diff --git a/tools/e2e/34-sound.mjs b/tools/e2e/34-sound.mjs
index 56fdde14..4fb3a695 100644
--- a/tools/e2e/34-sound.mjs
+++ b/tools/e2e/34-sound.mjs
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import { sampleZoom } from './lib/zoomTransition.mjs';
 const LANE = LANES.sound;
 const BLIP_BYTES = 4044;
 const DRONE_BYTES = 12044;
+/** A second of one channel at the stream rate, as the library counts the samples it holds (#349). */
+const STREAM_SECOND_BYTES = 48000 * Float32Array.BYTES_PER_ELEMENT;
 
 export async function sound(t) {
   const { check, sleep, json, evaluate, mutate, click, clickText, press, play, stop, shot, showTab } = t;
@@ -3956,9 +3958,14 @@ export async function sound(t) {
     (peaks) => Math.min(Math.max(...(peaks.mix ?? [0])), Math.max(...(peaks['mix:sn-bus'] ?? [0]))) > 0.01,
   );
   await sleep(1000);
-  // After a garbage collection as at rest: play mode makes garbage of its own (#378, CI task 614).
-  const playingStreamed = await restingMb();
-  const renderersPlaying = renderers();
+  // The pause is measured on a stream held a second ahead, and before the garbage collection below:
+  // forced on the CI runner, that held the page for seconds and the player ran dry before the pause
+  // was clicked, 0.02 s left ahead (CI tasks 712, 719, 721). A sample that came too late is only
+  // counted once it is there, so the pause is judged by what it adds. The wait after it lets the
+  // worklet report how far it has read: until then a stretch sent counts as ahead.
+  const headsOnly = statsBefore.streaming.held;
+  await waitFor(stats, (s) => s.streaming.held - headsOnly >= STREAM_SECOND_BYTES, 40);
+  await sleep(500);
   const heldStreamed = await stats();
   await t.clickToolbar('pause');
   await sleep(500);
@@ -3968,6 +3975,9 @@ export async function sound(t) {
   await t.clickToolbar('pause');
   await sleep(1000);
   const resumedLong = await stats();
+  // After a garbage collection as at rest: play mode makes garbage of its own (#378, CI task 614).
+  const playingStreamed = await restingMb();
+  const renderersPlaying = renderers();
   await stop();
   const stoppedLong = await stats();
   check(
@@ -3983,7 +3993,7 @@ export async function sound(t) {
     paused.state === 'suspended' &&
       pausedLater === paused.clock &&
       resumedLong.streaming.playing === 1 &&
-      resumedLong.streaming.skipped === 0 &&
+      resumedLong.streaming.skipped === heldStreamed.streaming.skipped &&
       stoppedLong.streaming.playing === 0 &&
       stoppedLong.playing === 0,
     // Held before the pause too: it tells a stream that fell behind from the start from one the