diff --git a/e2e/react-start/hmr/tests/app.spec.ts b/e2e/react-start/hmr/tests/app.spec.ts
index bbaff95bc13..5af93dc0dc7 100644
--- a/e2e/react-start/hmr/tests/app.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/react-start/hmr/tests/app.spec.ts
@@ -269,10 +269,7 @@ async function captureOriginals() {
 
 const capturePromise = captureOriginals()
 
-async function restoreRouteFiles(
-  forceRouteFileKeys: Iterable<RouteFileKey> = [],
-) {
-  const forceRestoreKeys = new Set(forceRouteFileKeys)
+async function restoreRouteFiles() {
   const restoredRouteKeys: Array<RouteFileKey> = []
 
   for (const [key, filePath] of Object.entries(routeFiles) as Array<
@@ -281,9 +278,7 @@ async function restoreRouteFiles(
     const content = originalContents[key]
     if (content === undefined) continue
     const current = await readFile(filePath, 'utf8')
-    // Re-emit pending restores in case the watcher coalesced the previous
-    // restore write and the dev server is still serving stale route options.
-    if (current !== content || forceRestoreKeys.has(key)) {
+    if (current !== content) {
       await writeFile(filePath, content)
       restoredRouteKeys.push(key)
     }
@@ -552,15 +547,13 @@ test.describe('react-start hmr', () => {
 
   test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
     await capturePromise
-    const pendingRouteKeys = Array.from(routeKeysPendingRestoreCheck)
-    const restoredRouteKeys = await restoreRouteFiles(pendingRouteKeys)
+    const routeKeysToCheck = new Set(routeKeysPendingRestoreCheck)
+    routeKeysPendingRestoreCheck.clear()
+    const restoredRouteKeys = await restoreRouteFiles()
     for (const routeFileKey of restoredRouteKeys) {
-      routeKeysPendingRestoreCheck.add(routeFileKey)
+      routeKeysToCheck.add(routeFileKey)
     }
 
-    const routeKeysToCheck = Array.from(routeKeysPendingRestoreCheck)
-    routeKeysPendingRestoreCheck.clear()
-
     for (const routeFileKey of routeKeysToCheck) {
       await waitForRestoredRouteFile(page, routeFileKey)
     }
@@ -736,7 +729,6 @@ test.describe('react-start hmr', () => {
         await waitForRouteModuleUpdate(page, '/child', 'Child Updated Again')
       },
     )
-    await waitForHydrationSafeReload(page, '/child', 'Child Updated Again')
 
     // Now navigate to /child — should see the LATEST value
     await page.getByTestId('child-link').click()
@@ -755,6 +747,7 @@ test.describe('react-start hmr', () => {
 
     // Set up local state in the index route
     await page.getByTestId('increment').click()
+    await expect(page.getByTestId('count')).toHaveText('Count: 1')
     await page.getByTestId('increment').click()
     await page.getByTestId('message').fill('preserve me')
 
@@ -885,7 +878,6 @@ test.describe('react-start hmr', () => {
         ),
       async () => {},
     )
-    await page.waitForTimeout(300)
 
     await reloadPageAndWaitForText(
       page,