diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
index 7dafa3af..5bf14826 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
@@ -213,59 +213,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Playwright browsers
         run: npx playwright install --with-deps ${{ matrix.browser }}
 
-      - name: Install Frontend Dependencies
-        run: |
-          echo "📦 Installing frontend dependencies..."
-          cd frontend
-          npm ci
-
-      - name: Start Vite dev server for coverage
-        run: |
-          echo "🚀 Starting Vite dev server for E2E coverage..."
-          cd frontend
-
-          # Use port 5173 (Vite default) with --strictPort to fail if busy
-          VITE_PORT=5173
-          npx vite --port ${VITE_PORT} --strictPort > /tmp/vite.log 2>&1 &
-          VITE_PID=$!
-          echo "VITE_PID=${VITE_PID}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "VITE_PORT=${VITE_PORT}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
-          # Wait for Vite to be ready
-          echo "⏳ Waiting for Vite to start on port ${VITE_PORT}..."
-          MAX_WAIT=60
-          WAITED=0
-          while [[ ${WAITED} -lt ${MAX_WAIT} ]]; do
-            if curl -sf http://localhost:${VITE_PORT} > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-              echo "✅ Vite dev server ready at http://localhost:${VITE_PORT}"
-              exit 0
-            fi
-            sleep 1
-            WAITED=$((WAITED + 1))
-          done
-
-          echo "❌ Vite failed to start"
-          cat /tmp/vite.log
-          exit 1
-
       - name: Run E2E tests (Shard ${{ matrix.shard }}/${{ matrix.total-shards }})
         run: |
           npx playwright test \
             --project=${{ matrix.browser }} \
             --shard=${{ matrix.shard }}/${{ matrix.total-shards }}
         env:
-          # Use Vite dev server for coverage (proxies API to Docker at 8080)
-          PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL: http://localhost:${{ env.VITE_PORT }}
+          # Test directly against Docker container (no coverage)
+          PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL: http://localhost:8080
           CI: true
           TEST_WORKER_INDEX: ${{ matrix.shard }}
 
-      - name: Stop Vite dev server
-        if: always()
-        run: |
-          if [[ -n "${VITE_PID}" ]]; then
-            kill ${VITE_PID} 2>/dev/null || true
-          fi
-
       - name: Upload test results
         if: always()
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@b7c566a772e6b6bfb58ed0dc250532a479d7789f # v6
@@ -276,14 +234,6 @@ jobs:
             test-results/
           retention-days: 7
 
-      - name: Upload E2E coverage artifact
-        if: always()
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@b7c566a772e6b6bfb58ed0dc250532a479d7789f # v6
-        with:
-          name: e2e-coverage-shard-${{ matrix.shard }}
-          path: coverage/e2e/
-          retention-days: 7
-
       - name: Upload test traces on failure
         if: failure()
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@b7c566a772e6b6bfb58ed0dc250532a479d7789f # v6
@@ -479,11 +429,14 @@ jobs:
             }
 
   # Upload merged E2E coverage to Codecov
+  # TEMPORARILY DISABLED: Coverage collection skipped for diagnostic purposes
+  # Re-enable after confirming tests pass without Vite dev server overhead
   upload-coverage:
     name: Upload E2E Coverage
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: e2e-tests
-    if: always() && needs.e2e-tests.result == 'success'
+    if: false  # Disabled - no coverage being collected
+
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
diff --git a/docs/plans/current_spec.md b/docs/plans/current_spec.md
index 90a073f6..edbcfa59 100644
--- a/docs/plans/current_spec.md
+++ b/docs/plans/current_spec.md
@@ -91,10 +91,12 @@ npx playwright test
 - [x] Fix Go cache path in e2e-tests.yml workflow
 - [x] Optimize global-setup.ts to prevent hanging on emergency reset
 - [x] Fix E2E coverage generation (remove --reporter override)
+- [x] Disable E2E coverage collection (remove Vite dev server)
 - [ ] Commit with clear diagnostic message
 - [ ] Trigger CI run
 - [ ] Analyze results and document findings
 - [ ] Restore security tests once diagnosis complete
+- [ ] Re-evaluate E2E coverage strategy (Vite vs Docker vs separate job)
 
 ---
 
@@ -191,3 +193,52 @@ npx playwright test \
 - ✅ E2E coverage will now be generated in `coverage/e2e/`
 - ✅ Coverage artifacts will upload successfully
 - ✅ Codecov will receive E2E coverage data for frontend code
+
+**UPDATE**: Coverage generation has been **temporarily disabled** to isolate test failures.
+
+### E2E Coverage Disabled (Diagnostic)
+
+**Issue**: Tests were running against Vite dev server (port 5173) for coverage collection, adding significant overhead and complexity.
+
+**Hypothesis**: The dual-environment setup (Docker + Vite) may be causing test instability or failures.
+
+**Changes Applied**:
+1. **Removed Vite dev server setup** - No longer starts frontend dev server
+2. **Removed frontend dependency installation** - Saves ~60s per shard
+3. **Changed PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL** - Now points directly to Docker container (localhost:8080)
+4. **Disabled coverage artifacts** - Removed E2E coverage upload steps
+5. **Disabled upload-coverage job** - Marked with `if: false`
+
+**Before**:
+```yaml
+- name: Install Frontend Dependencies
+  run: cd frontend && npm ci
+
+- name: Start Vite dev server for coverage
+  run: npx vite --port 5173 &
+
+env:
+  PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL: http://localhost:5173  # Vite with source maps
+```
+
+**After**:
+```yaml
+# Frontend deps removed - not needed
+# Vite server removed - not needed
+
+env:
+  PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL: http://localhost:8080  # Direct to Docker
+```
+
+**Impact**:
+- ✅ **~60-90 seconds faster** per shard (no frontend install + Vite startup)
+- ✅ **Simpler architecture** - single environment (Docker only)
+- ✅ **Matches local testing** - tests against production-like container
+- ⚠️ **No E2E coverage** - will need to re-enable after diagnosis
+
+**If Tests Pass**: The Vite/coverage setup was causing issues. Can either:
+1. Keep coverage disabled for speed
+2. Create separate coverage-only job (non-sharded)
+3. Investigate and fix Vite setup issues
+
+**If Tests Still Fail**: Issue is not related to coverage/Vite - deeper investigation needed.