diff --git a/test/e2e/helpers/assert.go b/test/e2e/helpers/assert.go
index d8d74ab..f7f6266 100644
--- a/test/e2e/helpers/assert.go
+++ b/test/e2e/helpers/assert.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func GetRemoteUserSnapshot(baseURL string, userID int) (*userMigration.RemoteUse
 		nil,
 		http.StatusOK,
 		map[string]string{
-			"X-Sync-API-Key": DefaultSyncAPIKey,
+			"X-Sync-API-Key": SyncAPIKey(),
 			"X-Sync-Node":    "e2e-assert",
 		},
 		&resp,
diff --git a/test/e2e/helpers/cluster.go b/test/e2e/helpers/cluster.go
index e6e5479..76a6643 100644
--- a/test/e2e/helpers/cluster.go
+++ b/test/e2e/helpers/cluster.go
@@ -19,19 +19,40 @@ const (
 
 	DefaultCNPort          = 3100
 	DefaultOVPort          = 3101
-	DefaultSessionSecret   = "user-migration-e2e-session-secret"
 	DefaultCNDBFileName    = "cn.db"
 	DefaultOVDBFileName    = "ov.db"
 	DefaultCNLogFileName   = "cn.log"
 	DefaultOVLogFileName   = "ov.log"
 	DefaultCNSessionName   = "cn_session"
 	DefaultOVSessionName   = "ov_session"
-	DefaultSyncAPIKey      = "e2e-sync-key"
 	DefaultRootUsername    = "root"
-	DefaultRootPassword    = "Password123!"
 	defaultNodeReadyTimout = 45 * time.Second
 )
 
+// The e2e cluster runs on loopback only; each secret below resolves from the
+// environment first and falls back to a local-only value shared with the
+// Playwright fixtures (see web/e2e/fixtures/cluster.ts).
+func RootPassword() string {
+	if password := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("E2E_ROOT_PASSWORD")); password != "" {
+		return password
+	}
+	return "e2e-local-root-pass"
+}
+
+func SessionSecret() string {
+	if secret := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("E2E_SESSION_SECRET")); secret != "" {
+		return secret
+	}
+	return "e2e-local-session-secret"
+}
+
+func SyncAPIKey() string {
+	if key := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("E2E_SYNC_API_KEY")); key != "" {
+		return key
+	}
+	return "e2e-local-sync-key"
+}
+
 type NodeProcess struct {
 	Name        string
 	Port        int
@@ -115,11 +136,11 @@ func PrepareEnvironment(repoRoot, artifactRoot, binaryPath, scenarioName string)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if err := SetupRoot(cnClient, DefaultRootUsername, DefaultRootPassword); err != nil {
+	if err := SetupRoot(cnClient, DefaultRootUsername, RootPassword()); err != nil {
 		_ = cluster.Stop()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("setup CN root: %w", err)
 	}
-	if err := SetupRoot(ovClient, DefaultRootUsername, DefaultRootPassword); err != nil {
+	if err := SetupRoot(ovClient, DefaultRootUsername, RootPassword()); err != nil {
 		_ = cluster.Stop()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("setup OV root: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -151,25 +172,25 @@ func PrepareEnvironment(repoRoot, artifactRoot, binaryPath, scenarioName string)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if err := Login(cnClient, DefaultRootUsername, DefaultRootPassword); err != nil {
+	if err := Login(cnClient, DefaultRootUsername, RootPassword()); err != nil {
 		_ = cluster.Stop()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("login CN root: %w", err)
 	}
-	if err := Login(ovClient, DefaultRootUsername, DefaultRootPassword); err != nil {
+	if err := Login(ovClient, DefaultRootUsername, RootPassword()); err != nil {
 		_ = cluster.Stop()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("login OV root: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := ConfigureCNRegionSync(cnClient, cluster.CN.BaseURL, cluster.OV.BaseURL, DefaultSyncAPIKey); err != nil {
+	if err := ConfigureCNRegionSync(cnClient, cluster.CN.BaseURL, cluster.OV.BaseURL, SyncAPIKey()); err != nil {
 		_ = cluster.Stop()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("configure CN region sync: %w", err)
 	}
-	if err := ConfigureOVRegionSync(ovClient, cluster.CN.BaseURL, DefaultSyncAPIKey); err != nil {
+	if err := ConfigureOVRegionSync(ovClient, cluster.CN.BaseURL, SyncAPIKey()); err != nil {
 		_ = cluster.Stop()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("configure OV region sync: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := WaitOptionApplied(cluster.OV.BaseURL, DefaultSyncAPIKey, 5, 20*time.Second); err != nil {
+	if err := WaitOptionApplied(cluster.OV.BaseURL, SyncAPIKey(), 5, 20*time.Second); err != nil {
 		_ = cluster.Stop()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("wait OV migration API ready: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -272,7 +293,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) startNode(name string, port int, dbPath, sessionName, nodeType
 	cmd.Env = mergeEnv(os.Environ(), map[string]string{
 		"PORT":                         fmt.Sprintf("%d", port),
 		"SQLITE_PATH":                  dbPath,
-		"SESSION_SECRET":               DefaultSessionSecret,
+		"SESSION_SECRET":               SessionSecret(),
 		"SESSION_NAME":                 sessionName,
 		"SESSION_SECURE":               "false",
 		"SESSION_SAMESITE":             "strict",
diff --git a/test/e2e/user_migration_test.go b/test/e2e/user_migration_test.go
index d121653..85c225a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/user_migration_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/user_migration_test.go
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ func TestUserMigrationE2E_ScanPagination(t *testing.T) {
 func TestUserMigrationE2E_RootPermission(t *testing.T) {
 	env := newEnvironment(t)
 
-	adminClient := createAndLoginManagedUser(t, env.Cluster.CN.BaseURL, env.CNClient, "migration-admin", helpers.DefaultRootPassword, common.RoleAdminUser)
+	adminClient := createAndLoginManagedUser(t, env.Cluster.CN.BaseURL, env.CNClient, "migration-admin", helpers.RootPassword(), common.RoleAdminUser)
 
 	var listResp simpleResponse
 	require.NoError(t, adminClient.GetJSON("/api/user-migrations/batches", 200, &listResp))
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ func createManagedUsers(t *testing.T, client *helpers.APIClient, prefix string,
 		var resp simpleResponse
 		require.NoError(t, client.PostJSON("/api/user/", map[string]any{
 			"username":     username,
-			"password":     helpers.DefaultRootPassword,
+			"password":     helpers.RootPassword(),
 			"display_name": displayName,
 			"email":        email,
 			"role":         role,
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ func convertRemoteUserToSynced(t *testing.T, ovBaseURL string, sourceUserID, rem
 		},
 		200,
 		map[string]string{
-			"X-Sync-API-Key": helpers.DefaultSyncAPIKey,
+			"X-Sync-API-Key": helpers.SyncAPIKey(),
 			"X-Sync-Node":    "e2e-test",
 		},
 		&resp,
diff --git a/web/e2e/fixtures/cluster.ts b/web/e2e/fixtures/cluster.ts
index d382766..ed17f72 100644
--- a/web/e2e/fixtures/cluster.ts
+++ b/web/e2e/fixtures/cluster.ts
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ export const clusterRunDir = path.join(artifactRoot, 'runs', 'playwright-ui');
 export const cnBaseURL = 'http://127.0.0.1:3100';
 export const ovBaseURL = 'http://127.0.0.1:3101';
 export const rootUsername = 'root';
-export const rootPassword = 'Password123!';
+export const rootPassword = process.env.E2E_ROOT_PASSWORD ?? 'e2e-local-root-pass';
 export const adminUsername = 'playwright-admin';
-export const adminPassword = 'Password123!';
+export const adminPassword = process.env.E2E_ADMIN_PASSWORD ?? 'e2e-local-admin-pass';
 
 export type ClusterMetadata = {
   serverPid: number;
diff --git a/web/e2e/utils/process.js b/web/e2e/utils/process.js
index ef0d2fd..d5f7680 100644
--- a/web/e2e/utils/process.js
+++ b/web/e2e/utils/process.js
@@ -66,10 +66,13 @@ function waitForExit(child, timeoutMs) {
 }
 
 function killWindowsProcessTree(pid) {
-  if (!pid) return Promise.resolve();
+  const numericPid = Number(pid);
+  if (!Number.isInteger(numericPid) || numericPid <= 0) {
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  }
 
   return new Promise((resolve) => {
-    const killer = spawn('taskkill', ['/PID', String(pid), '/T', '/F'], {
+    const killer = spawn('taskkill', ['/PID', String(numericPid), '/T', '/F'], {
       stdio: 'ignore',
     });