diff --git a/e2e/config-shell.spec.ts b/e2e/config-shell.spec.ts
index acb90d4e..b2d18b16 100644
--- a/e2e/config-shell.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/config-shell.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 import type { Page, Route } from '@playwright/test';
-import { LIVE, LIVE_SKIP_REASON } from './live';
+import { LIVE, LIVE_SKIP_REASON, lockUserProfile } from './live';
 
 /**
  * Configuration page shell (WS5): loading and error routes, Expand all,
@@ -179,24 +179,55 @@ test.describe('Configuration shell: search and deep links', () => {
   });
 });
 
-test.describe('Configuration shell: profile scope and guard', () => {
+test.describe('Configuration shell: Back from the USER role profile', () => {
+  /** Set once a test creates the USER role's profile, so cleanup never deletes one it found. */
+  let createdUserProfile = false;
+
+  /** Opens the scope selector once its profile list has loaded. */
   async function openScopeSelector(page: Page) {
     await page.getByRole('button', { name: /^Select scope/ }).click();
-    return page.getByRole('dialog');
+    const dialog = page.getByRole('dialog');
+    await expect(dialog.getByRole('option', { name: /^Base configuration/ })).toBeVisible();
+    return dialog;
   }
 
   /** Opens the USER role's profile; on a clean database, creating it opens it. */
   async function selectUserRole(page: Page) {
     const dialog = await openScopeSelector(page);
-    const user = dialog.getByText('USER', { exact: true });
-    if ((await user.count()) === 0) {
-      await dialog.getByRole('button', { name: 'Create' }).click();
-      await dialog.getByText('USER', { exact: true }).first().click();
+    const user = dialog.getByRole('option', { name: /^USER / });
+    if ((await user.count()) > 0) {
+      await user.click();
       return;
     }
-    await user.first().click();
+    await dialog.getByRole('button', { name: 'Create' }).click();
+    await dialog.getByRole('option', { name: 'USER', exact: true }).click();
+    createdUserProfile = true;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Deletes the USER role's profile unless something has saved overrides to it since.
+   * The confirm view lists no options and stays up until the delete succeeds, so the
+   * profile list coming back is what proves the delete finished.
+   */
+  async function deleteUserProfile(page: Page) {
+    await openTab(page, 'system');
+    const dialog = await openScopeSelector(page);
+    const user = dialog.getByRole('option', { name: /^USER / });
+    if ((await user.filter({ hasText: 'No overrides' }).count()) === 0) return;
+    await dialog.getByRole('option', { name: 'Delete profile USER', exact: true }).click();
+    await dialog.getByRole('button', { name: 'Delete configuration' }).click();
+    await expect(dialog.getByRole('option', { name: /^Base configuration/ })).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 10_000,
+    });
+    await expect(user).toHaveCount(0);
   }
 
+  lockUserProfile(async (page) => {
+    if (!createdUserProfile) return;
+    createdUserProfile = false;
+    await deleteUserProfile(page);
+  });
+
   test('Back after selecting a profile restores Base in the URL and the UI', async ({ page }) => {
     await openTab(page, 'system');
     await selectUserRole(page);
@@ -206,7 +237,9 @@ test.describe('Configuration shell: profile scope and guard', () => {
     await expect(page).not.toHaveURL(/scope=/);
     await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: /^Select scope: Base/ })).toBeVisible();
   });
+});
 
+test.describe('Configuration shell: profile scope and guard', () => {
   test('a fresh visit opens Base, an unknown profile says so', async ({ page }) => {
     await openTab(page, 'system');
     await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: /^Select scope: Base/ })).toBeVisible();
diff --git a/e2e/import.spec.ts b/e2e/import.spec.ts
index 505ca46a..7d03c522 100644
--- a/e2e/import.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/import.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 import type { Page } from '@playwright/test';
-import { LIVE, LIVE_SKIP_REASON } from './live';
+import { LIVE, LIVE_SKIP_REASON, lockUserProfile } from './live';
 
 /**
  * The YAML import wizard needs LibreChat's admin config API, which the mock
@@ -31,11 +31,12 @@ async function previewAndApply(page: Page, target: RegExp) {
 /** Opens the USER role's profile, creating it on a clean database. */
 async function ensureUserProfile(page: Page) {
   await page.goto('/configuration?tab=system&scope=role:USER');
-  await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
+  const opened = page.getByRole('button', { name: /^Select scope: USER/ });
   const create = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Create profile' });
-  if ((await create.count()) === 0) return;
+  await expect(opened.or(create)).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
+  if (await opened.isVisible()) return;
   await create.click();
-  await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: /^Select scope: USER/ })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(opened).toBeVisible();
 }
 
 async function startBalanceIn(page: Page, scope?: string) {
@@ -62,18 +63,24 @@ test('imports a snippet into Base, previewing exactly its keys', async ({ page }
   await expect(await startBalanceIn(page)).toHaveValue(value.toLocaleString('en-US'));
 });
 
-test('imports into an existing profile, comparing with its own values', async ({ page }) => {
-  const value = 200000 + (Date.now() % 100000);
-  await ensureUserProfile(page);
-  await openWizard(page, `balance:\n  startBalance: ${value}\n`, 'role:USER');
-  await expect(page.getByRole('radio', { name: /This profile \(USER\)/ })).toHaveAttribute(
-    'aria-checked',
-    'true',
-  );
-  const { apply } = await previewAndApply(page, /into Role: USER$/);
-  await apply.click();
-  await expect(page.getByText(/Imported 1 value into Role: USER/).first()).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(await startBalanceIn(page, 'role:USER')).toHaveValue(value.toLocaleString('en-US'));
+test.describe('the USER role profile', () => {
+  lockUserProfile();
+
+  test('imports into an existing profile, comparing with its own values', async ({ page }) => {
+    const value = 200000 + (Date.now() % 100000);
+    await ensureUserProfile(page);
+    await openWizard(page, `balance:\n  startBalance: ${value}\n`, 'role:USER');
+    await expect(page.getByRole('radio', { name: /This profile \(USER\)/ })).toHaveAttribute(
+      'aria-checked',
+      'true',
+    );
+    const { apply } = await previewAndApply(page, /into Role: USER$/);
+    await apply.click();
+    await expect(page.getByText(/Imported 1 value into Role: USER/).first()).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(await startBalanceIn(page, 'role:USER')).toHaveValue(
+      value.toLocaleString('en-US'),
+    );
+  });
 });
 
 test('imports into a role that has no profile yet', async ({ page }) => {
diff --git a/e2e/live.ts b/e2e/live.ts
index a668e293..7a8edc89 100644
--- a/e2e/live.ts
+++ b/e2e/live.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-import { expect } from '@playwright/test';
-import type { Page } from '@playwright/test';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
+import { mkdirSync, readFileSync, renameSync, rmSync, statSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import type { Page, TestInfo } from '@playwright/test';
 
 /**
  * Configuration specs need a LibreChat backend that serves the admin config
@@ -58,6 +61,132 @@ export async function openConfigTab(page: Page, tab: string) {
   await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
 }
 
+const LOOPBACK_HOSTS: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(['127.0.0.1', '[::1]']);
+
+/** One key per panel, however E2E_BASE_URL spells its loopback host or trailing slash. */
+function lockKey(baseUrl: string): string {
+  const url = new URL(baseUrl);
+  const host = LOOPBACK_HOSTS.has(url.hostname) ? 'localhost' : url.hostname;
+  const path = url.pathname.replace(/\/+$/, '');
+  return `${host}-${url.port}${path}`.replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/gi, '-');
+}
+
+const LOCK_KEY = lockKey(process.env.E2E_BASE_URL ?? 'http://localhost:3000');
+const LOCK_DIR = join(tmpdir(), `librechat-admin-e2e-user-profile-${LOCK_KEY}`);
+const LOCK_POLL_MS = 250;
+/** Longer than a locked test holds the lock, unless its body and its cleanup both hang. */
+const LOCK_STALE_MS = 5 * 60_000;
+/** Past the stale age, so a waiter takes over a hung holder's lock before it gives up. */
+const LOCK_WAIT_MS = LOCK_STALE_MS + 60_000;
+
+let lockHeld = false;
+
+function lockOwner(dir: string): number | undefined {
+  try {
+    const pid = Number(readFileSync(join(dir, 'owner'), 'utf8'));
+    return Number.isInteger(pid) && pid > 0 ? pid : undefined;
+  } catch {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
+function isAlive(pid: number): boolean {
+  try {
+    process.kill(pid, 0);
+    return true;
+  } catch (error) {
+    return (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code === 'EPERM';
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * A lock is stale when its owner has exited, is this worker (one test runs at a time per
+ * worker, so it leaked), or has held it past the stale age. A lock whose owner file is not
+ * written yet is judged by age alone.
+ */
+function isStale(dir: string): boolean {
+  const pid = lockOwner(dir);
+  if (pid != null && (pid === process.pid || !isAlive(pid))) return true;
+  try {
+    return Date.now() - statSync(dir).mtimeMs > LOCK_STALE_MS;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Moves a stale lock aside and deletes it. When the move fails, another waiter got there
+ * first; when the lock moved aside is not stale, a waiter re-took it in between, so it goes back.
+ */
+function takeOver() {
+  const aside = `${LOCK_DIR}.stale-${process.pid}-${Date.now()}`;
+  try {
+    renameSync(LOCK_DIR, aside);
+    if (!isStale(aside)) renameSync(aside, LOCK_DIR);
+  } catch {
+    /* Another waiter moved it first, or took the lock while it was aside. */
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(aside, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+}
+
+/** One attempt: `mkdir` is atomic and fails while another worker holds the lock. */
+function tryLock(): boolean {
+  try {
+    mkdirSync(LOCK_DIR);
+  } catch (error) {
+    if ((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code !== 'EEXIST') throw error;
+    if (isStale(LOCK_DIR)) takeOver();
+    return false;
+  }
+  writeFileSync(join(LOCK_DIR, 'owner'), String(process.pid));
+  return true;
+}
+
+function releaseLock() {
+  if (!lockHeld) return;
+  lockHeld = false;
+  process.off('exit', releaseLock);
+  if (lockOwner(LOCK_DIR) === process.pid) rmSync(LOCK_DIR, { recursive: true, force: true });
+}
+
+/** Waits for the lock without spending the test's own timeout on the wait. */
+async function acquireLock(testInfo: TestInfo) {
+  const started = Date.now();
+  const timeout = testInfo.timeout;
+  if (timeout) testInfo.setTimeout(timeout + LOCK_WAIT_MS);
+  while (!tryLock()) {
+    if (Date.now() - started > LOCK_WAIT_MS) {
+      const holder = lockOwner(LOCK_DIR) ?? 'unknown';
+      throw new Error(
+        `Gave up after ${LOCK_WAIT_MS / 1000} s waiting for the USER role profile lock ` +
+          `${LOCK_DIR}, held by pid ${holder}`,
+      );
+    }
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, LOCK_POLL_MS));
+  }
+  lockHeld = true;
+  process.on('exit', releaseLock);
+  if (timeout) testInfo.setTimeout(timeout + Date.now() - started);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Runs each test of the calling describe alone against E2E_BASE_URL's backend, across workers
+ * and spec files. Every test that creates, uses or deletes the USER role's profile calls it:
+ * there are only two built-in roles, so no test gets a profile of its own. `cleanup` runs
+ * before the lock is released, also after a failure.
+ */
+export function lockUserProfile(cleanup?: (page: Page) => Promise<void>) {
+  test.beforeEach(() => acquireLock(test.info()));
+  test.afterEach(async ({ page }) => {
+    try {
+      await cleanup?.(page);
+    } finally {
+      releaseLock();
+    }
+  });
+}
+
 /** click-ui Selects for the a11y specs: each `open` loads the Select's page and returns its trigger. */
 export const SELECTS = [
   {
diff --git a/e2e/profiles.spec.ts b/e2e/profiles.spec.ts
index 29637929..e69e46ae 100644
--- a/e2e/profiles.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/profiles.spec.ts
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ test.describe('Configuration: profile lifecycle', () => {
     await expect(page.getByRole('option', { name: new RegExp(`^${name}`) })).toBeVisible();
     await page.keyboard.press('Escape');
 
-    await expect(page.locator('#section-registration [role=note]')).toContainText(
-      'applies to everyone',
-    );
+    await expect(
+      page.locator('#section-registration [role=note][data-read-only=scope]'),
+    ).toContainText('applies to everyone');
     await expect(page.locator('#section-registration input:not([disabled])')).toHaveCount(0);
 
     const startBalance = page.locator('#balance-startBalance');
diff --git a/e2e/specs.spec.ts b/e2e/specs.spec.ts
index 71b9d2b8..b852e6bc 100644
--- a/e2e/specs.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/specs.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 import type { Locator, Page } from '@playwright/test';
-import { LIVE, LIVE_SKIP_REASON } from './live';
+import { LIVE, LIVE_SKIP_REASON, lockUserProfile } from './live';
 
 /**
  * Model specs journeys (WS11, the audit's specs journeys). They need a live
@@ -176,19 +176,23 @@ test.describe('Model specs', () => {
     await expect(unsavedBar(page)).toHaveCount(0);
   });
 
-  test('a profile shows the specs it inherits read-only until it customizes the list', async ({
-    page,
-  }) => {
-    await openSpecs(page, '&scope=role:USER');
-    const customize = page.getByRole('button', { name: /^Override for Role: USER/ });
-    test.skip((await customize.count()) === 0, 'Needs a USER role profile without its own list');
-    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add spec' })).toHaveCount(0);
-    await expect(cards(page).first()).toBeVisible();
-    await customize.click();
-    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add spec' })).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(page.getByText(/replaces Base's list/)).toBeVisible();
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Cancel' }).click();
-    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add spec' })).toHaveCount(0);
+  test.describe('the USER role profile', () => {
+    lockUserProfile();
+
+    test('a profile shows the specs it inherits read-only until it customizes the list', async ({
+      page,
+    }) => {
+      await openSpecs(page, '&scope=role:USER');
+      const customize = page.getByRole('button', { name: /^Override for Role: USER/ });
+      test.skip((await customize.count()) === 0, 'Needs a USER role profile without its own list');
+      await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add spec' })).toHaveCount(0);
+      await expect(cards(page).first()).toBeVisible();
+      await customize.click();
+      await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add spec' })).toBeVisible();
+      await expect(page.getByText(/replaces Base's list/)).toBeVisible();
+      await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Cancel' }).click();
+      await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add spec' })).toHaveCount(0);
+    });
   });
 
   test('the tab filter finds spec fields and phone width has no sideways scroll', async ({