diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Deployment/DeploymentFixture.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Deployment/DeploymentFixture.cs
index 7c25a16d..dfac4df3 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Deployment/DeploymentFixture.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Deployment/DeploymentFixture.cs
@@ -77,10 +77,22 @@ public sealed class DeploymentFixture : IAsyncLifetime
             return;
         }
 
-        SiteAId = await CliRunner.ResolveSiteIdAsync(SiteAIdentifier);
-        TemplateId = await CliRunner.CreateTemplateAsync(CliRunner.UniqueName("deploytmpl"));
-        await CliRunner.AddAttributeAsync(TemplateId, "Value", "Double");
-        AreaId = await CliRunner.CreateAreaAsync(SiteAId, CliRunner.UniqueName("area"));
+        try
+        {
+            SiteAId = await CliRunner.ResolveSiteIdAsync(SiteAIdentifier);
+            TemplateId = await CliRunner.CreateTemplateAsync(CliRunner.UniqueName("deploytmpl"));
+            await CliRunner.AddAttributeAsync(TemplateId, "Value", "Double");
+            AreaId = await CliRunner.CreateAreaAsync(SiteAId, CliRunner.UniqueName("area"));
+        }
+        catch
+        {
+            // Partial-init guard: best-effort cleanup of whatever was created before
+            // the failure; DeleteAreaAsync/DeleteTemplateAsync are no-ops for id 0.
+            await CliRunner.DeleteAreaAsync(AreaId);
+            await CliRunner.DeleteTemplateAsync(TemplateId);
+            Available = false;
+            throw;
+        }
     }
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -104,6 +116,7 @@ public sealed class DeploymentFixture : IAsyncLifetime
     public async Task<(int Id, string UniqueName)> CreateInstanceAsync()
     {
         var inv = System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;
+        // "inst" must match the InstanceNamePrefix ("zztest-inst-") used by the teardown sweep.
         var name = CliRunner.UniqueName("inst");
 
         using var doc = await CliRunner.RunJsonAsync(
@@ -154,8 +167,8 @@ public sealed class DeploymentFixture : IAsyncLifetime
             // Best-effort teardown — never fail the suite on a cleanup hiccup.
         }
 
-        await CliRunner.DeleteAreaAsync(AreaId);
-        await CliRunner.DeleteTemplateAsync(TemplateId);
+        try { await CliRunner.DeleteAreaAsync(AreaId); } catch { }
+        try { await CliRunner.DeleteTemplateAsync(TemplateId); } catch { }
     }
 
     /// <summary>