diff --git a/status/issues.md b/status/issues.md
index 70ce69b..653201d 100644
--- a/status/issues.md
+++ b/status/issues.md
@@ -424,6 +424,20 @@ database, whose accumulated state no longer matches the demo dataset they
 were written against. Unaffected by the test-database split, which
 deliberately leaves the walkthroughs on the app database. Re-check after a
 `make stack-fresh` + `./test/seed-demo.sh`.)
+(Update 2026-08-01, during `test-stack-integration-profiles` verification:
+the Must-defeats-skip pattern from item (2) recurs in
+`TestGrantNonPlanWalkthrough` — grant_nonplan_test.go:30 `MustElementX`
+panics on timeout before the `form == nil` skip at :33 can run, so an
+unseeded or aged DB fails the test instead of skipping. The parallel guard
+at :47 is fine (`MustElements` returns an empty slice without panicking),
+as are org_types_test.go (`MustAttribute` legitimately returns nil for an
+absent attribute) and helpers_test.go (`rod.Try`). products_test.go:47 has
+the same dead `== nil` check after `MustElement`, though it shadows a
+failure message, not a skip. Fixed same day: both call sites converted to
+non-Must variants; verified live against the aged stack DB, where
+`TestGrantNonPlanWalkthrough` now skips cleanly on the exact path that
+previously panicked, and `TestProductsWalkthrough` phase 1 passes through
+the converted call.)
 
 ### HTMX handler file structure cleanup
 Labels: `refactor`
diff --git a/test/e2e/operator-walkthroughs/grant_nonplan_test.go b/test/e2e/operator-walkthroughs/grant_nonplan_test.go
index 995bb55..006d2b0 100644
--- a/test/e2e/operator-walkthroughs/grant_nonplan_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/operator-walkthroughs/grant_nonplan_test.go
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ func TestGrantNonPlanWalkthrough(t *testing.T) {
 	loginAsOperator(t, page, base, "/operator/organizations")
 	_ = gotoFirstOrgComposite(t, page, base)
 
-	form := page.Timeout(10 * time.Second).MustElementX(
+	form, err := page.Timeout(10 * time.Second).ElementX(
 		`//form[contains(@hx-post, "/grant/create")]`,
 	)
-	if form == nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		t.Skip("no non-plan grant form on first org composite — possibly no add-on/usage products")
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/operator-walkthroughs/products_test.go b/test/e2e/operator-walkthroughs/products_test.go
index 798e12b..a931841 100644
--- a/test/e2e/operator-walkthroughs/products_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/operator-walkthroughs/products_test.go
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ func TestProductsWalkthrough(t *testing.T) {
 	page.MustElement(`#createProductForm button[type=submit]`).MustClick()
 
 	// Wait for the form re-render with at least one is-invalid field.
-	invalid := page.Timeout(10 * time.Second).MustElement(`#createProductForm .is-invalid`)
-	if invalid == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("phase 1: expected an .is-invalid field after empty submission")
+	if _, err := page.Timeout(10 * time.Second).Element(`#createProductForm .is-invalid`); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("phase 1: expected an .is-invalid field after empty submission: %v", err)
 	}
 	// Verify the per-field feedback markup is also rendered (per
 	// operator-ux-conventions.md §6).