diff --git a/changelog.d/1281-traffic-issue-fix.md b/changelog.d/1281-traffic-issue-fix.md
index 10dc045d0..f9477de48 100644
--- a/changelog.d/1281-traffic-issue-fix.md
+++ b/changelog.d/1281-traffic-issue-fix.md
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@
 - Establish browser-level foreground visibility for Traffic QA and reject hidden-page samples (asturksever, #1281).
 - Supply CORS headers on cross-origin traffic fixtures and report browser exceptions without disabling browser security (asturksever, #1281).
 - Isolate the Traffic keyless browser scenario from the keyed page’s workers and intercepted cache (asturksever, #1281).
+- Restore minimized test windows before screenshots so native compositor pauses cannot stall browser acceptance (asturksever, #1281).
+- Intercept only Traffic provider URLs, leaving Cesium worker and module loading untouched (asturksever, #1281).
diff --git a/scripts/qa-chrome.mjs b/scripts/qa-chrome.mjs
index 05c4dbff0..2416a04e3 100644
--- a/scripts/qa-chrome.mjs
+++ b/scripts/qa-chrome.mjs
@@ -18,3 +18,30 @@ export function chromeExecutablePath({
   if (env.PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH) return env.PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH;
   return exists(MACOS_CHROME) ? MACOS_CHROME : undefined;
 }
+
+/** Restore an owned test window before capture: focus emulation alone does not
+ * unminimize the native compositor, so CDP screenshots can otherwise stall. */
+export async function captureQaScreenshot(
+  page,
+  options,
+  { headful = true } = {},
+) {
+  if (headful) {
+    const session = await page.createCDPSession();
+    try {
+      const { windowId, bounds } = await session.send(
+        'Browser.getWindowForTarget',
+      );
+      if (bounds.windowState === 'minimized') {
+        await session.send('Browser.setWindowBounds', {
+          windowId,
+          bounds: { windowState: 'normal' },
+        });
+      }
+      await page.bringToFront();
+    } finally {
+      await session.detach();
+    }
+  }
+  return page.screenshot(options);
+}
diff --git a/scripts/qa-traffic.mjs b/scripts/qa-traffic.mjs
index d07b7196f..a6c0bdc53 100644
--- a/scripts/qa-traffic.mjs
+++ b/scripts/qa-traffic.mjs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
  */
 
 import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
+import { captureQaScreenshot } from './qa-chrome.mjs';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ appUrl.searchParams.set('welcome', '0');
 const APP_URL = appUrl.href;
 const HEADFUL = argv.includes('--headful');
 const FIXTURES = argv.includes('--fixtures');
-const fixtureResponse = FIXTURES ? (await import('./traffic-fixtures.mjs')).trafficFixtureResponse : () => null;
+const { installTrafficRoutes } = await import('./traffic-fixtures.mjs');
 
 const CHROME_EXECUTABLE_CANDIDATES = [
   process.env.PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH,
@@ -158,11 +159,6 @@ async function main() {
     // Chrome minimized. Use browser focus emulation, not patched DOM getters.
     const focusSession = await page.createCDPSession();
     await focusSession.send('Emulation.setFocusEmulationEnabled', { enabled: true });
-    const onFixture = (request) => {
-      const response = fixtureResponse(request);
-      if (response) void request.respond(response); else void request.continue();
-    };
-    if (FIXTURES) { await page.setCacheEnabled(false); await page.setRequestInterception(true); page.on('request', onFixture); }
     await page.setViewport({ width: 1440, height: 900 });
 
     // Track flow-tile requests + traffic console lines for (ii)/(iii)/(v).
@@ -172,6 +168,7 @@ async function main() {
     });
     const trafficLogs = [];
     const pageErrors = [];
+    if (FIXTURES) await installTrafficRoutes(page, { origin: appUrl.origin, fixtures: true, onError: error => pageErrors.push(error.message) });
     page.on('pageerror', error => { pageErrors.push(error.message); console.error('PAGE ERROR:', error.message); });
     page.on('console', message => { if (message.type() === 'error') console.error('BROWSER ERROR:', message.text()); });
     page.on('console', (msg) => {
@@ -210,7 +207,7 @@ async function main() {
         `coverage=${mumbai.flowCoveragePct}% tiles=${mumbai.tilesFetched}`);
       if (mumbai.mode !== 'live' || !(mumbai.count > 0) || !(colored > 0)) exitCode = 1;
       await sleep(1200);
-      await page.screenshot({ path: path.join(SHOTS_DIR, 'traffic-live-flow.png') });
+      await captureQaScreenshot(page, { path: path.join(SHOTS_DIR, 'traffic-live-flow.png') }, { headful: HEADFUL });
     }
 
     // ── (iv) uncovered-roads param — hide vs sim ─────────────────────────────
@@ -243,7 +240,7 @@ async function main() {
         (hid.flowBuckets?.sim || 0) === 0 && hid.count > 0,
         `count=${hid.count} sim=${hid.flowBuckets?.sim}`);
       if ((hid.flowBuckets?.sim || 0) !== 0) exitCode = 1;
-      await page.screenshot({ path: path.join(SHOTS_DIR, 'traffic-live-hide-mode.png') });
+      await captureQaScreenshot(page, { path: path.join(SHOTS_DIR, 'traffic-live-hide-mode.png') }, { headful: HEADFUL });
     } else {
       record('PARAM: hide mode renders zero sim (white) dots', null,
         'view had 100% coverage (no sim dots to hide) — inconclusive here, covered by unit tests');
@@ -265,7 +262,7 @@ async function main() {
       }
       record('C4: oblique fetch box centers on the look-at point', ok, detail);
       if (!ok) exitCode = 1;
-      await page.screenshot({ path: path.join(SHOTS_DIR, 'traffic-c4-oblique.png') });
+      await captureQaScreenshot(page, { path: path.join(SHOTS_DIR, 'traffic-c4-oblique.png') }, { headful: HEADFUL });
     }
 
     // ── (iii) budget honesty ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -290,23 +287,11 @@ async function main() {
     await keylessFocus.send('Emulation.setFocusEmulationEnabled', { enabled: true });
     page.on('pageerror', error => { pageErrors.push(error.message); console.error('PAGE ERROR:', error.message); });
     page.on('console', message => { if (message.type() === 'error') console.error('BROWSER ERROR:', message.text()); });
-    await page.setCacheEnabled(false);
-    await page.setRequestInterception(true);
     const keylessFlowReqs = [];
-    page.on('request', (req) => {
-      const url = req.url();
-      if (url.includes('/api/tomtom/status')) {
-        req.respond({ status: 200, contentType: 'application/json', body: JSON.stringify({ hasKey: false }) });
-        return;
-      }
-      if (url.includes('/api/tomtom/flow/')) {
-        keylessFlowReqs.push(url);
-        req.respond({ status: 503, contentType: 'application/json', body: JSON.stringify({ error: 'no_key' }) });
-        return;
-      }
-      const response = fixtureResponse(req);
-      if (response) { void req.respond(response); return; }
-      try { req.continue(); } catch { /* already handled */ }
+    await installTrafficRoutes(page, {
+      origin: appUrl.origin, fixtures: FIXTURES, keyless: true,
+      onFlow: url => keylessFlowReqs.push(url),
+      onError: error => pageErrors.push(error.message),
     });
     await page.goto(APP_URL, { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded', timeout: 60000 });
     await page.waitForFunction(
@@ -338,7 +323,7 @@ async function main() {
         exitCode = 1;
       }
       await sleep(1000);
-      await page.screenshot({ path: path.join(SHOTS_DIR, 'traffic-sim-keyless.png') });
+      await captureQaScreenshot(page, { path: path.join(SHOTS_DIR, 'traffic-sim-keyless.png') }, { headful: HEADFUL });
     }
     record('BROWSER: no uncaught page exceptions', pageErrors.length === 0, pageErrors.join('; '));
   } catch (e) {
diff --git a/scripts/traffic-fixtures.mjs b/scripts/traffic-fixtures.mjs
index 2f94993cc..0ec8cdacd 100644
--- a/scripts/traffic-fixtures.mjs
+++ b/scripts/traffic-fixtures.mjs
@@ -117,3 +117,59 @@ export function trafficFixtureResponse(request) {
     body: trafficFixtureTile(Number(road[1])),
   };
 }
+
+/** Intercept provider URLs only; Cesium worker/module loading stays untouched. */
+export async function installTrafficRoutes(
+  page,
+  {
+    origin,
+    fixtures = false,
+    keyless = false,
+    onFlow = () => {},
+    onError = () => {},
+  },
+) {
+  const session = await page.createCDPSession();
+  const patterns = [
+    `${origin}/api/tomtom/status*`,
+    `${origin}/api/tomtom/flow/*`,
+    ...(fixtures
+      ? ['https://tiles.openfreemap.org/*', 'https://terrain.reearth.land/*']
+      : []),
+  ].map((urlPattern) => ({ urlPattern, requestStage: 'Request' }));
+  session.on('Fetch.requestPaused', async ({ requestId, request }) => {
+    try {
+      const url = new URL(request.url);
+      let response;
+      if (keyless && url.pathname === '/api/tomtom/status') {
+        response = json({ hasKey: false });
+      } else if (keyless && url.pathname.startsWith('/api/tomtom/flow/')) {
+        onFlow(request.url);
+        response = { ...json({ error: 'no_key' }), status: 503 };
+      } else if (fixtures) {
+        response = trafficFixtureResponse({ url: () => request.url });
+      }
+      if (!response) {
+        await session.send('Fetch.continueRequest', { requestId });
+        return;
+      }
+      await session.send('Fetch.fulfillRequest', {
+        requestId,
+        responseCode: response.status,
+        responseHeaders: Object.entries({
+          'content-type': response.contentType,
+          ...response.headers,
+        }).map(([name, value]) => ({ name, value })),
+        body: Buffer.from(response.body).toString('base64'),
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (page.isClosed()) return;
+      onError(error);
+      await session
+        .send('Fetch.failRequest', { requestId, errorReason: 'Failed' })
+        .catch(() => {});
+    }
+  });
+  await session.send('Fetch.enable', { patterns });
+  return session;
+}
diff --git a/src/qaChrome.test.mjs b/src/qaChrome.test.mjs
index 4414f3c93..398d23ab3 100644
--- a/src/qaChrome.test.mjs
+++ b/src/qaChrome.test.mjs
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import test from 'node:test';
-import { MACOS_CHROME, chromeExecutablePath } from '../scripts/qa-chrome.mjs';
+import {
+  MACOS_CHROME,
+  chromeExecutablePath,
+  captureQaScreenshot,
+} from '../scripts/qa-chrome.mjs';
 
 test('gates keep macOS Chrome where it is installed', () => {
   assert.equal(
@@ -25,3 +29,54 @@ test('an explicit executable path wins', () => {
     'C:\\Chrome\\chrome.exe',
   );
 });
+
+test('screenshots restore minimized test windows before capture and detach their session', async () => {
+  const calls = [];
+  const session = {
+    send: async (method, params) => {
+      calls.push([method, params]);
+      return { windowId: 7, bounds: { windowState: 'minimized' } };
+    },
+    detach: async () => calls.push(['detach']),
+  };
+  const page = {
+    createCDPSession: async () => session,
+    bringToFront: async () => calls.push(['front']),
+    screenshot: async (options) => {
+      calls.push(['capture', options]);
+      return 'pixels';
+    },
+  };
+  assert.equal(
+    await captureQaScreenshot(page, { path: 'proof.png' }),
+    'pixels',
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    calls.map((c) => c[0]),
+    [
+      'Browser.getWindowForTarget',
+      'Browser.setWindowBounds',
+      'front',
+      'detach',
+      'capture',
+    ],
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(calls[1][1], {
+    windowId: 7,
+    bounds: { windowState: 'normal' },
+  });
+});
+
+test('headless capture does not manipulate a native window', async () => {
+  const options = { path: 'proof.png' };
+  const page = {
+    screenshot: async (supplied) => {
+      assert.equal(supplied, options);
+      return 'pixels';
+    },
+  };
+  assert.equal(
+    await captureQaScreenshot(page, options, { headful: false }),
+    'pixels',
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/tooling/trafficFixtures.test.mjs b/src/tooling/trafficFixtures.test.mjs
index e02b959e7..b5f6c6de4 100644
--- a/src/tooling/trafficFixtures.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tooling/trafficFixtures.test.mjs
@@ -90,3 +90,81 @@ test('flat terrain fixture decodes through Cesium and advertises no network chil
     await new Promise((resolve) => server.close(resolve));
   }
 });
+
+test('fixture interception targets provider URLs and leaves app workers alone', async () => {
+  const { installTrafficRoutes } =
+    await import('../../scripts/traffic-fixtures.mjs');
+  const sent = [];
+  let paused;
+  const session = {
+    on: (_, handler) => {
+      paused = handler;
+    },
+    send: async (name, args) => {
+      sent.push({ name, args });
+    },
+  };
+  await installTrafficRoutes(
+    { createCDPSession: async () => session, isClosed: () => false },
+    { origin: 'http://localhost:4173', fixtures: true },
+  );
+  const patterns = sent[0].args.patterns.map((p) => p.urlPattern);
+  assert.deepEqual(patterns, [
+    'http://localhost:4173/api/tomtom/status*',
+    'http://localhost:4173/api/tomtom/flow/*',
+    'https://tiles.openfreemap.org/*',
+    'https://terrain.reearth.land/*',
+  ]);
+  await paused({
+    requestId: 'terrain',
+    request: { url: 'https://terrain.reearth.land/layer.json' },
+  });
+  const reply = sent.at(-1);
+  assert.equal(reply.name, 'Fetch.fulfillRequest');
+  assert.equal(
+    JSON.parse(Buffer.from(reply.args.body, 'base64')).format,
+    'heightmap-1.0',
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    reply.args.responseHeaders.some(
+      (h) => h.name === 'access-control-allow-origin' && h.value === '*',
+    ),
+  );
+});
+
+test('keyless interception refuses and records unexpected flow requests', async () => {
+  const { installTrafficRoutes } =
+    await import('../../scripts/traffic-fixtures.mjs');
+  const sent = [],
+    flows = [];
+  let paused;
+  const session = {
+    on: (_, handler) => {
+      paused = handler;
+    },
+    send: async (name, args) => {
+      sent.push({ name, args });
+    },
+  };
+  await installTrafficRoutes(
+    { createCDPSession: async () => session, isClosed: () => false },
+    {
+      origin: 'http://localhost:4173',
+      keyless: true,
+      onFlow: (url) => flows.push(url),
+    },
+  );
+  await paused({
+    requestId: 'status',
+    request: { url: 'http://localhost:4173/api/tomtom/status' },
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(JSON.parse(Buffer.from(sent.at(-1).args.body, 'base64')), {
+    hasKey: false,
+  });
+  await paused({
+    requestId: 'flow',
+    request: { url: 'http://localhost:4173/api/tomtom/flow/12/1/1.pbf' },
+  });
+  assert.equal(sent.at(-1).args.responseCode, 503);
+  assert.equal(flows.length, 1);
+});