diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/main/browser-chromium.ts b/packages/desktop/src/main/browser-chromium.ts
index 3e307832185..779994d134f 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/main/browser-chromium.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/main/browser-chromium.ts
@@ -432,6 +432,14 @@ export function createBrowserPage(
       }
       case "screenshot": {
         if (action.ref && action.fullPage) throw new Error("Choose an element ref or fullPage, not both.")
+        await waitFor(() => view.getVisible() && win.isVisible() && !win.isMinimized(), signal, 3_000).catch(
+          (error) => {
+            if (signal.aborted) throw error
+            throw new Error(
+              "Screenshot needs a visible tab. Call browser.tabs.focus and keep its desktop window visible.",
+            )
+          },
+        )
         const element = action.ref ? await rect(target(action.ref), true) : undefined
         const metrics = await cdp.send("Page.getLayoutMetrics")
         const bounds = element
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/main/browser/cdp.ts b/packages/desktop/src/main/browser/cdp.ts
index 7d4d27b59b4..fba169040ae 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/main/browser/cdp.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/main/browser/cdp.ts
@@ -26,15 +26,7 @@ export function createCdp(contents: WebContents) {
       if (contents.isDestroyed()) throw new Error("Browser tab was closed.")
       if (!contents.debugger.isAttached()) contents.debugger.attach("1.3")
       // Electron is the CDP boundary. Its native response follows the selected protocol method.
-      const result = contents.debugger.sendCommand(method, params, sessionID)
-      if (method !== "Page.captureScreenshot") return result
-      // Keep a hidden view's compositor awake for CDP (including Lighthouse's
-      // screenshot gatherer) without changing the selected Review tab.
-      const [capture] = await Promise.all([
-        result,
-        contents.capturePage(undefined, { stayHidden: false, stayAwake: true }),
-      ])
-      return capture
+      return contents.debugger.sendCommand(method, params, sessionID)
     },
     on<Method extends keyof ProtocolMapping.Events>(
       method: Method,
diff --git a/packages/desktop/test/browser/native.ts b/packages/desktop/test/browser/native.ts
index d82b6364fc3..2cfd0fb3b9f 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/test/browser/native.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/test/browser/native.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ async function main() {
           }
           if (!inventories.get(event.bindingID)?.tabs.some((tab) => tab.id === event.event.tabID))
             ipcErrors.push("Focus arrived before its tab inventory")
+          pane.layout(win, event.bindingID, {
+            tabID: event.event.tabID,
+            visible: true,
+            bounds: { x: 0, y: 0, width: 1000, height: 700 },
+          })
         }),
       ),
     ),
@@ -197,6 +202,7 @@ async function main() {
     )
     const found = await call("find", { tabID, text: "Apply" })
     assert(found.content.includes("Apply"))
+    await call("tabs.focus", { tabID })
     const screenshot = await call("screenshot", { tabID, fullPage: true, maxWidth: 1000 })
     const screenshotBytes = await rpc.read({ path: screenshot.files[0].path }, { location })
     assert(
diff --git a/packages/desktop/test/browser/server.ts b/packages/desktop/test/browser/server.ts
index 8224d73c075..01cf0ffc077 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/test/browser/server.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/test/browser/server.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ await Effect.gen(function* () {
     hostname: "127.0.0.1",
     port: 0,
     password: process.env.SMOKE_PASSWORD,
-    app: { name: "browser-suite-test", version: "test", channel: "test" },
+    app: { name: "browser-suite-test", version: process.env.SMOKE_VERSION ?? "test", channel: "test" },
     database: { path: ":memory:" },
     models: { fetch: false },
     fs: { filewatcher: false, fff: false },