diff --git a/.github/workflows/playwright-nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/playwright-nightly.yml
index f3efaa89b9..f1bef46f7a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/playwright-nightly.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/playwright-nightly.yml
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ jobs:
   playwright-tests:
     needs: resolve-versions
     timeout-minutes: 60
+    # trial: fetch e2e-selectors from the running Grafana at runtime instead of the bundled dep.
+    # grafana-dev serves the file (exercises the fetch); latest stable 404s (exercises the fallback)
+    env:
+      PLUGIN_E2E_RUNTIME_SELECTORS: 'true'
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/playwright.yml b/.github/workflows/playwright.yml
index 23a15740a7..17322601b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/playwright.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/playwright.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ jobs:
   playwright-tests:
     needs: resolve-versions
     timeout-minutes: 60
+    # trial: fetch e2e-selectors from the running Grafana at runtime instead of the bundled dep
+    env:
+      PLUGIN_E2E_RUNTIME_SELECTORS: 'true'
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
diff --git a/packages/plugin-e2e/src/fixtures/selectors.ts b/packages/plugin-e2e/src/fixtures/selectors.ts
index cac81cd4c1..4744a5ef5b 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-e2e/src/fixtures/selectors.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-e2e/src/fixtures/selectors.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,110 @@
-import { TestFixture } from '@playwright/test';
+import { APIRequestContext, TestFixture } from '@playwright/test';
+import {
+  resolveSelectors,
+  versionedComponents as bundledVersionedComponents,
+  versionedPages as bundledVersionedPages,
+} from '@grafana/e2e-selectors';
 import { E2ESelectorGroups, PlaywrightArgs } from '../types';
-import { resolveSelectors, versionedComponents, versionedPages } from '@grafana/e2e-selectors';
 import { versionedConstants } from '../selectors/versionedConstants';
 import { versionedAPIs } from '../selectors/versionedAPIs';
 
 type SelectorFixture = TestFixture<E2ESelectorGroups, PlaywrightArgs>;
 
-export const selectors: SelectorFixture = async ({ grafanaVersion }, use) => {
-  await use({
-    components: resolveSelectors(versionedComponents, grafanaVersion),
-    pages: resolveSelectors(versionedPages, grafanaVersion),
+// served by grafana/grafana from the @grafana/e2e-selectors build (see PLUGIN_E2E_RUNTIME_SELECTORS)
+const SELECTORS_URL = '/public/e2e-selectors.js';
+
+// only the components/pages data comes from Grafana; constants/apis are plugin-e2e's own
+type RuntimeSelectors = {
+  versionedComponents: typeof bundledVersionedComponents;
+  versionedPages: typeof bundledVersionedPages;
+};
+
+// per-worker cache keyed by grafanaVersion so concurrent fixtures share one in-flight fetch
+const selectorsCache = new Map<string, Promise<E2ESelectorGroups>>();
+
+// evaluate the fetched CJS bundle with a require shim that allows only 'semver'
+function evaluateBundle(src: string): RuntimeSelectors {
+  const shimRequire = (id: string) => {
+    if (id !== 'semver') {
+      throw new Error(`@grafana/plugin-e2e: disallowed require('${id}') in e2e-selectors bundle`);
+    }
+    return require('semver');
+  };
+  const module: { exports: Partial<RuntimeSelectors> } = { exports: {} };
+  new Function('require', 'module', 'exports', src)(shimRequire, module, module.exports);
+
+  const { versionedComponents, versionedPages } = module.exports;
+  if (!versionedComponents || !versionedPages) {
+    throw new Error('@grafana/plugin-e2e: e2e-selectors bundle is missing expected exports');
+  }
+  return { versionedComponents, versionedPages };
+}
+
+function buildGroups(runtime: RuntimeSelectors, grafanaVersion: string): E2ESelectorGroups {
+  return {
+    components: resolveSelectors(runtime.versionedComponents, grafanaVersion),
+    pages: resolveSelectors(runtime.versionedPages, grafanaVersion),
     constants: resolveSelectors(versionedConstants, grafanaVersion),
     apis: resolveSelectors(versionedAPIs, grafanaVersion),
-  });
+  };
+}
+
+// fall back to the selectors bundled with the installed @grafana/plugin-e2e release
+function bundledGroups(grafanaVersion: string): E2ESelectorGroups {
+  return buildGroups(
+    { versionedComponents: bundledVersionedComponents, versionedPages: bundledVersionedPages },
+    grafanaVersion
+  );
+}
+
+async function fetchRuntimeSelectors(request: APIRequestContext, grafanaVersion: string): Promise<E2ESelectorGroups> {
+  let response;
+  try {
+    response = await request.get(SELECTORS_URL);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.warn(
+      `@grafana/plugin-e2e: failed to fetch ${SELECTORS_URL}, falling back to bundled @grafana/e2e-selectors.`,
+      error
+    );
+    return bundledGroups(grafanaVersion);
+  }
+
+  // 404 -> Grafana predates the feature; expected on older images, fall back quietly
+  if (response.status() === 404) {
+    return bundledGroups(grafanaVersion);
+  }
+
+  // any other non-OK status (5xx etc.) -> loud fallback
+  if (!response.ok()) {
+    console.warn(
+      `@grafana/plugin-e2e: ${SELECTORS_URL} returned ${response.status()}, falling back to bundled @grafana/e2e-selectors.`
+    );
+    return bundledGroups(grafanaVersion);
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const src = await response.text();
+    return buildGroups(evaluateBundle(src), grafanaVersion);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.warn(
+      `@grafana/plugin-e2e: failed to evaluate ${SELECTORS_URL}, falling back to bundled @grafana/e2e-selectors.`,
+      error
+    );
+    return bundledGroups(grafanaVersion);
+  }
+}
+
+export const selectors: SelectorFixture = async ({ grafanaVersion, request }, use) => {
+  // opt-in during the trial period; when off, behave exactly as before (bundled dependency)
+  if (process.env.PLUGIN_E2E_RUNTIME_SELECTORS !== 'true') {
+    await use(bundledGroups(grafanaVersion));
+    return;
+  }
+
+  let groups = selectorsCache.get(grafanaVersion);
+  if (!groups) {
+    groups = fetchRuntimeSelectors(request, grafanaVersion);
+    selectorsCache.set(grafanaVersion, groups);
+  }
+  await use(await groups);
 };