diff --git a/__tests__/e2e/local-search/local-search.test.ts b/__tests__/e2e/local-search/local-search.test.ts
index 3788ff54..8248b46a 100644
--- a/__tests__/e2e/local-search/local-search.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/e2e/local-search/local-search.test.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ describe('local search', () => {
       })
 
       try {
-        await page.locator('.VPNavBarSearchButton').click()
+        await openSearch()
 
         const loading = page.locator('.search-loading')
         const results = page.locator('.results')
@@ -49,22 +49,10 @@ describe('local search', () => {
   )
 
   test('exclude content from search results', async () => {
-    await page.locator('.VPNavBarSearchButton').click()
-
-    const input = await page.waitForSelector('input#localsearch-input')
-    await input.type('local')
+    await searchFor('local')
+    await waitForSearchResults({ text: 'Local search included', count: 1 })
 
     const searchResults = page.locator('#localsearch-list')
-    await page.waitForFunction(() => {
-      const options = [
-        ...document.querySelectorAll('#localsearch-list li[role=option]')
-      ]
-
-      return (
-        options.length === 1 &&
-        options[0].textContent?.includes('Local search included')
-      )
-    })
 
     expect(await searchResults.locator('li[role=option]').count()).toBe(1)
 
@@ -84,21 +72,10 @@ describe('local search', () => {
   })
 
   test('resolves $frontmatter expressions in search results', async () => {
-    await page.locator('.VPNavBarSearchButton').click()
-
-    const input = await page.waitForSelector('input#localsearch-input')
-    await input.fill('Frontmatter Title Resolved')
+    await searchFor('Frontmatter Title Resolved')
+    await waitForSearchResults({ text: 'Frontmatter Title Resolved' })
 
     const searchResults = page.locator('#localsearch-list')
-    await page.waitForFunction(() => {
-      const options = [
-        ...document.querySelectorAll('#localsearch-list li[role=option]')
-      ]
-
-      return options.some((option) =>
-        option.textContent?.includes('Frontmatter Title Resolved')
-      )
-    })
 
     expect(
       await searchResults
@@ -111,25 +88,11 @@ describe('local search', () => {
   })
 
   test('custom tokenize function reaches the client', async () => {
-    await page.locator('.VPNavBarSearchButton').click()
-
-    const input = await page.waitForSelector('input#localsearch-input')
-
     // '#hash-probe' survives as one token only under the custom tokenizer —
     // MiniSearch's default one would degrade the query to 'hash'/'probe'
     // and miss the index built with the custom tokenizer
-    await input.type('#hash-probe')
-
-    await page.waitForFunction(() => {
-      const options = [
-        ...document.querySelectorAll('#localsearch-list li[role=option]')
-      ]
-
-      return (
-        options.length === 1 &&
-        options[0].textContent?.includes('Local search included')
-      )
-    })
+    const input = await searchFor('#hash-probe')
+    await waitForSearchResults({ text: 'Local search included', count: 1 })
 
     // a fragment of a kept-whole token must not match anything
     await input.fill('linked-words')
@@ -145,8 +108,7 @@ describe('local search', () => {
       ]) {
         await page.setViewportSize({ width, height: 600 })
         await goto('/')
-        await page.locator('.VPNavBarSearchButton').click()
-        await page.waitForSelector('input#localsearch-input')
+        await openSearch()
 
         expect(await page.locator('.VPNavBarHamburger').isVisible()).toBe(
           !isDesktop
@@ -162,17 +124,9 @@ describe('local search', () => {
 
   test('navigate results with macOS Ctrl shortcuts', async () => {
     await page.evaluate(() => document.documentElement.classList.add('mac'))
-    await page.locator('.VPNavBarSearchButton').click()
 
-    const input = await page.waitForSelector('input#localsearch-input')
-    await input.type('lorem')
-
-    await page.waitForFunction(() => {
-      return (
-        document.querySelectorAll('#localsearch-list li[role=option]').length >
-        1
-      )
-    })
+    const input = await searchFor('lorem')
+    await waitForSearchResults({ minCount: 2 })
 
     expect(await input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(
       'localsearch-item-0'
@@ -190,6 +144,43 @@ describe('local search', () => {
   })
 })
 
+async function openSearch() {
+  await page.locator('.VPNavBarSearchButton').click()
+  return page.waitForSelector('input#localsearch-input')
+}
+
+// fills the query in one step, so exactly one search runs and the result
+// list settles into the state for this query and nothing else
+async function searchFor(query: string) {
+  const input = await openSearch()
+  await input.fill(query)
+  return input
+}
+
+// waits until the result list matches, so assertions never run against the
+// results of an earlier query
+function waitForSearchResults(condition: {
+  /** some result must contain this text */
+  text?: string
+  /** exactly this many results */
+  count?: number
+  /** at least this many results */
+  minCount?: number
+}) {
+  return page.waitForFunction(({ text, count, minCount }) => {
+    const options = [
+      ...document.querySelectorAll('#localsearch-list li[role=option]')
+    ]
+
+    return (
+      (count === undefined || options.length === count) &&
+      (minCount === undefined || options.length >= minCount) &&
+      (text === undefined ||
+        options.some((option) => option.textContent?.includes(text)))
+    )
+  }, condition)
+}
+
 function pressMacCtrl(key: string) {
   return page.evaluate((key) => {
     window.dispatchEvent(