diff --git a/e2e-pw/src/oss/poms/action-row/tagger/modal-tagger.ts b/e2e-pw/src/oss/poms/action-row/tagger/modal-tagger.ts
index 67cd571d752..b295b3adeed 100644
--- a/e2e-pw/src/oss/poms/action-row/tagger/modal-tagger.ts
+++ b/e2e-pw/src/oss/poms/action-row/tagger/modal-tagger.ts
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ export class ModalTaggerPom {
   }
 
   async toggleOpen() {
-    await this.locator.getByTestId("tagger-container").hover();
     await this.modal.locator.getByTestId("action-tag-sample-labels").click();
+    await this.locator.getByTestId("tagger-container").hover();
   }
 
   async switchTagMode(mode: "sample" | "label") {
diff --git a/e2e-pw/src/oss/poms/modal/index.ts b/e2e-pw/src/oss/poms/modal/index.ts
index 35fab6523db..04af24fad48 100644
--- a/e2e-pw/src/oss/poms/modal/index.ts
+++ b/e2e-pw/src/oss/poms/modal/index.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ import { expect, Locator, Page } from "src/oss/fixtures";
 import { EventUtils } from "src/shared/event-utils";
 import { Duration } from "../../utils";
 import { ModalTaggerPom } from "../action-row/tagger/modal-tagger";
+import { ModalPanelPom } from "../panels/modal-panel";
 import { UrlPom } from "../url";
 import { ModalGroupActionsPom } from "./group-actions";
 import { Looker3DControlsPom } from "./looker-3d-controls";
 import { ModalSidebarPom } from "./modal-sidebar";
 import { ModalVideoControlsPom } from "./video-controls";
-import { ModalPanelPom } from "../panels/modal-panel";
 
 export class ModalPom {
   readonly groupCarousel: Locator;
@@ -86,6 +86,19 @@ export class ModalPom {
     );
   }
 
+  async hideControls() {
+    let isControlsOpacityZero = false;
+    const controls = this.locator.getByTestId("looker-controls");
+
+    do {
+      await controls.press("c");
+      const opacity = await controls.evaluate(
+        (e) => getComputedStyle(e).opacity
+      );
+      isControlsOpacityZero = parseFloat(opacity) === 0;
+    } while (!isControlsOpacityZero);
+  }
+
   async toggleSelection(isPcd = false) {
     if (isPcd) {
       await this.looker3d.hover();
diff --git a/e2e-pw/src/oss/specs/smoke-tests/tagger.spec.ts b/e2e-pw/src/oss/specs/smoke-tests/tagger.spec.ts
index b3e901c33cf..6970745b399 100644
--- a/e2e-pw/src/oss/specs/smoke-tests/tagger.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e-pw/src/oss/specs/smoke-tests/tagger.spec.ts
@@ -103,11 +103,11 @@ test.describe("tag", () => {
     eventUtils,
     grid,
     modal,
-    page,
   }) => {
     await grid.openFirstSample();
 
     await modal.sidebar.toggleLabelCheckbox("ground_truth");
+    await modal.hideControls();
     await expect(modal.looker).toHaveScreenshot("labels.png");
 
     const entryExpandPromise = eventUtils.getEventReceivedPromiseForPredicate(
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ test.describe("tag", () => {
     await modal.tagger.addLabelTag("correct");
 
     await modal.sidebar.clearGroupFilters("labels");
-    await page.keyboard.press("c");
+    await modal.hideControls();
     await expect(modal.looker).toHaveScreenshot("labels.png");
   });
 });