snapshots/fixtures/command_env_list_remote/snapshots.toml
index 9277c0d854..6a226fef08 100644
--- a/crates/vp_cli_snapshots/tests/cli_snapshots/fixtures/command_env_list_remote/snapshots.toml
+++ b/crates/vp_cli_snapshots/tests/cli_snapshots/fixtures/command_env_list_remote/snapshots.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 name = "command_env_list_remote"
 vp = "global"
 skip-platforms = ["windows"]
-seed-runtime = false
+# CI prepares the LTS runtime in the seed, so `vp env install lts` does not download it.
 steps = [
   { argv = ["vp", "env", "default", "node"], comment = "An unconfigured Node.js default explains the effective fallback without claiming it was set in config", continue-on-failure = true },
   { argv = ["vp", "env", "install", "lts"], comment = "Install an LTS Node.js version locally", continue-on-failure = true },
diff --git a/ecosystem-ci/webdriverio.ts b/ecosystem-ci/webdriverio.ts
index 7dc211b022..41cc0c9cc0 100644
--- a/ecosystem-ci/webdriverio.ts
+++ b/ecosystem-ci/webdriverio.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,17 @@ export async function prepareWebdriverioProject(
       '{ timeout: 10000 }',
     );
 
+    // The memory, local, and session variants all use database.sqlite3 in OPFS.
+    // deleteDatabaseFile reopens the file, and the test never destroys its clients.
+    // A client from an earlier variant can still hold the file when a later
+    // variant removes it, which throws NoModificationAllowedError.
+    // Remove when upstream destroys these clients.
+    await replaceOnce(
+      join(root, 'test', 'get-database-file.test.ts'),
+      'await deleteDatabaseFile();',
+      'await deleteDatabaseFile(undefined, true);',
+    );
+
     // Deleting client3 broadcasts a reconnect to client2 without awaiting it.
     // Wait for client2 to recreate the OPFS file before checking its handle.
     // Remove when upstream waits for the other client's asynchronous reconnect.