diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
index 1def55a7f5..7e90e48baf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ on:
         - 'true'
         - 'false'
         required: true
+      debug:
+        description: Playwright debug logging
+        type: choice
+        options:
+        - 'pw:api'
+        - ''
       always-upload:
         description: Always upload artifacts even if tests don't fail?
         type: boolean
@@ -56,6 +62,7 @@ jobs:
           fi
         env:
           VIDEO: ${{ inputs.video }}
+          DEBUG: ${{ inputs.debug }}
         shell: sh
       - name: Put system logs alongside other artifacts
         run: |
diff --git a/packages/zui-player/tests/packets.spec.ts b/packages/zui-player/tests/packets.spec.ts
index 29d692cd61..6b8d072eea 100644
--- a/packages/zui-player/tests/packets.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/zui-player/tests/packets.spec.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 import { play } from 'zui-player';
 import { getPath } from 'zui-test-data';
+import { isCI } from '../helpers/env';
 
+// Timeouts are increased due to observed long pcap load times in CI.
+// See https://github.com/brimdata/zui/pull/2978
 play('packets.spec', (app, test) => {
   test('dropping a pcap does not pop up preview and load', async () => {
+    if (isCI()) {
+      test.setTimeout(120000);
+      app.page.setDefaultTimeout(120000);
+    }
     await app.dropFile(getPath('sample.pcap'));
     await app.attached(/Successfully loaded into sample.pcap/);
   });
@@ -17,6 +24,10 @@ play('packets.spec', (app, test) => {
   });
 
   test('loading a bad pcap displays an error message', async () => {
+    if (isCI()) {
+      test.setTimeout(120000);
+      app.page.setDefaultTimeout(120000);
+    }
     await app.dropFile(getPath('bad.pcapng'));
     await app.attached(/Unable to generate full summary logs from PCAP/);
   });