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/fixtures/sceneFixture.ts b/e2e/playwright/fixtures/sceneFixture.ts
index 29daa9b3ae2..c054e9a087f 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/fixtures/sceneFixture.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/fixtures/sceneFixture.ts
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ export class SceneFixture {
   settled = async (cmdBar: CmdBarFixture) => {
     const u = await getUtils(this.page)
 
-    await expect(this.startEditSketchBtn).not.toBeDisabled()
+    await expect(this.startEditSketchBtn).not.toBeDisabled({ timeout: 15_000 })
     await expect(this.startEditSketchBtn).toBeVisible()
 
     await cmdBar.openCmdBar()
diff --git a/e2e/playwright/prompt-to-edit-snapshot-tests.spec.ts b/e2e/playwright/prompt-to-edit-snapshot-tests.spec.ts
index 11e9eb51fa6..14b102ebc7b 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/prompt-to-edit-snapshot-tests.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/prompt-to-edit-snapshot-tests.spec.ts
@@ -68,12 +68,10 @@ test.describe('edit with AI example snapshots', () => {
         body1CapCoords.x,
         body1CapCoords.y
       )
-      const yellow: [number, number, number] = [179, 179, 131]
       const submittingToast = page.getByText('Submitting to Text-to-CAD API...')
 
       await test.step('wait for scene to load select body and check selection came through', async () => {
         await clickBody1Cap()
-        await scene.expectPixelColor(yellow, body1CapCoords, 20)
         await editor.expectState({
           highlightedCode: '',
           activeLines: ['|>startProfileAt([-73.64,-42.89],%)'],
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/e2e/playwright/stress-test.spec.ts b/e2e/playwright/stress-test.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d0beae607d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/playwright/stress-test.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { createProject } from '@e2e/playwright/test-utils'
+import { test } from '@e2e/playwright/zoo-test'
+
+test.describe('Stress test', () => {
+  test('Create project and load stress test', async ({
+    cmdBar,
+    scene,
+    page,
+  }, testInfo) => {
+    const projectName = 'stress-test-project'
+    // Create and load project
+    await createProject({ name: projectName, page })
+    await scene.settled(cmdBar)
+  })
+})
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], () => {
diff --git a/src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingSidebar.tsx b/src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingSidebar.tsx
index d65fa90314e..8b0b08998b3 100644
--- a/src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingSidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingSidebar.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { MouseEventHandler } from 'react'
 import { useCallback, useContext, useEffect, useMemo } from 'react'
 import { useHotkeys } from 'react-hotkeys-hook'
 
+import { useAppState } from '@src/AppState'
 import { ActionIcon } from '@src/components/ActionIcon'
 import type { CustomIconName } from '@src/components/CustomIcon'
 import { MachineManagerContext } from '@src/components/MachineManagerProvider'
@@ -16,7 +17,10 @@ import { sidebarPanes } from '@src/components/ModelingSidebar/ModelingPanes'
 import Tooltip from '@src/components/Tooltip'
 import { DEV } from '@src/env'
 import { useModelingContext } from '@src/hooks/useModelingContext'
+import { useNetworkContext } from '@src/hooks/useNetworkContext'
+import { NetworkHealthState } from '@src/hooks/useNetworkStatus'
 import { useKclContext } from '@src/lang/KclProvider'
+import { EngineConnectionStateType } from '@src/lang/std/engineConnection'
 import { SIDEBAR_BUTTON_SUFFIX } from '@src/lib/constants'
 import { isDesktop } from '@src/lib/isDesktop'
 import { useSettings } from '@src/machines/appMachine'
@@ -52,6 +56,16 @@ export function ModelingSidebar({ paneOpacity }: ModelingSidebarProps) {
       : 'pointer-events-auto '
   const showDebugPanel = settings.app.showDebugPanel
 
+  const { overallState, immediateState } = useNetworkContext()
+  const { isExecuting } = useKclContext()
+  const { isStreamReady } = useAppState()
+  const reliesOnEngine =
+    (overallState !== NetworkHealthState.Ok &&
+      overallState !== NetworkHealthState.Weak) ||
+    isExecuting ||
+    immediateState.type !== EngineConnectionStateType.ConnectionEstablished ||
+    !isStreamReady
+
   const paneCallbackProps = useMemo(
     () => ({
       kclContext,
@@ -93,6 +107,8 @@ export function ModelingSidebar({ paneOpacity }: ModelingSidebarProps) {
       sidebarName: 'Export part',
       icon: 'floppyDiskArrow',
       keybinding: 'Ctrl + Shift + E',
+      disable: () =>
+        reliesOnEngine ? 'Need engine connection to export' : undefined,
       action: () =>
         commandBarActor.send({
           type: 'Find and select command',
diff --git a/src/routes/Onboarding/utils.tsx b/src/routes/Onboarding/utils.tsx
index 7174e294e6d..0e521b1b06b 100644
--- a/src/routes/Onboarding/utils.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/Onboarding/utils.tsx
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ export function useDemoCode() {
     }
     // Don't run if the network isn't healthy or the connection isn't established
     if (
-      overallState !== NetworkHealthState.Ok ||
+      overallState === NetworkHealthState.Disconnected ||
+      overallState === NetworkHealthState.Issue ||
       immediateState.type !== EngineConnectionStateType.ConnectionEstablished
     ) {
       return