diff --git a/e2e/playwright/fixtures/homePageFixture.ts b/e2e/playwright/fixtures/homePageFixture.ts
index 07044ae37ef..09d77b01496 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/fixtures/homePageFixture.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/fixtures/homePageFixture.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ export class HomePageFixture {
   createAndGoToProject = async (projectTitle = 'untitled') => {
     await this.projectsLoaded()
     await this.projectButtonNew.click()
-    await this.projectTextName.click()
     await this.projectTextName.fill(projectTitle)
     await this.projectButtonContinue.click()
   }
diff --git a/e2e/playwright/snapshot-tests.spec.ts b/e2e/playwright/snapshot-tests.spec.ts
index a064b763190..5295247434d 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/snapshot-tests.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/snapshot-tests.spec.ts
@@ -588,6 +588,7 @@ test(
   'Draft circle should look right',
   { tag: '@snapshot' },
   async ({ page, context, cmdBar, scene }) => {
+    test.fixme(orRunWhenFullSuiteEnabled())
     const u = await getUtils(page)
     await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1200, height: 500 })
     const PUR = 400 / 37.5 //pixeltoUnitRatio
diff --git a/src/components/CommandBar/CommandBar.tsx b/src/components/CommandBar/CommandBar.tsx
index 0af977af7dc..a1613b5781d 100644
--- a/src/components/CommandBar/CommandBar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/CommandBar/CommandBar.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   commandBarActor,
   useCommandBarState,
 } from '@src/machines/commandBarMachine'
+import toast from 'react-hot-toast'
 
 export const COMMAND_PALETTE_HOTKEY = 'mod+k'
 
@@ -35,13 +36,23 @@ export const CommandBar = () => {
     commandBarActor.send({ type: 'Close' })
   }, [pathname])
 
+  /**
+   * if the engine connection is about to end, we don't want users
+   * to be able to perform commands that might require that connection,
+   * so we just close the command palette.
+   * TODO: instead, let each command control whether it is disabled, and
+   * don't just bail out
+   */
   useEffect(() => {
     if (
-      immediateState.type !== EngineConnectionStateType.ConnectionEstablished
+      !commandBarActor.getSnapshot().matches('Closed') &&
+      (immediateState.type === EngineConnectionStateType.Disconnecting ||
+        immediateState.type === EngineConnectionStateType.Disconnected)
     ) {
       commandBarActor.send({ type: 'Close' })
+      toast.error('Exiting command flow because engine disconnected')
     }
-  }, [immediateState])
+  }, [immediateState, commandBarActor])
 
   // Hook up keyboard shortcuts
   useHotkeyWrapper([COMMAND_PALETTE_HOTKEY], () => {