diff --git a/cypress/e2e/files/FilesUtils.ts b/cypress/e2e/files/FilesUtils.ts
index 9ae1ee31f3552..2d7a28ac6d677 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/files/FilesUtils.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/files/FilesUtils.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ const ACTION_COPY_MOVE = 'move-copy'
 export const getRowForFileId = (fileid: string | number) => cy.get(`[data-cy-files-list-row-fileid="${fileid}"]`)
 export const getRowForFile = (filename: string) => cy.get(`[data-cy-files-list-row-name="${CSS.escape(filename)}"]`)
 
-export const getActionsForFileId = (fileid: number) => getRowForFileId(fileid).find('[data-cy-files-list-row-actions]')
-export const getActionsForFile = (filename: string) => getRowForFile(filename).find('[data-cy-files-list-row-actions]')
+// Atomic query so the lookup is retried as a whole when rows re-render
+// (chained .find() can fail with "subject no longer attached" mid-render).
+export const getActionsForFileId = (fileid: number) => cy.get(`[data-cy-files-list-row-fileid="${fileid}"] [data-cy-files-list-row-actions]`)
+export const getActionsForFile = (filename: string) => cy.get(`[data-cy-files-list-row-name="${CSS.escape(filename)}"] [data-cy-files-list-row-actions]`)
 
 export const getActionButtonForFileId = (fileid: number) => getActionsForFileId(fileid).findByRole('button', { name: 'Actions' })
 export const getActionButtonForFile = (filename: string) => getActionsForFile(filename).findByRole('button', { name: 'Actions' })
@@ -48,8 +50,7 @@ export function getActionEntryForFile(file: string, actionId: string) {
  * @param actionId
  */
 export function getInlineActionEntryForFileId(fileid: number, actionId: string) {
-	return getActionsForFileId(fileid)
-		.find(`[data-cy-files-list-row-action="${CSS.escape(actionId)}"]`)
+	return cy.get(`[data-cy-files-list-row-fileid="${fileid}"] [data-cy-files-list-row-action="${CSS.escape(actionId)}"]`)
 }
 
 /**
@@ -58,8 +59,7 @@ export function getInlineActionEntryForFileId(fileid: number, actionId: string)
  * @param actionId
  */
 export function getInlineActionEntryForFile(file: string, actionId: string) {
-	return getActionsForFile(file)
-		.find(`[data-cy-files-list-row-action="${CSS.escape(actionId)}"]`)
+	return cy.get(`[data-cy-files-list-row-name="${CSS.escape(file)}"] [data-cy-files-list-row-action="${CSS.escape(actionId)}"]`)
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/files/files-delete.cy.ts b/cypress/e2e/files/files-delete.cy.ts
index 8d51e82de34aa..b1af310d9b6dd 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/files/files-delete.cy.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/files/files-delete.cy.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import type { User } from '@nextcloud/e2e-test-server/cypress'
 
-import { getRowForFile, navigateToFolder, selectAllFiles, triggerActionForFile } from './FilesUtils.ts'
+import { getRowForFile, navigateToFolder, selectAllFiles, triggerActionForFile, triggerSelectionAction } from './FilesUtils.ts'
 
 describe('files: Delete files using file actions', { testIsolation: true }, () => {
 	let user: User
@@ -50,12 +50,7 @@ describe('files: Delete files using file actions', { testIsolation: true }, () =
 
 		// select all
 		selectAllFiles()
-		cy.get('[data-cy-files-list-selection-actions]')
-			.findByRole('button', { name: 'Actions' })
-			.click()
-		cy.get('[data-cy-files-list-selection-action="delete"]')
-			.findByRole('menuitem', { name: /^Delete files/ })
-			.click()
+		triggerSelectionAction('delete')
 
 		// see dialog for confirmation
 		cy.findByRole('dialog', { name: 'Confirm deletion' })
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/files/files-download.cy.ts b/cypress/e2e/files/files-download.cy.ts
index 7e74f7a8b8c20..c811a4a4a8ed4 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/files/files-download.cy.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/files/files-download.cy.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import type { User } from '@nextcloud/e2e-test-server/cypress'
 import { zipFileContains } from '../../support/utils/assertions.ts'
 import { deleteDownloadsFolderBeforeEach } from '../../support/utils/deleteDownloadsFolder.ts'
 import { randomString } from '../../support/utils/randomString.ts'
-import { getRowForFile, navigateToFolder, triggerActionForFile } from './FilesUtils.ts'
+import { getRowForFile, navigateToFolder, triggerActionForFile, triggerSelectionAction } from './FilesUtils.ts'
 
 describe('files: Download files using file actions', { testIsolation: true }, () => {
 	let user: User
@@ -194,12 +194,7 @@ describe('files: Download files using selection', () => {
 		})
 
 		// click download
-		cy.get('[data-cy-files-list-selection-actions]')
-			.findByRole('button', { name: 'Actions' })
-			.click()
-		cy.findByRole('menuitem', { name: 'Download (selected)' })
-			.should('be.visible')
-			.click()
+		triggerSelectionAction('download')
 
 		// check a file is downloaded
 		const downloadsFolder = Cypress.config('downloadsFolder')
@@ -237,11 +232,7 @@ describe('files: Download files using selection', () => {
 		})
 
 		// click download
-		cy.get('[data-cy-files-list-selection-actions]')
-			.findByRole('button', { name: 'Actions' })
-			.click()
-		cy.findByRole('menuitem', { name: 'Download (selected)' })
-			.click()
+		triggerSelectionAction('download')
 
 		// check a file is downloaded
 		const downloadsFolder = Cypress.config('downloadsFolder')
@@ -282,11 +273,7 @@ describe('files: Download files using selection', () => {
 		})
 
 		// click download
-		cy.get('[data-cy-files-list-selection-actions]')
-			.findByRole('button', { name: 'Actions' })
-			.click()
-		cy.findByRole('menuitem', { name: 'Download (selected)' })
-			.click()
+		triggerSelectionAction('download')
 
 		// check a file is downloaded
 		const downloadsFolder = Cypress.config('downloadsFolder')
@@ -330,11 +317,7 @@ describe('files: Download files using selection', () => {
 		})
 
 		// click download
-		cy.get('[data-cy-files-list-selection-actions]')
-			.findByRole('button', { name: 'Actions' })
-			.click()
-		cy.findByRole('menuitem', { name: 'Download (selected)' })
-			.click()
+		triggerSelectionAction('download')
 
 		// check a file is downloaded
 		const downloadsFolder = Cypress.config('downloadsFolder')
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/files_sharing/share-status-action.cy.ts b/cypress/e2e/files_sharing/share-status-action.cy.ts
index cfbbc29664bd3..30a76334b091c 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/files_sharing/share-status-action.cy.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/files_sharing/share-status-action.cy.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  */
 import type { User } from '@nextcloud/e2e-test-server/cypress'
 
-import { closeSidebar, enableGridMode, getActionButtonForFile, getInlineActionEntryForFile, getRowForFile } from '../files/FilesUtils.ts'
+import { closeSidebar, enableGridMode, getActionButtonForFile, getActionsForFile, getInlineActionEntryForFile, getRowForFile } from '../files/FilesUtils.ts'
 import { createShare } from './FilesSharingUtils.ts'
 
 describe('files_sharing: Sharing status action', { testIsolation: true }, () => {
@@ -23,9 +23,8 @@ describe('files_sharing: Sharing status action', { testIsolation: true }, () =>
 
 		cy.visit('/apps/files')
 
-		getRowForFile('folder')
-			.should('be.visible')
-			.find('[data-cy-files-list-row-actions]')
+		getRowForFile('folder').should('be.visible')
+		getActionsForFile('folder')
 			.findByRole('button', { name: 'Shared' })
 			.should('not.exist')
 	})
@@ -38,12 +37,11 @@ describe('files_sharing: Sharing status action', { testIsolation: true }, () =>
 			cy.visit('/apps/files')
 		})
 
-		getRowForFile('folder')
-			.should('be.visible')
-			.find('[data-cy-files-list-row-actions]')
+		getRowForFile('folder').should('be.visible')
+		getActionsForFile('folder')
 			.findByRole('button', { name: /Sharing options/ })
 			.should('be.visible')
-			.click()
+			.click({ force: true })
 
 		// check the click opened the sidebar
 		cy.get('[data-cy-sidebar]')
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/files_versions/version_restoration.cy.ts b/cypress/e2e/files_versions/version_restoration.cy.ts
index 7ece6d7959f89..2d7e66068d90a 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/files_versions/version_restoration.cy.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/files_versions/version_restoration.cy.ts
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ describe('Versions restoration', () => {
 		cy.get('[data-files-versions-version]').eq(0).find('.action-item__menutoggle').should('not.exist')
 		cy.get('[data-files-versions-version]').eq(0).get('[data-cy-version-action="restore"]').should('not.exist')
 
-		doesNotHaveAction(1, 'restore')
 		doesNotHaveAction(2, 'restore')
+		doesNotHaveAction(1, 'restore')
 	})
 })