diff --git a/canvas/e2e/org-template-import.spec.ts b/canvas/e2e/org-template-import.spec.ts
index 9bafb08b5..75e176748 100644
--- a/canvas/e2e/org-template-import.spec.ts
+++ b/canvas/e2e/org-template-import.spec.ts
@@ -2,14 +2,30 @@ import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
 
 const API = process.env.E2E_API_URL ?? "http://localhost:8080";
 
-test.describe("Org template import (PLAN.md §20.3)", () => {
-  test("org templates section renders inside the palette", async ({ page }) => {
-    // Sanity: platform must serve /org/templates
-    const res = await page.request.get(`${API}/org/templates`);
-    expect(res.ok()).toBeTruthy();
-    const orgs: { dir: string; name: string; workspaces: number }[] = await res.json();
-    test.skip(orgs.length === 0, "No org templates configured");
+interface OrgTemplate {
+  dir: string;
+  name: string;
+  workspaces: number;
+}
 
+test.describe("Org template import (PLAN.md §20.3)", () => {
+  let orgs: OrgTemplate[] = [];
+
+  test.beforeAll(async ({ request }) => {
+    const res = await request.get(`${API}/org/templates`);
+    expect(res.ok(), "GET /org/templates must succeed").toBeTruthy();
+    orgs = (await res.json()) as OrgTemplate[];
+
+    // Fail-closed: this E2E exists to prove the org-template import surface
+    // renders real templates. An empty registry is a setup failure, not a
+    // reason to skip coverage. Component tests cover the empty-state UI.
+    expect(
+      orgs.length,
+      "No org templates configured — run scripts/clone-manifest.sh (or equivalent) before this E2E suite",
+    ).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+
+  test("org templates section renders inside the palette", async ({ page }) => {
     await page.goto("/", { waitUntil: "networkidle" });
 
     // The Org Templates section lives in TWO places: inside the EmptyState
@@ -34,10 +50,6 @@ test.describe("Org template import (PLAN.md §20.3)", () => {
   });
 
   test("import button exists for every org template returned by the API", async ({ page }) => {
-    const res = await page.request.get(`${API}/org/templates`);
-    const orgs: { dir: string }[] = await res.json();
-    test.skip(orgs.length === 0, "No org templates configured");
-
     await page.goto("/", { waitUntil: "networkidle" });
     const paletteToggle = page.getByTitle("Template Palette");
     if (await paletteToggle.isVisible()) {
@@ -45,6 +57,7 @@ test.describe("Org template import (PLAN.md §20.3)", () => {
     }
     const section = page.getByTestId("org-templates-section").first();
     await expect(section).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15000 });
+
     // Wait for the API result to render (one Import button per org)
     const buttons = section.getByRole("button", { name: /Import org/i });
     await expect(buttons).toHaveCount(orgs.length, { timeout: 15000 });