diff --git a/test/browser/run-test.sh b/test/browser/run-test.sh
index a3c7585..97bdcbd 100755
--- a/test/browser/run-test.sh
+++ b/test/browser/run-test.sh
@@ -4,11 +4,21 @@ set -eux
 # tests need cockpit's bots/ libraries and test infrastructure
 cd $SOURCE
 git init
+rm -f bots  # common local case: existing bots symlink
 make bots test/common
 
-# only install a subset to save time/space
-rm -f package-lock.json  # otherwise the command below installs *everything*, argh
-npm install chrome-remote-interface sizzle
+# support running from clean git tree
+if [ ! -d node_modules/chrome-remote-interface ]; then
+    # copy package.json temporarily otherwise npm might try to install the dependencies from it
+    rm -f package-lock.json  # otherwise the command below installs *everything*, argh
+    mv package.json .package.json
+    # only install a subset to save time/space
+    npm install chrome-remote-interface sizzle
+    mv .package.json package.json
+fi
+
+# disable detection of affected tests; testing takes too long as there is no parallelization
+mv .git dot-git
 
 . /etc/os-release
 export TEST_OS="${ID}-${VERSION_ID/./-}"