diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c2f0e07..10768b2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -94,7 +94,14 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install and start chromedriver
         run: |
-          npx --yes @puppeteer/browsers install chromedriver@stable
+          # `chromedriver@stable` tracks the latest ChromeDriver release, which
+          # can be ahead of the Chrome binary pre-installed on the runner image
+          # (they're updated on independent schedules). ChromeDriver refuses to
+          # start a session against a Chrome major version it doesn't support,
+          # so pin to the major version of the Chrome actually on the runner.
+          CHROME_VERSION=$(google-chrome --version | grep -oE '[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+')
+          CHROME_MAJOR=${CHROME_VERSION%%.*}
+          npx --yes @puppeteer/browsers install chromedriver@${CHROME_MAJOR}
           CHROMEDRIVER=$(find "$PWD" -type f -name chromedriver | head -n 1)
           chmod +x "$CHROMEDRIVER"
           "$CHROMEDRIVER" --port=4444 &
@@ -103,10 +110,17 @@ jobs:
             sleep 1
           done
 
+      # Not --release: WidgetTester.enterText/receiveAction inject fake
+      # text-input platform messages tagged with a magic client id of -1.
+      # The framework only honors that id inside an `assert(() {...}())`
+      # block (flutter's services/text_input.dart), which release/profile
+      # builds strip entirely — so in --release the synthetic keystrokes
+      # this test sends are silently dropped and the todo never gets
+      # typed. Debug mode keeps the assert, so the test can actually
+      # drive the UI.
       - name: Run web integration tests
         run: |
           flutter drive \
             --driver=test_driver/integration_test.dart \
             --target=integration_test/todo_flow_test.dart \
-            -d web-server \
-            --release
+            -d web-server