diff --git a/frontend/e2e/nav.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/nav.spec.ts
index 4427e1bc..5637be7d 100644
--- a/frontend/e2e/nav.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/e2e/nav.spec.ts
@@ -6,18 +6,12 @@ import { openApp } from "./helpers";
 // this exercises is precisely what the module-registry refactor replaces.
 test.describe("page switching", () => {
   // Core + admin modules (the E2E account is an admin, matching the real primary user), so this
-  // also exercises the render ternary's admin branches (scheduler / config / users / audit).
-  const RAIL = [
-    "channels",
-    "playlists",
-    "stats",
-    "scheduler",
-    "config",
-    "users",
-    "audit",
-    "settings",
-    "feed",
-  ];
+  // also exercises the admin pages. Since E31 those sit behind ONE rail row ("Administration",
+  // `nav-admin`) that opens a panel of them — the spec still listed them as rail rows of their own,
+  // and it failed on every run from E31 to E32 without anyone seeing it, because e2e was in no
+  // required gate (it is now part of `release`).
+  const RAIL = ["channels", "playlists", "stats", "settings", "feed"];
+  const ADMIN = ["scheduler", "config", "users", "audit"];
 
   test("each rail item activates its page", async ({ page }) => {
     await openApp(page);
@@ -27,6 +21,22 @@ test.describe("page switching", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  test("each admin page opens from the Administration panel and marks it current", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    await openApp(page);
+    for (const id of ADMIN) {
+      await page.getByTestId("nav-admin").click();
+      await page.getByTestId(`nav-admin-${id}`).click();
+      // The panel closes on a pick; the group row carries the current page…
+      await expect(page.getByTestId("nav-admin")).toHaveAttribute("aria-current", "page");
+      // …and, reopened, the panel marks which one.
+      await page.getByTestId("nav-admin").click();
+      await expect(page.getByTestId(`nav-admin-${id}`)).toHaveAttribute("aria-current", "page");
+      await page.keyboard.press("Escape");
+    }
+  });
+
   test("browser Back steps through visited pages", async ({ page }) => {
     await openApp(page);