diff --git a/src/browser/PlaywrightScenarioEvents.test.ts b/src/browser/PlaywrightScenarioEvents.test.ts
index 1db332e09..4c96e8d3d 100644
--- a/src/browser/PlaywrightScenarioEvents.test.ts
+++ b/src/browser/PlaywrightScenarioEvents.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,42 @@ import { BrowserScenarioSecrets } from "./BrowserScenarioSecrets.js";
 import { PlaywrightScenarioEvents } from "./PlaywrightScenarioEvents.js";
 
 describe("PlaywrightScenarioEvents", () => {
+  it("observes requested popup page errors independently of popup lifecycle events", () => {
+    const listeners = new Map<string, (value: unknown) => void>();
+    const popupListeners = new Map<string, (value: unknown) => void>();
+    const page = {
+      on: (name: string, listener: (value: unknown) => void) => {
+        listeners.set(name, listener);
+      },
+    } as unknown as Page;
+    const popup = {
+      url: () => "https://app.example.test/popup",
+      on: (name: string, listener: (value: unknown) => void) => {
+        popupListeners.set(name, listener);
+      },
+    } as unknown as Page;
+    const scenario = browserScenarioSchema.parse({
+      browser: { mode: "launch", executable_path: "/opt/chromium" },
+      start_url: { url: "https://app.example.test/" },
+      actions: [
+        { step_id: "wait", action: "wait_for_timeout", duration_ms: 1 },
+      ],
+      capture: { events: ["page-errors"] },
+    });
+    const secrets = BrowserScenarioSecrets.resolve(scenario, {});
+    if (secrets === undefined) throw new Error("Expected resolved secrets");
+    const events = new PlaywrightScenarioEvents({
+      page,
+      enabled: new Set(["page-errors"]),
+      secrets,
+    });
+    listeners.get("popup")?.(popup);
+    popupListeners.get("pageerror")?.(new Error("popup application failure"));
+    expect(events.result().items).toMatchObject([
+      { kind: "page-error", message: "popup application failure" },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("bounds oversized page errors before validating captured events", () => {
     const listeners = new Map<string, (value: Error) => void>();
     const page = {
diff --git a/src/browser/PlaywrightScenarioEvents.ts b/src/browser/PlaywrightScenarioEvents.ts
index db7466ab9..2b355c586 100644
--- a/src/browser/PlaywrightScenarioEvents.ts
+++ b/src/browser/PlaywrightScenarioEvents.ts
@@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ export class PlaywrightScenarioEvents {
     }
     if (this.enabled.has("workers"))
       page.on("worker", (worker) => this.worker(worker));
-    if (this.enabled.has("popups"))
-      page.on("popup", (popup) => this.popup(popup));
+    // Every selectable event can also be emitted by a child popup page, and a
+    // popup is only reachable through this one subscription, so any selection at
+    // all must observe popups. Lifecycle events stay gated on `popups` below.
+    if (this.enabled.size > 0) page.on("popup", (popup) => this.popup(popup));
     if (this.enabled.has("downloads"))
       page.on("download", (download) => this.download(download));
   }
@@ -243,14 +245,16 @@ export class PlaywrightScenarioEvents {
       url: page.url() === "" ? null : this.safeUrl(page.url()),
       name: null,
     };
-    this.push({ kind: "popup-opened", ...opened });
-    page.on("close", () =>
-      this.push({
-        kind: "popup-closed",
-        url: page.url() === "" ? null : this.safeUrl(page.url()),
-        name: null,
-      }),
-    );
+    if (this.enabled.has("popups")) {
+      this.push({ kind: "popup-opened", ...opened });
+      page.on("close", () =>
+        this.push({
+          kind: "popup-closed",
+          url: page.url() === "" ? null : this.safeUrl(page.url()),
+          name: null,
+        }),
+      );
+    }
     this.observePage(page);
   }