diff --git a/apps/desktop/e2e/update/seed.py b/apps/desktop/e2e/update/seed.py
index c2a6430b0d..1372f48bc6 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/e2e/update/seed.py
+++ b/apps/desktop/e2e/update/seed.py
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ def install(root: Path) -> None:
     cp = I.run_installer(I.Sandbox(root=sb.root, env={**sb.env, "GIT_NO_LAZY_FETCH": "1"}))
     if cp.returncode != 0:
         _fail("scripts/install.sh --non-interactive", cp)
+    # publishUpstream() lands commits on main, never a release: follow main, not the stable default.
+    I.pin_main_channel(sb)
     # The real way a CLI install gets the Desktop app on Linux: build + package into
     # apps/desktop/release/linux-unpacked, the tree the Desktop updater swaps in place.
     cp = sb.cli("desktop", "--build-only", timeout=1800)
diff --git a/tests/e2e/core/upgrade/_install_helpers.py b/tests/e2e/core/upgrade/_install_helpers.py
index 7c104ca591..c9d343cf28 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/core/upgrade/_install_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/core/upgrade/_install_helpers.py
@@ -165,6 +165,17 @@ def run_installer(sb: Sandbox, *, timeout: float = 1800) -> subprocess.Completed
                   timeout=timeout, input="")
 
 
+def pin_main_channel(sb: Sandbox) -> None:
+    """Follow every commit on main, as `hermes update --set-channel main` records it.
+
+    An official-origin source checkout defaults to the stable channel (the latest published GitHub
+    release). These sandboxes publish commits on main and no releases, and their subject is moving
+    between commits; channel resolution has its own suites (test_release_channel_records,
+    tests/hermes_cli/test_source_release_channels.py)."""
+    cp = sb.cli("update", "--set-channel", "main", timeout=120)
+    assert cp.returncode == 0 and "Update channel for" in cp.stdout, "could not pin the main channel:\n" + describe(cp)
+
+
 def provider_config(base_url: str, version: int | None, extra: str = "") -> str:
     """A hand-edited user config: comments, a key HEAD does not know, and the fake provider."""
     ver = f"_config_version: {version}\n" if version is not None else ""
diff --git a/tests/e2e/core/upgrade/network/_seed.py b/tests/e2e/core/upgrade/network/_seed.py
index 4706972510..260df4d158 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/core/upgrade/network/_seed.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/core/upgrade/network/_seed.py
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ def seed_install(root: Path) -> Installed:
     shutil.copy(H.WORKTREE / "scripts" / "install.sh", script)
     cp = sb.run(["bash", str(script), "--non-interactive", "--skip-browser"], timeout=1800, input="")
     assert cp.returncode == 0, "seed install failed:\n" + I.describe(cp)
+    I.pin_main_channel(sb)  # cells publish commits, not releases (test_release_channel_records opts back into stable)
     # From here on the checkout talks to the official URL, which only the proxy can serve.
     (sb.home / ".gitconfig").write_text("", encoding="utf-8")
     gitroot = root / "gitroot"
diff --git a/tests/e2e/core/windows_update/_machine.py b/tests/e2e/core/windows_update/_machine.py
index 8f089d899d..3b3f748135 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/core/windows_update/_machine.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/core/windows_update/_machine.py
@@ -367,9 +367,15 @@ class Machine:
         shutil.copyfile(REPO_ROOT / "scripts" / "install.ps1", script)
         cwd = self.root / "install-cwd"
         cwd.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-        return self._run_logged(
+        run = self._run_logged(
             ["powershell.exe", "-NoProfile", "-ExecutionPolicy", "Bypass", "-File", str(script), "-NonInteractive"],
             "install", timeout=INSTALL_TIMEOUT, cwd=cwd)
+        if run.returncode == 0 and self.hermes_exe.is_file():
+            # advance() lands NEXT on main and publishes no release: follow main, not the stable
+            # default an official-origin checkout gets (channel resolution has its own suites).
+            pin = self.hermes("update", "--set-channel", "main", label="pin-main-channel")
+            assert pin.returncode == 0, f"could not pin the main channel\n{self.evidence()}"
+        return run
 
     def hermes(self, *args: str, label: str | None = None, timeout: float = CMD_TIMEOUT,
                env_extra: dict[str, str] | None = None) -> Run: