diff --git a/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-source.ts b/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-source.ts
index c2ef87f5..719c8c8f 100644
--- a/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-source.ts
+++ b/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-source.ts
@@ -1266,7 +1266,7 @@ async function waitForProjectManagementCommandReady(options = {}) {
     const needsTask = /\/tasks\//u.test(path);
     const taskReady = !needsTask || Boolean(last?.selectedTaskId || last?.selectedTaskRef?.hash || last?.taskBodyVisible === true || last?.launchButtonVisible === true);
     const needsReport = /\/reports\//u.test(path);
-    const reportReady = !needsReport || last?.reportPreviewVisible === true || last?.reportFullscreenVisible === true || Number(last?.reportLinkCount || 0) > 0;
+    const reportReady = !needsReport || last?.reportPreviewVisible === true || last?.reportFullscreenVisible === true;
     if (baseReady && taskReady && reportReady) return { ok: true, reason: "project-management-command-ready", durationMs: Date.now() - started, snapshot: last, valuesRedacted: true };
     await page.waitForTimeout(250).catch(() => {});
   }
@@ -2744,19 +2744,53 @@ async function openMdtodoReportPreview(command) {
     error.details = { beforeUrl, linkState, beforeProject, valuesRedacted: true };
     throw error;
   }
-  const responsePromise = page.waitForResponse((response) => {
+  const attempts = [];
+  let response = null;
+  let afterProject = null;
+  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= 3; attempt += 1) {
+    const responsePromise = page.waitForResponse((item) => {
+      try {
+        const request = item.request();
+        return request.method().toUpperCase() === "GET" && new URL(item.url()).pathname === "/v1/project-management/mdtodo/report-preview";
+      } catch {
+        return false;
+      }
+    }, { timeout: 10000 }).then((item) => ({ observed: true, status: item.status(), path: new URL(item.url()).pathname })).catch((error) => ({ observed: false, waitError: errorSummary(error) }));
+    const clickMode = attempt === 1 ? "normal" : "force";
+    let click = { ok: true, mode: clickMode, valuesRedacted: true };
+    await link.scrollIntoViewIfNeeded().catch(() => null);
     try {
-      const request = response.request();
-      return request.method().toUpperCase() === "GET" && new URL(response.url()).pathname === "/v1/project-management/mdtodo/report-preview";
-    } catch {
-      return false;
+      if (attempt === 1) await link.click();
+      else await link.click({ force: true, timeout: 5000 });
+    } catch (error) {
+      click = { ok: false, mode: clickMode, error: errorSummary(error), valuesRedacted: true };
+      await link.evaluate((element) => element.click()).catch(() => null);
     }
-  }, { timeout: 30000 }).then((response) => ({ observed: true, status: response.status(), path: new URL(response.url()).pathname })).catch((error) => ({ observed: false, waitError: errorSummary(error) }));
-  await link.scrollIntoViewIfNeeded().catch(() => null);
-  await link.click();
-  const response = await responsePromise;
-  await page.locator('[data-testid="mdtodo-report-preview"], [data-testid="mdtodo-report-error"]').first().waitFor({ state: "visible", timeout: 10000 }).catch(() => null);
-  return { beforeUrl, afterUrl: currentPageUrl(), type: "openMdtodoReportPreview", selection, linkState, response, beforeProject, afterProject: await projectManagementCommandSnapshot(), pageId, valuesRedacted: true };
+    await page.locator('[data-testid="mdtodo-report-preview"], [data-testid="mdtodo-report-error"]').first().waitFor({ state: "visible", timeout: 5000 }).catch(() => null);
+    afterProject = await projectManagementCommandSnapshot();
+    response = afterProject?.reportPreviewVisible === true
+      ? { observed: null, skippedAfterPreviewVisible: true, valuesRedacted: true }
+      : await responsePromise;
+    attempts.push({
+      attempt,
+      click,
+      response,
+      afterUrl: currentPageUrl(),
+      reportPreviewVisible: afterProject?.reportPreviewVisible === true,
+      reportErrorVisible: afterProject?.reportErrorVisible === true,
+      reportFullscreenVisible: afterProject?.reportFullscreenVisible === true,
+      valuesRedacted: true
+    });
+    if (afterProject?.reportPreviewVisible === true) break;
+    await page.waitForTimeout(700).catch(() => null);
+  }
+  afterProject = afterProject ?? await projectManagementCommandSnapshot();
+  if (afterProject?.reportPreviewVisible !== true) {
+    const error = new Error("openMdtodoReportPreview did not show markdown report preview");
+    error.details = { beforeUrl, afterUrl: currentPageUrl(), selection, linkState, response, attempts, beforeProject, afterProject, pageId, valuesRedacted: true };
+    throw error;
+  }
+  return { beforeUrl, afterUrl: currentPageUrl(), type: "openMdtodoReportPreview", selection, linkState, response, attempts, beforeProject, afterProject, pageId, valuesRedacted: true };
 }
 
 async function toggleMdtodoReportFullscreen(command) {
@@ -2977,6 +3011,7 @@ async function projectManagementCommandSnapshot(options = {}) {
     const launch = document.querySelector('[data-testid="mdtodo-workbench-launch"], [data-action="launch-workbench"]');
     const bodyRendered = document.querySelector('[data-testid="mdtodo-body-rendered"]');
     const reportPreview = document.querySelector('[data-testid="mdtodo-report-preview"]');
+    const reportError = document.querySelector('[data-testid="mdtodo-report-error"]');
     const reportFullscreen = document.querySelector('[data-testid="mdtodo-report-fullscreen-dialog"]');
     const reportLinks = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('[data-testid="mdtodo-report-link"]')).filter(visible);
     return {
@@ -3002,6 +3037,8 @@ async function projectManagementCommandSnapshot(options = {}) {
       reportLinkCount: reportLinks.length,
       reportPreviewVisible: visible(reportPreview),
       reportPreviewText: visible(reportPreview) ? text(reportPreview) : "",
+      reportErrorVisible: visible(reportError),
+      reportErrorText: visible(reportError) ? text(reportError) : "",
       reportFullscreenVisible: visible(reportFullscreen),
       launchButtonVisible: visible(launch),
       launchButtonEnabled: visible(launch) && !launch.disabled && launch.getAttribute("aria-disabled") !== "true",
@@ -3044,6 +3081,8 @@ function sanitizeProjectCommandSnapshot(value) {
     taskBody: value.taskBodyText ? textDigest(value.taskBodyText, 200) : null,
     reportPreviewText: undefined,
     reportPreview: value.reportPreviewText ? textDigest(value.reportPreviewText, 200) : null,
+    reportErrorText: undefined,
+    reportError: value.reportErrorText ? textDigest(value.reportErrorText, 200) : null,
     launchButtonTextHash: value.launchButtonText ? sha256Text(value.launchButtonText) : null,
     launchButtonTextPreview: value.launchButtonText ? truncate(value.launchButtonText, 80) : null,
     launchButtonText: undefined,