diff --git a/apps/web/e2e/comments.spec.ts b/apps/web/e2e/comments.spec.ts
index 5d8f98e..b71a9c1 100644
--- a/apps/web/e2e/comments.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/web/e2e/comments.spec.ts
@@ -13,29 +13,20 @@ const BASE_URL = process.env.E2E_BASE_URL ?? 'http://localhost:5173';
 
 let pondId: string;
 let pageUrl: string;
-let ownerId: string;
 
 // The pack provisions its OWN pond: the shared fixture pond accumulates
 // grants from earlier packs in the same CI job (access-rules & friends), so
-// "fixture-editor is only a reader here" would not hold there. A Site Admin
-// lifts fixture-user's additional-pond quota for the run.
+// "fixture-editor is only a reader here" would not hold there. The seed
+// already gives fixture users additional-pond headroom (override 100) —
+// never lower it here: in CI the earlier packs' ponds count against it.
 test.beforeAll(async ({ browser }) => {
-  const admin = await contextForUser(browser, BASE_URL, 'fixture-admin');
-  const lookup = (await (await admin.request.get('/api/v1/admin/users?q=fixture-user')).json()) as {
-    users: { id: string; username: string }[];
-  };
-  ownerId = lookup.users.find((u) => u.username === 'fixture-user')!.id;
-  const quota = await admin.request.put(`/api/v1/admin/quotas/user/${ownerId}/additional_ponds`, {
-    data: { value: 10 },
-  });
-  expect(quota.ok()).toBe(true);
-  await admin.close();
-
   const owner = await contextForUser(browser, BASE_URL, 'fixture-user');
   const pondRes = await owner.request.post('/api/v1/ponds', {
     data: { name: `Comments stage ${Date.now()}` },
   });
-  expect(pondRes.ok()).toBe(true);
+  if (!pondRes.ok()) {
+    throw new Error(`create pond failed: ${pondRes.status()} ${await pondRes.text()}`);
+  }
   const pond = (await pondRes.json()) as { id: string; slug: string };
   pondId = pond.id;