diff --git a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-acp-agent.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-acp-agent.spec.ts
index 704f3e3772..8d38fb2ed4 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-acp-agent.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-acp-agent.spec.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  * round-trip without any real LLM.
  */
 
-import { test, expect, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
 import {
   ACP_REPLY_TOKEN,
   MOCK_ACP_COMMAND_PYTHON,
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ import {
   getConversationIdFromURL,
   waitForNonUserMessageText,
   deleteConversation,
-  resetToOpenHandsAgent,
+  resetToOpenHandsAgentViaUI,
   resetMockLLM,
   ensureMockLLMProfile,
+  selectDropdownOption,
   setChatInput,
   BACKEND_URL,
   SESSION_API_KEY,
@@ -48,34 +49,6 @@ const USER_MESSAGE = "Hello ACP agent, please reply.";
  */
 const ACP_COMMAND_TEXT = `${MOCK_ACP_COMMAND_PYTHON} ${MOCK_ACP_COMMAND_SCRIPT}`;
 
-// ── UI interaction helpers for HeroUI Autocomplete dropdowns ──────────
-
-/**
- * Select an option from a HeroUI Autocomplete dropdown (SettingsDropdownInput).
- *
- * HeroUI Autocomplete does NOT forward `data-testid` to the underlying
- * `<input>`, so we locate the combobox by its `aria-label` (which the
- * component sets to the label prop or the name prop). We then click to
- * open the listbox and click the matching option.
- */
-async function selectDropdownOption(
-  page: Page,
-  /** aria-label of the combobox (= the SettingsDropdownInput label text) */
-  comboboxLabel: string | RegExp,
-  /** Visible text of the option to click */
-  optionText: string | RegExp,
-) {
-  const combobox = page.getByRole("combobox", { name: comboboxLabel });
-  await expect(combobox).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
-  // Clear any existing text (so all options show) and open
-  await combobox.click();
-  await combobox.fill("");
-  // Wait for the option to appear and click it
-  const option = page.getByRole("option", { name: optionText });
-  await expect(option).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
-  await option.click();
-}
-
 test.describe.configure({ mode: "serial" });
 
 test.describe("mock-LLM ACP agent conversation", () => {
@@ -95,17 +68,13 @@ test.describe("mock-LLM ACP agent conversation", () => {
       }
     }
 
-    // Reset agent-server back to OpenHands + restore mock LLM profile
-    // so subsequent test suites (which expect agent_kind=openhands) are
-    // not affected by our ACP configuration.
-    try {
-      await resetToOpenHandsAgent(request);
-    } catch {
-      // best-effort
-    }
+    // Reset agent-server back to OpenHands via the Settings → Agent UI
+    // + restore mock LLM profile so subsequent test suites (which expect
+    // agent_kind=openhands) are not affected by our ACP configuration.
     const page = await browser.newPage();
     try {
       await seedLocalStorage(page);
+      await resetToOpenHandsAgentViaUI(page);
       await ensureMockLLMProfile(page);
     } catch {
       // best-effort
diff --git a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-conversation.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-conversation.spec.ts
index 0c1bea8c56..ed6fa04e23 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-conversation.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-conversation.spec.ts
@@ -248,23 +248,8 @@ test.describe("mock-LLM agent-server conversation", () => {
     // that wasn't fully consumed due to earlier failures.
     await resetMockLLM(request);
 
-    // Verify the mock LLM profile is active before creating a conversation.
-    // Steps 1+2 configure it via the UI; this API check ensures persistence.
-    await test.step("verify mock-llm profile is active via API", async () => {
-      const profilesResp = await request.get(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles`, {
-        headers: { "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY },
-      });
-      expect(profilesResp.ok(), `GET /api/profiles returned ${profilesResp.status()}`).toBe(true);
-      const profiles = await profilesResp.json();
-      const activeProfile = profiles?.active_profile;
-      const profileNames = profiles?.profiles ? Object.keys(profiles.profiles) : [];
-      expect(
-        activeProfile,
-        `Expected active_profile="${PROFILE_NAME}" but got "${activeProfile}". ` +
-        `Available profiles: [${profileNames.join(", ")}]. ` +
-        `Full response: ${JSON.stringify(profiles).slice(0, 500)}`,
-      ).toBe(PROFILE_NAME);
-    });
+    // Steps 1+2 already configured and verified the profile via the UI
+    // (including the "Active" badge check). No API pre-check needed.
 
     // Passively observe POST /api/conversations to capture the request body.
     // Using page.on('request') instead of page.route() avoids conflicts with
diff --git a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-model-switch.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-model-switch.spec.ts
index f27f8f047f..94fa833275 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-model-switch.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-model-switch.spec.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,8 @@
  *      working under the new profile.
  */
 
-import { test, expect, type APIRequestContext } from "@playwright/test";
+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
 import {
-  BACKEND_URL,
-  SESSION_API_KEY,
-  MOCK_LLM_AGENT_URL,
   seedLocalStorage,
   routeSessionApiKey,
   dismissAnalyticsModal,
@@ -36,62 +33,18 @@ import {
   activateTrajectory,
   resetMockLLM,
   ensureMockLLMProfile,
+  createProfileViaUI,
+  deleteProfileIfExists,
   setChatInput,
 } from "./utils/mock-llm-helpers";
 
-/** Profile B is the switch target — created via the profiles API. */
+/** Profile B is the switch target — created via the Settings UI. */
 const PROFILE_B_NAME = "model-switch-profile-b";
 const MODEL_B = "openai/mock-model-beta";
 
 const INITIAL_REPLY_TOKEN = "MODEL_SWITCH_INITIAL_REPLY_OK";
 const POST_SWITCH_REPLY_TOKEN = "MODEL_SWITCH_POST_SWITCH_REPLY_OK";
 
-/**
- * Create (or overwrite) a named LLM profile via the agent-server profiles API.
- * Deletes first so setup is idempotent across re-runs — if a previous test
- * crashed before afterAll cleanup, the stale profile won't cause a 409.
- */
-async function saveProfile(
-  request: APIRequestContext,
-  name: string,
-  model: string,
-) {
-  // Best-effort delete so a leftover profile doesn't block creation.
-  await request.delete(
-    `${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles/${encodeURIComponent(name)}`,
-    { headers: { "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY } },
-  );
-  const resp = await request.post(
-    `${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles/${encodeURIComponent(name)}`,
-    {
-      headers: {
-        "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY,
-        "Content-Type": "application/json",
-      },
-      data: {
-        llm: {
-          model,
-          api_key: "mock-api-key-for-testing",
-          base_url: MOCK_LLM_AGENT_URL,
-        },
-        include_secrets: true,
-      },
-    },
-  );
-  expect(
-    resp.ok(),
-    `POST /api/profiles/${name} returned ${resp.status()}`,
-  ).toBe(true);
-}
-
-/** Delete a profile (best-effort cleanup). */
-async function deleteProfile(request: APIRequestContext, name: string) {
-  await request.delete(
-    `${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles/${encodeURIComponent(name)}`,
-    { headers: { "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY } },
-  );
-}
-
 test.describe.configure({ mode: "serial" });
 
 test.describe("mock-LLM /model slash command", () => {
@@ -112,12 +65,20 @@ test.describe("mock-LLM /model slash command", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  test.afterAll(async ({ request }) => {
-    // Clean up the profile we created and reset mock LLM
+  test.afterAll(async ({ request, browser }) => {
+    // Best-effort cleanup via UI
+    const page = await browser.newPage();
     try {
-      await deleteProfile(request, PROFILE_B_NAME);
+      await seedLocalStorage(page);
+      await routeSessionApiKey(page);
+      await page.goto("/settings/llm", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+      await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
+      await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
+      await deleteProfileIfExists(page, PROFILE_B_NAME);
     } catch {
       // best-effort
+    } finally {
+      await page.close();
     }
     try {
       await resetMockLLM(request);
@@ -136,20 +97,24 @@ test.describe("mock-LLM /model slash command", () => {
     // flow used by mock-llm-conversation.spec.ts.
     await ensureMockLLMProfile(page);
 
-    // Create profile B as the switch target — it has a different model name
-    // but the same mock LLM base_url so post-switch inference still works.
-    await saveProfile(request, PROFILE_B_NAME, MODEL_B);
+    // Create profile B as the switch target through the Settings UI — it has
+    // a different model name but the same mock LLM base_url so post-switch
+    // inference still works.
+    await routeSessionApiKey(page);
+    await page.goto("/settings/llm", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+    await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
+    await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
 
-    // Verify profile B was created
-    const profilesResp = await request.get(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles`, {
-      headers: { "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY },
-    });
-    expect(profilesResp.ok()).toBe(true);
-    const profiles = await profilesResp.json();
-    const profileNames: string[] = profiles.profiles.map(
-      (p: { name: string }) => p.name,
-    );
-    expect(profileNames).toContain(PROFILE_B_NAME);
+    await deleteProfileIfExists(page, PROFILE_B_NAME);
+    await createProfileViaUI(page, { profileName: PROFILE_B_NAME, model: MODEL_B });
+
+    // Verify profile B appears in the list
+    const profileRows = page.getByTestId("profile-row");
+    const profileTexts = await profileRows.allTextContents();
+    expect(
+      profileTexts.some((text) => text.includes(PROFILE_B_NAME)),
+      `Profile "${PROFILE_B_NAME}" should appear in the list`,
+    ).toBe(true);
 
     // Register a trajectory with THREE entries:
     //   Turn 0: padding — the agent-server makes an internal LLM call
diff --git a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-profile-management.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-profile-management.spec.ts
index 9f1556e9a4..706387237b 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-profile-management.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-profile-management.spec.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
  *      stranded and LiteLLM reroutes requests to the wrong endpoint.
  */
 
-import { test, expect, type APIRequestContext } from "@playwright/test";
+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
 import {
   BACKEND_URL,
   SESSION_API_KEY,
@@ -41,46 +41,19 @@ import {
   resetMockLLM,
   setChatInput,
   waitForPath,
+  createProfileViaUI,
+  deleteProfileIfExists,
+  activateProfileViaUI,
 } from "./utils/mock-llm-helpers";
 
-// ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-// Profile API helpers
-// ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-
 const MOCK_MODEL = "openai/mock-test-model";
 
-async function saveProfile(
-  request: APIRequestContext,
-  name: string,
-  model: string,
-  baseUrl: string = MOCK_LLM_AGENT_URL,
-) {
-  await request.delete(
-    `${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles/${encodeURIComponent(name)}`,
-    { headers: { "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY } },
-  );
-  const resp = await request.post(
-    `${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles/${encodeURIComponent(name)}`,
-    {
-      headers: {
-        "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY,
-        "Content-Type": "application/json",
-      },
-      data: {
-        llm: {
-          model,
-          api_key: "mock-api-key-for-testing",
-          base_url: baseUrl,
-        },
-        include_secrets: true,
-      },
-    },
-  );
-  expect(resp.ok(), `POST /api/profiles/${name}: ${resp.status()}`).toBe(true);
-}
-
+/**
+ * Read-only helper: fetch a profile's persisted config via the API.
+ * Used to verify that UI-driven saves persisted the expected values.
+ */
 async function getProfileConfig(
-  request: APIRequestContext,
+  request: import("@playwright/test").APIRequestContext,
   name: string,
 ): Promise<Record<string, unknown>> {
   const resp = await request.get(
@@ -97,24 +70,6 @@ async function getProfileConfig(
   return (data.config ?? {}) as Record<string, unknown>;
 }
 
-async function activateProfile(request: APIRequestContext, name: string) {
-  const resp = await request.post(
-    `${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles/${encodeURIComponent(name)}/activate`,
-    { headers: { "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY } },
-  );
-  expect(
-    resp.ok(),
-    `POST /api/profiles/${name}/activate: ${resp.status()}`,
-  ).toBe(true);
-}
-
-async function deleteProfile(request: APIRequestContext, name: string) {
-  await request.delete(
-    `${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles/${encodeURIComponent(name)}`,
-    { headers: { "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY } },
-  );
-}
-
 test.describe.configure({ mode: "serial" });
 
 // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
@@ -129,30 +84,44 @@ test.describe("active profile deletion + reconciliation", () => {
     await seedLocalStorage(page);
   });
 
-  test.afterAll(async ({ request }) => {
-    for (const name of [ACTIVE_PROFILE, INACTIVE_PROFILE]) {
-      try {
-        await deleteProfile(request, name);
-      } catch {
-        // best-effort
-      }
+  test.afterAll(async ({ browser }) => {
+    // Best-effort cleanup via UI
+    const page = await browser.newPage();
+    try {
+      await seedLocalStorage(page);
+      await routeSessionApiKey(page);
+      await page.goto("/settings/llm", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+      await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
+      await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
+      await deleteProfileIfExists(page, ACTIVE_PROFILE);
+      await deleteProfileIfExists(page, INACTIVE_PROFILE);
+    } catch {
+      // best-effort
+    } finally {
+      await page.close();
     }
   });
 
   test("active profile is deletable and reconciliation activates another profile", async ({
     page,
-    request,
   }) => {
-    // ── Setup: create two profiles, activate one ──
-    await saveProfile(request, ACTIVE_PROFILE, MOCK_MODEL);
-    await saveProfile(request, INACTIVE_PROFILE, MOCK_MODEL);
-    await activateProfile(request, ACTIVE_PROFILE);
-
+    // ── Setup: create two profiles via the UI, activate one ──
     await routeSessionApiKey(page);
     await page.goto("/settings/llm", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
     await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
     await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
 
+    // Clean up any leftover profiles from prior runs
+    await deleteProfileIfExists(page, ACTIVE_PROFILE);
+    await deleteProfileIfExists(page, INACTIVE_PROFILE);
+
+    // Create both profiles through the Settings UI
+    await createProfileViaUI(page, { profileName: ACTIVE_PROFILE, model: MOCK_MODEL });
+    await createProfileViaUI(page, { profileName: INACTIVE_PROFILE, model: MOCK_MODEL });
+
+    // Activate the first profile through the UI
+    await activateProfileViaUI(page, ACTIVE_PROFILE);
+
     const rowFor = async (name: string) => {
       const rows = page.getByTestId("profile-row");
       const count = await rows.count();
@@ -281,13 +250,21 @@ test.describe("same-model profile identity", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  test.afterAll(async ({ request }) => {
-    for (const name of [PROFILE_ALPHA, PROFILE_BETA]) {
-      try {
-        await deleteProfile(request, name);
-      } catch {
-        // best-effort
-      }
+  test.afterAll(async ({ request, browser }) => {
+    // Best-effort cleanup via UI
+    const page = await browser.newPage();
+    try {
+      await seedLocalStorage(page);
+      await routeSessionApiKey(page);
+      await page.goto("/settings/llm", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+      await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
+      await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
+      await deleteProfileIfExists(page, PROFILE_ALPHA);
+      await deleteProfileIfExists(page, PROFILE_BETA);
+    } catch {
+      // best-effort
+    } finally {
+      await page.close();
     }
     try {
       await resetMockLLM(request);
@@ -302,10 +279,19 @@ test.describe("same-model profile identity", () => {
   }) => {
     test.setTimeout(120_000);
 
-    // ── Setup: create both profiles with the same model, activate BETA ──
-    await saveProfile(request, PROFILE_ALPHA, SHARED_MODEL);
-    await saveProfile(request, PROFILE_BETA, SHARED_MODEL);
-    await activateProfile(request, PROFILE_BETA);
+    // ── Setup: create both profiles with the same model via the UI,
+    //    then activate BETA through the profile menu ──
+    await routeSessionApiKey(page);
+    await page.goto("/settings/llm", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+    await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
+    await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
+
+    await deleteProfileIfExists(page, PROFILE_ALPHA);
+    await deleteProfileIfExists(page, PROFILE_BETA);
+
+    await createProfileViaUI(page, { profileName: PROFILE_ALPHA, model: SHARED_MODEL });
+    await createProfileViaUI(page, { profileName: PROFILE_BETA, model: SHARED_MODEL });
+    await activateProfileViaUI(page, PROFILE_BETA);
 
     // Register a trajectory for the conversation.
     // Turn 0 is padding: the agent-server makes an internal LLM call
@@ -316,19 +302,6 @@ test.describe("same-model profile identity", () => {
     ]);
     await activateTrajectory(request, "profile-identity");
 
-    // ── Verify: active_profile is BETA via the API ──
-    await test.step("verify active profile is BETA via API", async () => {
-      const resp = await request.get(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/profiles`, {
-        headers: { "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY },
-      });
-      expect(resp.ok()).toBe(true);
-      const data = await resp.json();
-      expect(
-        data.active_profile,
-        `Expected active_profile="${PROFILE_BETA}" but got "${data.active_profile}"`,
-      ).toBe(PROFILE_BETA);
-    });
-
     // ── Start a conversation ──
     await routeSessionApiKey(page);
     await page.goto("/", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
@@ -392,11 +365,19 @@ test.describe("litellm_proxy proxy base_url preservation", () => {
     await seedLocalStorage(page);
   });
 
-  test.afterAll(async ({ request }) => {
+  test.afterAll(async ({ browser }) => {
+    const page = await browser.newPage();
     try {
-      await deleteProfile(request, PROXY_PROFILE);
+      await seedLocalStorage(page);
+      await routeSessionApiKey(page);
+      await page.goto("/settings/llm", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+      await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
+      await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
+      await deleteProfileIfExists(page, PROXY_PROFILE);
     } catch {
       // best-effort
+    } finally {
+      await page.close();
     }
   });
 
@@ -405,29 +386,21 @@ test.describe("litellm_proxy proxy base_url preservation", () => {
     request,
   }) => {
     // ── Setup: create a profile with the SDK-rewritten litellm_proxy
-    // model + proxy base_url, exactly as the agent-server persists it
-    // after an openhands/* model selection during onboarding. ──
-    await saveProfile(
-      request,
-      PROXY_PROFILE,
-      LITELLM_PROXY_MODEL,
-      OPENHANDS_PROXY_BASE_URL,
-    );
-
-    // ── Pre-check: verify the profile's base_url via API before the
-    // UI round-trip so we know the starting state is correct. ──
-    await test.step("verify initial profile has proxy base_url", async () => {
-      const config = await getProfileConfig(request, PROXY_PROFILE);
-      expect(config.model).toBe(LITELLM_PROXY_MODEL);
-      expect(config.base_url).toBe(OPENHANDS_PROXY_BASE_URL);
-    });
-
-    // ── Navigate to the LLM settings page ──
+    // model + proxy base_url through the Settings UI, exactly as
+    // the agent-server persists it after an openhands/* model
+    // selection during onboarding. ──
     await routeSessionApiKey(page);
     await page.goto("/settings/llm", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
     await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
     await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
 
+    await deleteProfileIfExists(page, PROXY_PROFILE);
+    await createProfileViaUI(page, {
+      profileName: PROXY_PROFILE,
+      model: LITELLM_PROXY_MODEL,
+      baseUrl: OPENHANDS_PROXY_BASE_URL,
+    });
+
     // ── Find the profile row and open edit mode ──
     await test.step("open profile in edit mode", async () => {
       const profileRows = page.getByTestId("profile-row");
diff --git a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-skills.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-skills.spec.ts
index 23420c84ad..f7708b7aab 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-skills.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/mock-llm-skills.spec.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import { test, expect, type APIRequestContext } from "@playwright/test";
 import {
   BACKEND_URL,
   SESSION_API_KEY,
-  MOCK_LLM_AGENT_URL,
   seedLocalStorage,
   routeSessionApiKey,
   dismissAnalyticsModal,
@@ -35,6 +34,7 @@ import {
   registerTrajectory,
   activateTrajectory,
   resetMockLLM,
+  ensureMockLLMProfile,
   setChatInput,
   waitForPath,
   getConversationIdFromURL,
@@ -48,50 +48,6 @@ import {
   userSkillDirExists,
 } from "./utils/skill-test-helpers";
 
-/**
- * Configure the mock LLM profile. Inlined from `ensureMockLLMProfile`
- * to work around a CI-specific TS6/Node24 type inference bug (TS2345)
- * where importing that function alongside `skill-test-helpers` causes
- * TypeScript to incorrectly resolve its signature.
- */
-async function configureMockLLM(
-  request: APIRequestContext,
-  model = "openai/mock-test-model",
-) {
-  const settingsResp = await request.get(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/settings`, {
-    headers: {
-      "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY,
-      "X-Expose-Secrets": "encrypted",
-    },
-  });
-  if (settingsResp.ok()) {
-    const settings = (await settingsResp.json()) as Record<string, unknown>;
-    const llm = (
-      settings?.agent_settings as Record<string, unknown> | undefined
-    )?.llm as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
-    if (llm?.model === model && llm?.base_url === MOCK_LLM_AGENT_URL) return;
-  }
-  const patchResp = await request.patch(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/settings`, {
-    headers: {
-      "X-Session-API-Key": SESSION_API_KEY,
-      "Content-Type": "application/json",
-    },
-    data: {
-      agent_settings_diff: {
-        llm: {
-          model,
-          api_key: "mock-api-key-for-testing",
-          base_url: MOCK_LLM_AGENT_URL,
-        },
-      },
-    },
-  });
-  expect(
-    patchResp.ok(),
-    `PATCH /api/settings failed: ${patchResp.status()}`,
-  ).toBe(true);
-}
-
 /**
  * Register a workspace on the agent-server so it appears in the UI dropdown.
  */
@@ -191,7 +147,7 @@ test.describe("skill loading: project, user, and deletion", () => {
     page,
     request,
   }) => {
-    await configureMockLLM(request);
+    await ensureMockLLMProfile(page);
 
     // Create a git repo with the skill committed
     const { agentDir } = await test.step(
@@ -291,7 +247,7 @@ test.describe("skill loading: project, user, and deletion", () => {
     page,
     request,
   }) => {
-    await configureMockLLM(request);
+    await ensureMockLLMProfile(page);
 
     await test.step("create user skill file", () => {
       writeUserSkill(USER_SKILL_NAME, USER_SKILL_TRIGGER);
@@ -362,7 +318,7 @@ test.describe("skill loading: project, user, and deletion", () => {
     page,
     request,
   }) => {
-    await configureMockLLM(request);
+    await ensureMockLLMProfile(page);
 
     await test.step("delete user skill file", () => {
       removeUserSkill(USER_SKILL_NAME);
diff --git a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/utils/mock-llm-helpers.ts b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/utils/mock-llm-helpers.ts
index a3051088ce..5894dae598 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/mock-llm/utils/mock-llm-helpers.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/mock-llm/utils/mock-llm-helpers.ts
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ export async function deleteConversation(
 }
 
 // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-// LLM profile setup via API (for tests that can't depend on UI setup)
+// LLM profile setup via the Settings UI
 // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
 
 /**
@@ -330,8 +330,7 @@ export async function deleteConversation(
  * UI — the same flow a real user follows.
  *
  * Exercises the full frontend save path (including `include_secrets`) so the
- * api_key is persisted correctly. Callers that previously used the API-only
- * `ensureMockLLMProfile(request)` should switch to this.
+ * api_key is persisted correctly.
  */
 export async function ensureMockLLMProfile(
   page: Page,
@@ -357,6 +356,33 @@ export async function ensureMockLLMProfile(
   await deleteProfileIfExists(page, profileName);
 
   // ── Create the profile ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+  await createProfileViaUI(page, { profileName, model, apiKey, baseUrl });
+
+  // ── Activate the profile ────────────────────────────────────────────
+  await activateProfileViaUI(page, profileName);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create a new LLM profile through the Settings UI.
+ *
+ * Assumes the page is already on /settings/llm with profiles loaded
+ * (the "add-llm-profile" button is visible).  Does NOT activate the
+ * profile — call `activateProfileViaUI` separately if needed.
+ */
+export async function createProfileViaUI(
+  page: Page,
+  {
+    profileName,
+    model,
+    apiKey = "mock-api-key-for-testing",
+    baseUrl = MOCK_LLM_AGENT_URL,
+  }: {
+    profileName: string;
+    model: string;
+    apiKey?: string;
+    baseUrl?: string;
+  },
+) {
   await page.getByTestId("add-llm-profile").click();
   await waitForTestId(page, "profile-editor-title");
 
@@ -382,16 +408,13 @@ export async function ensureMockLLMProfile(
 
   await page.getByTestId("save-profile-btn").click();
   await waitForTestId(page, "add-llm-profile");
-
-  // ── Activate the profile ────────────────────────────────────────────
-  await activateProfileViaUI(page, profileName);
 }
 
 /**
  * Delete a profile by name through the Settings UI if it exists.
  * Assumes the page is already on /settings/llm with profiles loaded.
  */
-async function deleteProfileIfExists(page: Page, profileName: string) {
+export async function deleteProfileIfExists(page: Page, profileName: string) {
   // Use the profile name span's `title` attribute for exact matching
   // to avoid substring collisions (e.g. "mock-llm" vs "mock-llm-e2e").
   const row = page
@@ -420,7 +443,7 @@ async function deleteProfileIfExists(page: Page, profileName: string) {
  * Assumes the page is already on /settings/llm with profiles loaded.
  * Polls until the "Active" badge is visible on the target profile row.
  */
-async function activateProfileViaUI(page: Page, profileName: string) {
+export async function activateProfileViaUI(page: Page, profileName: string) {
   const exactRow = (p: Page) =>
     p
       .getByTestId("profile-row")
@@ -459,6 +482,46 @@ async function activateProfileViaUI(page: Page, profileName: string) {
     .toBe(true);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Select an option from a HeroUI Autocomplete dropdown (SettingsDropdownInput).
+ *
+ * HeroUI Autocomplete does NOT forward `data-testid` to the underlying
+ * `<input>`, so we locate the combobox by its `aria-label` (which the
+ * component sets to the label prop or the name prop). We then click to
+ * open the listbox and click the matching option.
+ */
+export async function selectDropdownOption(
+  page: Page,
+  comboboxLabel: string | RegExp,
+  optionText: string | RegExp,
+) {
+  const combobox = page.getByRole("combobox", { name: comboboxLabel });
+  await expect(combobox).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
+  await combobox.click();
+  await combobox.fill("");
+  const option = page.getByRole("option", { name: optionText });
+  await expect(option).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+  await option.click();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Reset agent type back to OpenHands through the Settings → Agent UI.
+ * Used in afterAll cleanup to restore the default agent for subsequent tests.
+ */
+export async function resetToOpenHandsAgentViaUI(page: Page) {
+  await routeSessionApiKey(page);
+  await page.goto("/settings/agent", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+  await dismissAnalyticsModal(page);
+  await waitForTestId(page, "agent-settings-screen");
+
+  await selectDropdownOption(page, /Agent/, /OpenHands/);
+
+  const saveBtn = page.getByTestId("agent-save-button");
+  await expect(saveBtn).toBeEnabled({ timeout: 5_000 });
+  await saveBtn.click();
+  await expect(saveBtn).toBeDisabled({ timeout: 10_000 });
+}
+
 /**
  * Register a named trajectory on the mock LLM server.
  * Each turn is: { tool_call: { name, arguments } } or { text: "..." }
@@ -615,8 +678,8 @@ export const MOCK_ACP_COMMAND_SCRIPT =
   process.env.MOCK_ACP_CONTAINER_SCRIPT || MOCK_ACP_SERVER_PATH;
 
 /**
- * Reset the agent-server back to the default OpenHands agent.
- * Used in afterAll cleanup to avoid polluting other test suites.
+ * @deprecated Use `resetToOpenHandsAgentViaUI(page)` to exercise the UI path.
+ * Kept only for callers that cannot open a page (should not exist in new tests).
  */
 export async function resetToOpenHandsAgent(
   request: APIRequestContext,
@@ -632,7 +695,6 @@ export async function resetToOpenHandsAgent(
       },
     },
   });
-  // Best-effort — don't fail the test if cleanup fails
   if (!resp.ok()) {
     console.warn(`[cleanup] Reset to OpenHands failed: ${resp.status()}`);
   }