diff --git a/scripts/qa-wildlife-switch.mjs b/scripts/qa-wildlife-switch.mjs
index 387b11231..8c1f8da5c 100644
--- a/scripts/qa-wildlife-switch.mjs
+++ b/scripts/qa-wildlife-switch.mjs
@@ -247,11 +247,21 @@ await strict.run({}, async (b) => {
           box: box ? [box.x, box.y, box.width, box.height] : null,
         };
       });
+    // The picker sits in VISUAL PRESETS, out of the Tab order while that
+    // panel is collapsed: open it from the keyboard too.
+    if ((await picker()).panel !== 'true') {
+      await p.focus('#control-panel-toggle');
+      await p.keyboard.press('Enter');
+    }
     await p
       .waitForFunction(
         () => {
           const el = document.querySelector('#globe-engine');
-          return el && !el.disabled && el.getBoundingClientRect().height > 0;
+          return (
+            el &&
+            !el.disabled &&
+            el.checkVisibility({ visibilityProperty: true })
+          );
         },
         { timeout: 30000 },
       )
@@ -293,7 +303,20 @@ await strict.run({}, async (b) => {
     const tabs = path.length;
     const from = await p.$eval('#globe-engine', (el) => el.value);
     await p.keyboard.type(kind[0]);
-    await waitForEngine(p, kind);
+    await waitForEngine(p, kind).catch(async (error) => {
+      const state = await p.evaluate(() => ({
+        engine: window.__godsEyeView?.engine?.kind ?? null,
+        picker: document.querySelector('#globe-engine')?.value ?? null,
+        focus: document.activeElement?.id ?? null,
+        busy: document.querySelector('#globe-engine')?.disabled ?? null,
+        frame: Boolean(document.querySelector('.engine-switch-frame')),
+        loading: document.querySelector('#loading-screen')?.className ?? null,
+      }));
+      throw Error(
+        `no ${kind} globe after typing ${kind[0]}: ${JSON.stringify({ from, tabs: path.length, ...state })}`,
+        { cause: error },
+      );
+    });
     assert.equal(
       await p.evaluate(() => performance.timeOrigin),
       origin,
diff --git a/src/globe/testing/contractSuite.mjs b/src/globe/testing/contractSuite.mjs
index 2c2774a44..69ba2c4d3 100644
--- a/src/globe/testing/contractSuite.mjs
+++ b/src/globe/testing/contractSuite.mjs
@@ -795,23 +795,39 @@ export function createContractSuite(
           const shownStrength = strength(at(20.5, 9));
           line.show(false);
           await until(() => magentaAt(at(20.5, 9)) === 0, 'the line hidden');
-          // 30 km under the ground: only the depth-fail copy shows, dimmed.
-          const deep = (lon) => at(lon, 11, -30_000);
-          hidden.setPositions([deep(19), deep(21)]);
+          // Round the back of the Earth along the great circle west of the
+          // view centre, out to a visible end past the western horizon. The
+          // far side, behind the Earth's centre, shows only by its dimmed
+          // depth-fail copy. Cesium culls a line the globe hides whole, and
+          // draws in full what lies under the horizon but before the centre.
+          const west = (degrees) => {
+            const t = (degrees * Math.PI) / 180;
+            const [lon0, lat0] = [(20 * Math.PI) / 180, (10 * Math.PI) / 180];
+            const [x, y, z] = [
+              Math.cos(lat0) * Math.cos(lon0) * Math.cos(t) +
+                Math.sin(lon0) * Math.sin(t),
+              Math.cos(lat0) * Math.sin(lon0) * Math.cos(t) -
+                Math.cos(lon0) * Math.sin(t),
+              Math.sin(lat0) * Math.cos(t),
+            ];
+            return at(
+              (Math.atan2(y, x) * 180) / Math.PI,
+              (Math.asin(z) * 180) / Math.PI,
+            );
+          };
+          const deep = () => west(150);
+          hidden.setPositions([200, 150, 100, 50, 20].map(west));
           await until(
-            () => magentaAt(deep(20)) > 10,
+            () => magentaAt(deep()) > 10,
             'the hidden line drawn by its depth-fail copy',
           );
-          const hiddenStrength = strength(deep(20));
+          const hiddenStrength = strength(deep());
           ensure(
             hiddenStrength < shownStrength,
             `the depth-fail copy (${hiddenStrength}) is not dimmer than the line (${shownStrength})`,
           );
           hidden.destroy();
-          await until(
-            () => magentaAt(deep(20)) === 0,
-            'the destroyed line gone',
-          );
+          await until(() => magentaAt(deep()) === 0, 'the destroyed line gone');
         } finally {
           line.destroy();
           hidden.destroy();