diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e268fd5..727413e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -620,7 +620,30 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run smoke tests
         # Use the pinned APP_BASE_URL (explicit IP) so Chromium hits the same
         # container as the warm-up probes.
-        run: PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL="$APP_BASE_URL" /tmp/pw-install/node_modules/.bin/playwright test --config apps/web/playwright.ci.config.ts
+        #
+        # Next.js dev mode on QNAP briefly drops the listening socket on
+        # route-transition compiles — test #2 (`/`) has hit ERR_CONNECTION_
+        # REFUSED between a warm-up and the test even though the same URL
+        # returned 307 moments earlier. Playwright's in-process retry runs
+        # while the socket is still down. Wrap the whole playwright
+        # invocation in a shell retry: if the first run fails, re-warm /
+        # aggressively and run the full suite once more.
+        run: |
+          run_smoke() {
+            PLAYWRIGHT_BASE_URL="$APP_BASE_URL" \
+              /tmp/pw-install/node_modules/.bin/playwright test \
+              --config apps/web/playwright.ci.config.ts
+          }
+          if run_smoke; then exit 0; fi
+          echo "First smoke run failed — aggressive re-warm + retry"
+          for i in $(seq 1 10); do
+            CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" --max-time 30 "${APP_BASE_URL}/" || echo "000")
+            echo "Post-fail warm / $i: HTTP $CODE"
+            [ "$CODE" = "307" ] && break
+            sleep 3
+          done
+          sleep 5
+          run_smoke
 
       - name: Upload Playwright report
         if: failure()