diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Cluster/CliRunner.Helpers.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Cluster/CliRunner.Helpers.cs
index d0195447..6ca4ffee 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Cluster/CliRunner.Helpers.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Cluster/CliRunner.Helpers.cs
@@ -70,14 +70,34 @@ public static partial class CliRunner
     /// (<c>Boolean</c>, <c>Int32</c>, <c>Double</c>, <c>String</c>).
     /// Defaults to <c>Double</c>.
     /// </param>
+    /// <param name="dataSourceReference">
+    /// Optional data source reference (tag path). When provided, maps to
+    /// <c>--data-source</c> on the CLI and sets
+    /// <c>TemplateAttribute.DataSourceReference</c>. The InstanceConfigure page
+    /// populates <c>_bindingDataSourceAttrs</c> by filtering attributes to those
+    /// where <c>DataSourceReference</c> is non-empty, so an attribute that needs
+    /// to appear in the Connection Bindings panel MUST be created with this set.
+    /// </param>
     /// <exception cref="InvalidOperationException">The CLI failed.</exception>
-    public static async Task AddAttributeAsync(int templateId, string name, string dataType = "Double")
+    public static async Task AddAttributeAsync(
+        int templateId, string name, string dataType = "Double",
+        string? dataSourceReference = null)
     {
-        await RunAsync(
+        var inv = System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;
+        var args = new List<string>
+        {
             "template", "attribute", "add",
-            "--template-id", templateId.ToString(System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture),
+            "--template-id", templateId.ToString(inv),
             "--name", name,
-            "--data-type", dataType);
+            "--data-type", dataType,
+        };
+        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(dataSourceReference))
+        {
+            args.Add("--data-source");
+            args.Add(dataSourceReference);
+        }
+
+        await RunAsync([.. args]);
     }
 
     /// <summary>
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Deployment/InstanceConfigureFixture.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Deployment/InstanceConfigureFixture.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..760ec95c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests/Deployment/InstanceConfigureFixture.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+using System.Text.Json;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests.Cluster;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.PlaywrightTests.Deployment;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// <see cref="IAsyncLifetime"/> fixture for the InstanceConfigure E2E tests. Provisions, on the real
+/// running <c>site-a</c>: a zztest template with a single bindable <c>Double</c> attribute, a zztest
+/// data-connection (so the bindings UI has a connection to assign), a zztest area (for the
+/// area-reassignment test), and one instance created with no area. The instance is NOT deployed —
+/// bindings/overrides/area assignment are pre-deploy configuration operations.
+///
+/// <para>
+/// <b>Why the attribute is created with <c>--data-source "Value"</c>:</b>
+/// <c>InstanceConfigure.razor.cs</c> populates <c>_bindingDataSourceAttrs</c> by filtering
+/// <c>GetAttributesByTemplateIdAsync</c> to attributes where
+/// <c>!string.IsNullOrEmpty(a.DataSourceReference)</c> (line 581 of InstanceConfigure.razor).
+/// A plain <c>Double</c> attribute created <em>without</em> <c>--data-source</c> has
+/// <c>DataSourceReference = null</c>, so it would not appear in the Connection Bindings panel
+/// and the bindings-UI tests would silently see "No data-sourced attributes". The attribute
+/// DOES appear unconditionally in <c>_overrideAttrs</c> (filtered only on <c>!IsLocked</c>,
+/// line 592), so overrides work with or without a tag path. The fixture therefore sets
+/// <c>dataSourceReference: "Value"</c> when adding the attribute so both panels are exercised.
+/// </para>
+/// </summary>
+public sealed class InstanceConfigureFixture : IAsyncLifetime
+{
+    private const string SiteAIdentifier = "site-a";
+
+    public int SiteAId { get; private set; }
+    public int TemplateId { get; private set; }
+    public int ConnectionId { get; private set; }
+    public int AreaId { get; private set; }
+    public int InstanceId { get; private set; }
+
+    /// <summary>The single bindable/overridable attribute name on the fixture template.</summary>
+    public string AttributeName => "Value";
+
+    /// <summary>The fixture data-connection name (for locating it in the bindings UI dropdown).</summary>
+    public string ConnectionName { get; private set; } = string.Empty;
+
+    public bool Available { get; private set; }
+
+    public async Task InitializeAsync()
+    {
+        Available = await ClusterAvailability.IsAvailableAsync();
+        if (!Available)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        try
+        {
+            SiteAId = await CliRunner.ResolveSiteIdAsync(SiteAIdentifier);
+            TemplateId = await CliRunner.CreateTemplateAsync(CliRunner.UniqueName("cfgtmpl"));
+            // The attribute must have DataSourceReference set (via --data-source) so it appears
+            // in _bindingDataSourceAttrs on the InstanceConfigure page. Without it the Connection
+            // Bindings panel shows "No data-sourced attributes" and binding tests cannot run.
+            // See the class-level XML doc for the full analysis.
+            await CliRunner.AddAttributeAsync(TemplateId, AttributeName, "Double", dataSourceReference: AttributeName);
+            ConnectionName = CliRunner.UniqueName("conn");
+            ConnectionId = await CliRunner.CreateDataConnectionAsync(SiteAId, ConnectionName);
+            AreaId = await CliRunner.CreateAreaAsync(SiteAId, CliRunner.UniqueName("cfgarea"));
+            InstanceId = await CliRunner.CreateInstanceAsync(CliRunner.UniqueName("cfginst"), TemplateId, SiteAId);
+        }
+        catch
+        {
+            await SafeCleanupAsync();
+            Available = false;
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
+
+    public async Task DisposeAsync()
+    {
+        if (!Available)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        await SafeCleanupAsync();
+    }
+
+    private async Task SafeCleanupAsync()
+    {
+        await CliRunner.DeleteInstanceAsync(InstanceId);
+        await CliRunner.DeleteDataConnectionAsync(ConnectionId);
+        await CliRunner.DeleteAreaAsync(AreaId);
+        await CliRunner.DeleteTemplateAsync(TemplateId);
+    }
+}