diff --git a/apps/web/e2e/helpers.ts b/apps/web/e2e/helpers.ts
index a696374..1c686da 100644
--- a/apps/web/e2e/helpers.ts
+++ b/apps/web/e2e/helpers.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,23 @@ export async function rpc<T>(page: Page, procedure: string, body: unknown): Prom
   return parsed.json as T;
 }
 
+/** Patch a fetched RPC response without passing a consumed `response` into `route.fulfill`. */
+export async function routePatchRpc(
+  page: Page,
+  procedure: string,
+  patch: (json: Record<string, unknown>) => Record<string, unknown>,
+) {
+  await page.route(`**/rpc/${procedure}`, async (route) => {
+    const response = await route.fetch();
+    const body = (await response.json()) as { json: Record<string, unknown> };
+    await route.fulfill({
+      status: response.status(),
+      headers: response.headers(),
+      json: { json: patch(body.json) },
+    });
+  });
+}
+
 async function visible(locator: Locator, timeout: number) {
   return locator.isVisible({ timeout }).catch(() => false);
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/e2e/onboarding-model-labels.spec.ts b/apps/web/e2e/onboarding-model-labels.spec.ts
index 4fbb4e2..d4a8ee8 100644
--- a/apps/web/e2e/onboarding-model-labels.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/web/e2e/onboarding-model-labels.spec.ts
@@ -1,22 +1,13 @@
 import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test";
-import { signup } from "./helpers";
+import { routePatchRpc, signup } from "./helpers";
 
 test("onboarding no longer gates first run on a model picker", async ({ page }) => {
-  await page.route("**/rpc/me", async (route) => {
-    const response = await route.fetch();
-    const body = (await response.json()) as { json: Record<string, unknown> };
-    await route.fulfill({
-      response,
-      json: {
-        json: {
-          ...body.json,
-          needsModel: true,
-          defaultProvider: "openrouter",
-          defaultModel: "openai/gpt-5.6-luna",
-        },
-      },
-    });
-  });
+  await routePatchRpc(page, "me", (json) => ({
+    ...json,
+    needsModel: true,
+    defaultProvider: "openrouter",
+    defaultModel: "openai/gpt-5.6-luna",
+  }));
 
   const stamp = Date.now();
   await signup(page, `model-labels-${stamp}@rakazo.test`, "password12", `Model labels ${stamp}`);