diff --git a/tests/e2e/add-project-default-checkout.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/add-project-default-checkout.spec.ts
index 6b37aa990..0ae5b8514 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/add-project-default-checkout.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/add-project-default-checkout.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { execFileSync } from 'child_process'
-import { mkdirSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
+import { mkdirSync, realpathSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
 import { mkdtemp } from 'fs/promises'
 import os from 'os'
 import path from 'path'
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ async function createCloneFixture(): Promise<{
   sourcePath: string
   destinationParent: string
 }> {
-  const rootPath = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-add-project-clone-'))
+  // Why: realpathSync so the path the test asserts on matches the store's
+  // repo.path on macOS, where os.tmpdir() (/var/...) symlinks to /private/var/...
+  // and the app canonicalizes repo.path via `git rev-parse --show-toplevel`.
+  const rootPath = realpathSync(
+    await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-add-project-clone-'))
+  )
   tempRoots.push(rootPath)
 
   const sourcePath = path.join(rootPath, 'default-checkout-source')
@@ -38,7 +43,12 @@ async function createLinkedWorktreeFixture(): Promise<{
   mainPath: string
   siblingPath: string
 }> {
-  const rootPath = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-add-project-linked-'))
+  // Why: realpathSync so mainPath matches the store's repo.path on macOS, where
+  // os.tmpdir() (/var/...) symlinks to /private/var/... and the app canonicalizes
+  // repo.path via `git rev-parse --show-toplevel` on add.
+  const rootPath = realpathSync(
+    await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-add-project-linked-'))
+  )
   tempRoots.push(rootPath)
 
   const mainPath = path.join(rootPath, 'linked-source')
diff --git a/tests/e2e/folder-setup-shallow-priority.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/folder-setup-shallow-priority.spec.ts
index b970a29ba..0f6fee861 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/folder-setup-shallow-priority.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/folder-setup-shallow-priority.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { execFileSync } from 'child_process'
-import { mkdirSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
+import { mkdirSync, realpathSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
 import { mkdtemp } from 'fs/promises'
 import os from 'os'
 import path from 'path'
@@ -28,7 +28,12 @@ async function createShallowPriorityTruncationFixture(): Promise<{
   webClientPath: string
   groupName: string
 }> {
-  const parentPath = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-shallow-priority-'))
+  // Why: realpathSync so the paths the test asserts on match the store's
+  // repo.path / projectGroup.parentPath on macOS, where os.tmpdir() (/var/...)
+  // symlinks to /private/var/... and the app canonicalizes paths on import.
+  const parentPath = realpathSync(
+    await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-shallow-priority-'))
+  )
   tempRoots.push(parentPath)
   const archivePath = path.join(parentPath, 'archive')
   const webClientPath = path.join(parentPath, 'z-web-client')
@@ -54,7 +59,12 @@ async function createCancellableScanFixture(): Promise<{
   webPath: string
   groupName: string
 }> {
-  const parentPath = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-cancellable-scan-'))
+  // Why: realpathSync so the paths the test asserts on match the store's
+  // canonicalized repo.path / projectGroup.parentPath on macOS (os.tmpdir()
+  // /var/... symlinks to /private/var/...).
+  const parentPath = realpathSync(
+    await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-cancellable-scan-'))
+  )
   tempRoots.push(parentPath)
   const apiPath = path.join(parentPath, 'api')
   const webPath = path.join(parentPath, 'web')
diff --git a/tests/e2e/folder-setup.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/folder-setup.spec.ts
index cbabf8e0b..e3d06c78b 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/folder-setup.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/folder-setup.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { execFileSync } from 'child_process'
-import { mkdirSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
+import { mkdirSync, realpathSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
 import { mkdtemp } from 'fs/promises'
 import os from 'os'
 import path from 'path'
@@ -29,7 +29,11 @@ async function createNestedRepoFixture(): Promise<{
   projectPaths: string[]
   groupName: string
 }> {
-  const parentPath = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-folder-setup-'))
+  // Why: realpathSync so the projectPaths the test asserts on match the store's
+  // canonicalized repo.path / projectGroup.parentPath on macOS, where
+  // os.tmpdir() (/var/...) symlinks to /private/var/... and the app canonicalizes
+  // imported paths via `git rev-parse --show-toplevel`.
+  const parentPath = realpathSync(await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-folder-setup-')))
   tempRoots.push(parentPath)
   const repoNames = ['api-service', 'web-client']
   const projectPaths = repoNames.map((name) => path.join(parentPath, name))
@@ -51,7 +55,12 @@ async function createLargeNestedRepoFixture(): Promise<{
   groupName: string
   selectedProjectPaths: string[]
 }> {
-  const parentPath = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-large-folder-setup-'))
+  // Why: realpathSync so the projectPaths the test asserts on match the store's
+  // canonicalized repo.path on macOS (os.tmpdir() /var/... symlinks to
+  // /private/var/...).
+  const parentPath = realpathSync(
+    await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-large-folder-setup-'))
+  )
   tempRoots.push(parentPath)
   const nestedParent = path.join(
     parentPath,
diff --git a/tests/e2e/global-setup.ts b/tests/e2e/global-setup.ts
index 5a70a8bc2..d43efcde4 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/global-setup.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/global-setup.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 import { execSync } from 'child_process'
 import { randomUUID } from 'crypto'
-import { existsSync, mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
+import { existsSync, mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, realpathSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
 import path from 'path'
 import os from 'os'
 
@@ -56,7 +56,10 @@ export default function globalSetup(): void {
   // ── 2. Create a seeded test git repo ───────────────────────────────
   // Why: each test run gets its own git repo so the suite is fully
   // idempotent. No test depends on whatever repos the user has open.
-  const testRepoDir = mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-repo-'))
+  // Why: realpathSync so the seeded path matches the store's repo.path on
+  // macOS, where os.tmpdir() (/var/...) symlinks to /private/var/... and the
+  // app canonicalizes repo.path via `git rev-parse --show-toplevel` on add.
+  const testRepoDir = realpathSync(mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-repo-')))
 
   execSync('git init', { cwd: testRepoDir, stdio: 'pipe' })
   execSync('git config user.email "e2e@test.local"', { cwd: testRepoDir, stdio: 'pipe' })
diff --git a/tests/e2e/golden-core-flows.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/golden-core-flows.spec.ts
index 376f85d07..5bd3a1872 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/golden-core-flows.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/golden-core-flows.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { execFileSync } from 'child_process'
-import { mkdirSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
+import { mkdirSync, realpathSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
 import { mkdtemp } from 'fs/promises'
 import os from 'os'
 import path from 'path'
@@ -31,7 +31,10 @@ function escapeRegExp(value: string): string {
 }
 
 async function createGitRepo(prefix: string, name: string): Promise<string> {
-  const rootPath = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), prefix))
+  // Why: macOS os.tmpdir() (/var/...) symlinks to /private/var/..., and the app
+  // canonicalizes repo.path via `git rev-parse --show-toplevel` on add. Resolve
+  // the symlink here so the path the test asserts on matches what the store holds.
+  const rootPath = realpathSync(await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), prefix)))
   tempRoots.push(rootPath)
   const repoPath = path.join(rootPath, name)
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/helpers/orca-app.ts b/tests/e2e/helpers/orca-app.ts
index 9fd62f89c..cb4f95c53 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/helpers/orca-app.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/helpers/orca-app.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,15 @@ import {
   type ElectronApplication,
   type TestInfo
 } from '@stablyai/playwright-test'
-import { existsSync, mkdtempSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
+import {
+  existsSync,
+  mkdtempSync,
+  mkdirSync,
+  readFileSync,
+  realpathSync,
+  rmSync,
+  writeFileSync
+} from 'fs'
 import { execSync } from 'child_process'
 import { randomUUID } from 'crypto'
 import os from 'os'
@@ -133,7 +141,10 @@ function isValidGitRepo(repoPath: string): boolean {
 }
 
 function createSeededTestRepo(): string {
-  const testRepoDir = mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-repo-'))
+  // Why: realpathSync so the seeded path matches the store's repo.path on
+  // macOS, where os.tmpdir() (/var/...) symlinks to /private/var/... and the
+  // app canonicalizes repo.path via `git rev-parse --show-toplevel` on add.
+  const testRepoDir = realpathSync(mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'orca-e2e-repo-')))
 
   execSync('git init', { cwd: testRepoDir, stdio: 'pipe' })
   execSync('git config user.email "e2e@test.local"', { cwd: testRepoDir, stdio: 'pipe' })