diff --git a/frontend/e2e/documents.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/documents.spec.ts
index 790d539c..4870f4e3 100644
--- a/frontend/e2e/documents.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/e2e/documents.spec.ts
@@ -382,6 +382,9 @@ test.describe('PDF annotations — admin', () => {
 		});
 		// Record count now — the draw test may have created more than one annotation
 		const countBefore = await page.locator('[data-testid^="annotation-"]').count();
+		// Guard against a missing seed: without this, a count of 0 would turn the
+		// post-delete assertion into toHaveCount(-1) and fail with a misleading timeout.
+		expect(countBefore).toBeGreaterThan(0);
 
 		// Enable annotate mode — deletion is only available while annotating
 		await page.getByRole('button', { name: /^annotieren$/i }).click();
@@ -389,6 +392,10 @@ test.describe('PDF annotations — admin', () => {
 		// The on-canvas delete button was removed (issue #722). Delete via the
 		// kept keyboard shortcut: focus an annotation, press Delete, confirm.
 		const annotation = page.locator('[data-testid^="annotation-"]').first();
+		// Capture the identity of the specific annotation we delete so we can assert
+		// that exact element is gone afterwards — a count drop alone is identity-blind.
+		const deletedTestId = await annotation.getAttribute('data-testid');
+		expect(deletedTestId).toBeTruthy();
 		await annotation.click();
 		await annotation.press('Delete');
 
@@ -397,6 +404,10 @@ test.describe('PDF annotations — admin', () => {
 		await expect(page.locator('[data-testid^="annotation-"]')).toHaveCount(countBefore - 1, {
 			timeout: 8000
 		});
+		// Identity check: the specific annotation we deleted must no longer exist.
+		await expect(page.locator(`[data-testid="${deletedTestId}"]`)).toHaveCount(0, {
+			timeout: 8000
+		});
 
 		await page.screenshot({ path: 'test-results/e2e/annotation-deleted.png' });
 	});
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationLayer.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationLayer.svelte.spec.ts
index 12adfd7e..ae92db33 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationLayer.svelte.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationLayer.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ describe('AnnotationLayer', () => {
 		});
 
 		await expect.element(page.getByTestId('annotation-ann-1')).toBeInTheDocument();
+		// Positive control: the previously-removed testid must stay absent.
 		await expect.element(page.getByTestId('annotation-delete-ann-1')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+		// Real invariant: the annotation must contain no clickable delete control at all.
+		const annotationEl = page.getByTestId('annotation-ann-1').element() as HTMLElement;
+		expect(annotationEl.querySelectorAll('button').length).toBe(0);
 	});
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationLayer.svelte.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationLayer.svelte.test.ts
index 3e5598d5..7dcc8cef 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationLayer.svelte.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationLayer.svelte.test.ts
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ describe('AnnotationLayer', () => {
 			expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="annotation-ann-1"]')).not.toBeNull();
 		});
 
-		it('renders without throwing when canDraw is true (delete button visible)', async () => {
+		it('renders without throwing when canDraw is true (no delete button)', async () => {
 			expect(() =>
 				render(AnnotationLayer, {
 					annotations: [annotation],
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationShape.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationShape.svelte.spec.ts
index d9ec0ffc..79cb7680 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationShape.svelte.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/document/annotation/AnnotationShape.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,11 @@ describe('AnnotationShape', () => {
 		});
 
 		await expect.element(page.getByTestId('annotation-ann-1')).toBeInTheDocument();
+		// Positive control: the previously-removed testid must stay absent.
 		await expect.element(page.getByTestId('annotation-delete-ann-1')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+		// Real invariant: the annotation must contain no clickable delete control at all.
+		const annotationEl = page.getByTestId('annotation-ann-1').element() as HTMLElement;
+		expect(annotationEl.querySelectorAll('button').length).toBe(0);
 	});
 
 	it('calls onDeleteRequest when Delete key is pressed on the annotation', async () => {