diff --git a/frontend/cypress/e2e/activity_feed.cy.ts b/frontend/cypress/e2e/activity_feed.cy.ts
index 3e53c99a..4f8d3d3f 100644
--- a/frontend/cypress/e2e/activity_feed.cy.ts
+++ b/frontend/cypress/e2e/activity_feed.cy.ts
@@ -4,28 +4,47 @@ describe("/activity feed", () => {
   const apiBase = "**/api/v1";
   const email = Cypress.env("CLERK_TEST_EMAIL") || "jane+clerk_test@example.com";
 
-  function stubSseEmpty(pathGlob: string, alias: string) {
-    cy.intercept("GET", pathGlob, {
-      statusCode: 200,
-      headers: {
-        "content-type": "text/event-stream",
-      },
-      body: "",
-    }).as(alias);
-  }
+  const originalDefaultCommandTimeout = Cypress.config("defaultCommandTimeout");
 
-  function assertSignedInAndLanded() {
-    cy.waitForAppLoaded();
-    cy.contains(/live feed/i).should("be.visible");
-  }
-
-  it("auth negative: signed-out user is redirected to sign-in", () => {
-    // SignedOutPanel runs in redirect mode on this page.
-    cy.visit("/activity");
-    cy.location("pathname", { timeout: 20_000 }).should("match", /\/sign-in/);
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // Clerk's Cypress helpers perform async work inside `cy.then()`.
+    // CI can be slow enough that the default 4s command timeout flakes.
+    Cypress.config("defaultCommandTimeout", 20_000);
   });
 
-  it("happy path: renders feed items from the activity endpoint", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    Cypress.config("defaultCommandTimeout", originalDefaultCommandTimeout);
+  });
+
+  function stubStreamsEmpty() {
+    // The activity page connects multiple SSE streams (tasks/approvals/agents/board memory).
+    // In E2E we keep them empty to avoid flake and keep assertions deterministic.
+    const emptySse = {
+      statusCode: 200,
+      headers: { "content-type": "text/event-stream" },
+      body: "",
+    };
+
+    cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/boards/*/tasks/stream*`, emptySse).as(
+      "tasksStream",
+    );
+    cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/boards/*/approvals/stream*`, emptySse).as(
+      "approvalsStream",
+    );
+    cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/boards/*/memory/stream*`, emptySse).as(
+      "memoryStream",
+    );
+    cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/agents/stream*`, emptySse).as("agentsStream");
+  }
+
+  function stubBoardBootstrap() {
+    // Some app bootstraps happen before we get to the /activity call.
+    // Keep these stable so the page always reaches the activity request.
+    cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/organizations/me/member*`, {
+      statusCode: 200,
+      body: { organization_id: "org1", role: "owner" },
+    }).as("orgMeMember");
+
     cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/boards*`, {
       statusCode: 200,
       body: {
@@ -42,28 +61,42 @@ describe("/activity feed", () => {
         chat_messages: [],
       },
     }).as("boardSnapshot");
+  }
+
+  function assertSignedInAndLanded() {
+    cy.waitForAppLoaded();
+    cy.contains(/live feed/i).should("be.visible");
+  }
+
+  it("auth negative: signed-out user is redirected to sign-in", () => {
+    // SignedOutPanel runs in redirect mode on this page.
+    cy.visit("/activity");
+    cy.location("pathname", { timeout: 20_000 }).should("match", /\/sign-in/);
+  });
+
+  it("happy path: renders task comment cards", () => {
+    stubBoardBootstrap();
 
     cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/activity*`, {
       statusCode: 200,
       body: {
         items: [
           {
-            id: "evt-1",
-            created_at: "2026-02-07T00:00:00Z",
+            id: "e1",
             event_type: "task.comment",
             message: "Hello world",
             agent_id: null,
+            agent_name: "Kunal",
+            created_at: "2026-02-07T00:00:00Z",
             task_id: "t1",
+            task_title: "CI hardening",
+            agent_role: "QA 2",
           },
         ],
       },
     }).as("activityList");
 
-    // Prevent SSE connections from hanging the test.
-    stubSseEmpty(`${apiBase}/boards/b1/tasks/stream*`, "tasksStream");
-    stubSseEmpty(`${apiBase}/boards/b1/approvals/stream*`, "approvalsStream");
-    stubSseEmpty(`${apiBase}/boards/b1/memory/stream*`, "memoryStream");
-    stubSseEmpty(`${apiBase}/agents/stream*`, "agentsStream");
+    stubStreamsEmpty();
 
     cy.visit("/sign-in");
     cy.clerkLoaded();
@@ -72,22 +105,19 @@ describe("/activity feed", () => {
     cy.visit("/activity");
     assertSignedInAndLanded();
 
-    cy.contains("CI hardening").should("be.visible");
-    cy.contains("Hello world").should("be.visible");
+    cy.contains(/ci hardening/i).should("be.visible");
+    cy.contains(/hello world/i).should("be.visible");
   });
 
   it("empty state: shows waiting message when no items", () => {
-    cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/boards*`, {
-      statusCode: 200,
-      body: { items: [] },
-    }).as("boardsList");
+    stubBoardBootstrap();
 
     cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/activity*`, {
       statusCode: 200,
       body: { items: [] },
     }).as("activityList");
 
-    stubSseEmpty(`${apiBase}/agents/stream*`, "agentsStream");
+    stubStreamsEmpty();
 
     cy.visit("/sign-in");
     cy.clerkLoaded();
@@ -100,17 +130,14 @@ describe("/activity feed", () => {
   });
 
   it("error state: shows failure UI when API errors", () => {
-    cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/boards*`, {
-      statusCode: 200,
-      body: { items: [] },
-    }).as("boardsList");
+    stubBoardBootstrap();
 
     cy.intercept("GET", `${apiBase}/activity*`, {
       statusCode: 500,
       body: { detail: "boom" },
     }).as("activityList");
 
-    stubSseEmpty(`${apiBase}/agents/stream*`, "agentsStream");
+    stubStreamsEmpty();
 
     cy.visit("/sign-in");
     cy.clerkLoaded();
@@ -119,6 +146,6 @@ describe("/activity feed", () => {
     cy.visit("/activity");
     assertSignedInAndLanded();
 
-    cy.contains(/unable to load activity feed|boom/i).should("be.visible");
+    cy.contains(/unable to load activity feed/i).should("be.visible");
   });
 });