diff --git a/playwright/Customizations/Filesystem.spec.ts b/playwright/Customizations/Filesystem.spec.ts
index 3f5dd072..4fc4829d 100644
--- a/playwright/Customizations/Filesystem.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/Customizations/Filesystem.spec.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 import { FILE_SYSTEM_CUSTOMIZATION_URL } from '../../src/constants';
 import { test } from '../fixtures/cleanup';
 import { isHosted } from '../helpers/helpers';
+import { ensureAuthenticated } from '../helpers/login';
 import {
   navigateToOptionalSteps,
   ibFrame,
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ test('Create a blueprint with Filesystem customization', async ({
   // Delete the blueprint after the run fixture
   await cleanup.add(() => deleteBlueprint(page, blueprintName));
 
+  await ensureAuthenticated(page);
+
   // Login, navigate to IB and get the frame
   await navigateToLandingPage(page);
   const frame = await ibFrame(page);
diff --git a/playwright/Customizations/Firewall.spec.ts b/playwright/Customizations/Firewall.spec.ts
index ba909e7c..3748a451 100644
--- a/playwright/Customizations/Firewall.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/Customizations/Firewall.spec.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 
 import { test } from '../fixtures/customizations';
 import { isHosted } from '../helpers/helpers';
+import { ensureAuthenticated } from '../helpers/login';
 import {
   navigateToOptionalSteps,
   ibFrame,
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ test('Create a blueprint with Firewall customization', async ({
   // Delete the blueprint after the run fixture
   await cleanup.add(() => deleteBlueprint(page, blueprintName));
 
+  await ensureAuthenticated(page);
+
   // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
   await navigateToLandingPage(page);
   const frame = await ibFrame(page);
diff --git a/playwright/Customizations/Hostname.spec.ts b/playwright/Customizations/Hostname.spec.ts
index dff4e848..2a0779cf 100644
--- a/playwright/Customizations/Hostname.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/Customizations/Hostname.spec.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 
 import { test } from '../fixtures/customizations';
 import { isHosted } from '../helpers/helpers';
+import { ensureAuthenticated } from '../helpers/login';
 import {
   navigateToOptionalSteps,
   ibFrame,
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ test('Create a blueprint with Hostname customization', async ({
   // Delete the blueprint after the run fixture
   await cleanup.add(() => deleteBlueprint(page, blueprintName));
 
+  await ensureAuthenticated(page);
+
   // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
   await navigateToLandingPage(page);
   const frame = await ibFrame(page);
diff --git a/playwright/Customizations/Kernel.spec.ts b/playwright/Customizations/Kernel.spec.ts
index 89bbc5dd..e42d0047 100644
--- a/playwright/Customizations/Kernel.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/Customizations/Kernel.spec.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 
 import { test } from '../fixtures/customizations';
 import { isHosted } from '../helpers/helpers';
+import { ensureAuthenticated } from '../helpers/login';
 import {
   navigateToOptionalSteps,
   ibFrame,
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ test('Create a blueprint with Kernel customization', async ({
   // Delete the blueprint after the run fixture
   await cleanup.add(() => deleteBlueprint(page, blueprintName));
 
+  await ensureAuthenticated(page);
+
   // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
   await navigateToLandingPage(page);
   const frame = await ibFrame(page);
diff --git a/playwright/Customizations/Locale.spec.ts b/playwright/Customizations/Locale.spec.ts
index a4d9f292..9f0bfe1a 100644
--- a/playwright/Customizations/Locale.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/Customizations/Locale.spec.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 
 import { test } from '../fixtures/customizations';
 import { isHosted } from '../helpers/helpers';
+import { ensureAuthenticated } from '../helpers/login';
 import {
   navigateToOptionalSteps,
   ibFrame,
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ test('Create a blueprint with Locale customization', async ({
   // Delete the blueprint after the run fixture
   await cleanup.add(() => deleteBlueprint(page, blueprintName));
 
+  await ensureAuthenticated(page);
+
   // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
   await navigateToLandingPage(page);
   const frame = await ibFrame(page);
diff --git a/playwright/Customizations/Systemd.spec.ts b/playwright/Customizations/Systemd.spec.ts
index 499703eb..bbd1b3cc 100644
--- a/playwright/Customizations/Systemd.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/Customizations/Systemd.spec.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 
 import { test } from '../fixtures/customizations';
 import { isHosted } from '../helpers/helpers';
+import { ensureAuthenticated } from '../helpers/login';
 import {
   navigateToOptionalSteps,
   ibFrame,
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ test('Create a blueprint with Systemd customization', async ({
   // Delete the blueprint after the run fixture
   await cleanup.add(() => deleteBlueprint(page, blueprintName));
 
+  await ensureAuthenticated(page);
+
   // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
   await navigateToLandingPage(page);
   const frame = await ibFrame(page);
diff --git a/playwright/Customizations/Timezone.spec.ts b/playwright/Customizations/Timezone.spec.ts
index 403d6ef9..4d2de9f9 100644
--- a/playwright/Customizations/Timezone.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/Customizations/Timezone.spec.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 
 import { test } from '../fixtures/customizations';
 import { isHosted } from '../helpers/helpers';
+import { ensureAuthenticated } from '../helpers/login';
 import {
   navigateToOptionalSteps,
   ibFrame,
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ test('Create a blueprint with Timezone customization', async ({
   // Delete the blueprint after the run fixture
   await cleanup.add(() => deleteBlueprint(page, blueprintName));
 
+  await ensureAuthenticated(page);
+
   // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
   await navigateToLandingPage(page);
   const frame = await ibFrame(page);
diff --git a/playwright/helpers/login.ts b/playwright/helpers/login.ts
index a52d4ce2..56e3d7cc 100644
--- a/playwright/helpers/login.ts
+++ b/playwright/helpers/login.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,38 @@ export const login = async (page: Page) => {
   return loginCockpit(page, user, password);
 };
 
+/**
+ * Checks if the user is already authenticated, if not, logs them in
+ * @param page - the page object
+ */
+export const ensureAuthenticated = async (page: Page) => {
+  // Navigate to the target page
+  if (isHosted()) {
+    await page.goto('/insights/image-builder/landing');
+  } else {
+    await page.goto('/cockpit-image-builder');
+  }
+
+  // Check for authentication success indicator
+  const successIndicator = isHosted()
+    ? page.getByRole('heading', { name: 'All images' })
+    : ibFrame(page).getByRole('heading', { name: 'All images' });
+
+  let isAuthenticated = false;
+  try {
+    // Give it a 30 second period to load, it's less expensive than having to rerun the test
+    await expect(successIndicator).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30000 });
+    isAuthenticated = true;
+  } catch {
+    isAuthenticated = false;
+  }
+
+  if (!isAuthenticated) {
+    // Not authenticated, need to login
+    await login(page);
+  }
+};
+
 const loginCockpit = async (page: Page, user: string, password: string) => {
   await page.goto('/cockpit-image-builder');
 
@@ -33,26 +65,36 @@ const loginCockpit = async (page: Page, user: string, password: string) => {
   // image-builder lives inside an iframe
   const frame = ibFrame(page);
 
-  // cockpit-image-builder needs superuser, expect an error message
-  // when the user does not have admin priviliges
-  await expect(
-    frame.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Access is limited' })
-  ).toBeVisible();
-  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Limited access' }).click();
+  try {
+    // Check if the user already has administrative access
+    await expect(
+      page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Administrative access' })
+    ).toBeVisible();
+  } catch {
+    // If not, try to gain it
+    // cockpit-image-builder needs superuser, expect an error message
+    // when the user does not have admin priviliges
+    await expect(
+      frame.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Access is limited' })
+    ).toBeVisible();
+    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Limited access' }).click();
 
-  // different popup opens based on type of account (can be passwordless)
-  const authenticateButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Authenticate' });
-  const closeButton = page.getByText('Close');
-  await expect(authenticateButton.or(closeButton)).toBeVisible();
+    // different popup opens based on type of account (can be passwordless)
+    const authenticateButton = page.getByRole('button', {
+      name: 'Authenticate',
+    });
+    const closeButton = page.getByText('Close');
+    await expect(authenticateButton.or(closeButton)).toBeVisible();
 
-  if (await authenticateButton.isVisible()) {
-    // with password
-    await page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Password' }).fill(password);
-    await authenticateButton.click();
-  }
-  if (await closeButton.isVisible()) {
-    // passwordless
-    await closeButton.click();
+    if (await authenticateButton.isVisible()) {
+      // with password
+      await page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Password' }).fill(password);
+      await authenticateButton.click();
+    }
+    if (await closeButton.isVisible()) {
+      // passwordless
+      await closeButton.click();
+    }
   }
 
   // expect to have administrative access
@@ -81,9 +123,18 @@ export const storeStorageStateAndToken = async (page: Page) => {
   const { cookies } = await page
     .context()
     .storageState({ path: path.join(__dirname, '../../.auth/user.json') });
-  process.env.TOKEN = `Bearer ${
-    cookies.find((cookie) => cookie.name === 'cs_jwt')?.value
-  }`;
+  if (isHosted()) {
+    // For hosted service, look for cs_jwt token
+    process.env.TOKEN = `Bearer ${
+      cookies.find((cookie) => cookie.name === 'cs_jwt')?.value
+    }`;
+  } else {
+    // For Cockpit, we don't need a TOKEN but we can still store it for consistency
+    const cockpitCookie = cookies.find((cookie) => cookie.name === 'cockpit');
+    if (cockpitCookie) {
+      process.env.TOKEN = cockpitCookie.value;
+    }
+  }
   // eslint-disable-next-line playwright/no-wait-for-timeout
   await page.waitForTimeout(100);
 };
diff --git a/playwright/test.spec.ts b/playwright/test.spec.ts
index c20fc087..3739074a 100644
--- a/playwright/test.spec.ts
+++ b/playwright/test.spec.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
 import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 
 import { closePopupsIfExist, isHosted } from './helpers/helpers';
+import { ensureAuthenticated } from './helpers/login';
 import { ibFrame, navigateToLandingPage } from './helpers/navHelpers';
 
 test.describe.serial('test', () => {
   const blueprintName = uuidv4();
   test('create blueprint', async ({ page }) => {
+    await ensureAuthenticated(page);
     await closePopupsIfExist(page);
     // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
     await navigateToLandingPage(page);
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ test.describe.serial('test', () => {
   });
 
   test('edit blueprint', async ({ page }) => {
+    await ensureAuthenticated(page);
     await closePopupsIfExist(page);
     // package searching is really slow the first time in cockpit
     if (!isHosted()) {
@@ -123,6 +126,7 @@ test.describe.serial('test', () => {
   });
 
   test('build blueprint', async ({ page }) => {
+    await ensureAuthenticated(page);
     await closePopupsIfExist(page);
     // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
     await navigateToLandingPage(page);
@@ -142,6 +146,7 @@ test.describe.serial('test', () => {
   });
 
   test('delete blueprint', async ({ page }) => {
+    await ensureAuthenticated(page);
     await closePopupsIfExist(page);
     // Navigate to IB landing page and get the frame
     await navigateToLandingPage(page);