diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/fmt-missing-config-dependency/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/fmt-missing-config-dependency/pnpm-workspace.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b15641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/fmt-missing-config-dependency/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# E2E fixture install config; rationale in packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs.
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - rstack
+  - '@rslint/core'
+  - '@rstest/core'
+  - '@rsbuild/core'
+  - '@rslib/core'
+  - '@rstackjs/*'
+  - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rslint/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rslint/pnpm-workspace.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b15641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rslint/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# E2E fixture install config; rationale in packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs.
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - rstack
+  - '@rslint/core'
+  - '@rstest/core'
+  - '@rsbuild/core'
+  - '@rslib/core'
+  - '@rstackjs/*'
+  - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rstack/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rstack/pnpm-workspace.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b15641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rstack/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# E2E fixture install config; rationale in packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs.
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - rstack
+  - '@rslint/core'
+  - '@rstest/core'
+  - '@rsbuild/core'
+  - '@rslib/core'
+  - '@rstackjs/*'
+  - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rstest/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rstest/pnpm-workspace.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b15641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/fixtures/rstest/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# E2E fixture install config; rationale in packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs.
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - rstack
+  - '@rslint/core'
+  - '@rstest/core'
+  - '@rsbuild/core'
+  - '@rslib/core'
+  - '@rstackjs/*'
+  - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/fixtures/dependency-recovery/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/fixtures/dependency-recovery/pnpm-workspace.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b15641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/fixtures/dependency-recovery/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# E2E fixture install config; rationale in packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs.
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - rstack
+  - '@rslint/core'
+  - '@rstest/core'
+  - '@rsbuild/core'
+  - '@rslib/core'
+  - '@rstackjs/*'
+  - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/fixtures/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/fixtures/pnpm-workspace.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b15641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/fixtures/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# E2E fixture install config; rationale in packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs.
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - rstack
+  - '@rslint/core'
+  - '@rstest/core'
+  - '@rsbuild/core'
+  - '@rslib/core'
+  - '@rstackjs/*'
+  - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/suite-dependency-recovery/dependency-recovery.test.ts b/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/suite-dependency-recovery/dependency-recovery.test.ts
index d410c0b..a1467c5 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/suite-dependency-recovery/dependency-recovery.test.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/lint/suite-dependency-recovery/dependency-recovery.test.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,12 @@
 import * as assert from 'node:assert';
-import { execFile as execFileCallback } from 'node:child_process';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { promisify } from 'node:util';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { pnpmInstallFrozen } from '../../pnpmInstall';
 import type { StackState } from '../../../src/types';
 import { waitForRslintDiagnostics } from '../utils/diagnostics';
 import { extensionExports } from '../utils/extension';
 
-const execFile = promisify(execFileCallback);
-
 function lintExports(): {
   getFolderStates(): ReadonlyMap<string, StackState>;
 } {
@@ -61,17 +58,7 @@ suite('Rslint dependency polling recovery', function () {
     const beforeContents = fs.readFileSync(lockfile);
     const beforeMtime = fs.statSync(lockfile).mtimeMs;
 
-    await execFile(
-      'pnpm',
-      ['install', '--frozen-lockfile', '--ignore-scripts'],
-      {
-        cwd: root,
-        timeout: 90_000,
-        // Match setupFixtures.mjs/run.mjs: Windows needs a shell for pnpm's
-        // .cmd shim. All arguments are fixed safe tokens; cwd is not interpolated.
-        shell: process.platform === 'win32',
-      },
-    );
+    await pnpmInstallFrozen(root);
 
     assert.deepStrictEqual(
       fs.readFileSync(lockfile),
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/pnpmInstall.ts b/packages/vscode/e2e/pnpmInstall.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23757a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/pnpmInstall.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { execFile as execFileCallback } from 'node:child_process';
+import { promisify } from 'node:util';
+
+const execFile = promisify(execFileCallback);
+
+/**
+ * Runs `pnpm install --frozen-lockfile --ignore-scripts` in `cwd`. pnpm 11
+ * prints install errors (e.g. ERR_PNPM_MINIMUM_RELEASE_AGE_VIOLATION) to
+ * stdout, while execFile's error message carries only stderr, so a failure
+ * rethrows with both streams appended.
+ */
+export async function pnpmInstallFrozen(cwd: string): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    await execFile(
+      'pnpm',
+      ['install', '--frozen-lockfile', '--ignore-scripts'],
+      {
+        cwd,
+        timeout: 90_000,
+        // Windows needs a shell for pnpm's .cmd shim; the arguments are fixed
+        // safe tokens and cwd is not interpolated.
+        shell: process.platform === 'win32',
+      },
+    );
+  } catch (error) {
+    const { stdout = '', stderr = '' } = error as {
+      stdout?: string;
+      stderr?: string;
+    };
+    throw new Error(`${(error as Error).message}\n${stdout}${stderr}`, {
+      cause: error,
+    });
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/fixtures/workspace-1/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/fixtures/workspace-1/pnpm-workspace.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b15641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/fixtures/workspace-1/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# E2E fixture install config; rationale in packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs.
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - rstack
+  - '@rslint/core'
+  - '@rstest/core'
+  - '@rsbuild/core'
+  - '@rslib/core'
+  - '@rstackjs/*'
+  - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/fixtures/workspace-2/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/fixtures/workspace-2/pnpm-workspace.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b15641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/fixtures/workspace-2/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# E2E fixture install config; rationale in packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs.
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - rstack
+  - '@rslint/core'
+  - '@rstest/core'
+  - '@rsbuild/core'
+  - '@rslib/core'
+  - '@rstackjs/*'
+  - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/suite-dependency-recovery/dependency-recovery.test.ts b/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/suite-dependency-recovery/dependency-recovery.test.ts
index d3e5704..74e80d9 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/suite-dependency-recovery/dependency-recovery.test.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/rstest/suite-dependency-recovery/dependency-recovery.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
-import { execFile as execFileCallback } from 'node:child_process';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { promisify } from 'node:util';
 import vscode from 'vscode';
+import { pnpmInstallFrozen } from '../../pnpmInstall';
 import type { RstackExtensionExports } from '../../../src/types';
 import { getProjectItems, getRstestExports, waitFor } from '../suite/helpers';
 
-const execFile = promisify(execFileCallback);
-
 suite('Rstest dependency polling recovery', function () {
   this.timeout(180_000);
 
@@ -30,16 +27,7 @@ suite('Rstest dependency polling recovery', function () {
     const lockfile = path.join(root, 'pnpm-lock.yaml');
     const contents = fs.readFileSync(lockfile);
     const mtime = fs.statSync(lockfile).mtimeMs;
-    await execFile(
-      'pnpm',
-      ['install', '--frozen-lockfile', '--ignore-scripts'],
-      {
-        cwd: root,
-        timeout: 90_000,
-        // Windows needs a shell for pnpm.cmd; arguments are fixed safe tokens.
-        shell: process.platform === 'win32',
-      },
-    );
+    await pnpmInstallFrozen(root);
     assert.deepEqual(
       fs.readFileSync(lockfile),
       contents,
diff --git a/packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs b/packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs
index fb4cd6d..5bca7dd 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs
+++ b/packages/vscode/e2e/setupFixtures.mjs
@@ -5,9 +5,20 @@
 // from the project, so a fixture that linked this repo's own node_modules would
 // test nothing. `rstack@0.7.2` itself pins `@rslint/core@0.9.0` exactly, so the
 // Rstack fixture pins its lint core transitively. Each fixture is its own
-// independent install; `--ignore-workspace` keeps test setup out of the parent
-// workspace. Exact toolchain pins make installs reproducible without committed
-// lockfiles, and Renovate bumps those pins.
+// independent install. Exact toolchain pins make installs reproducible
+// without committed lockfiles, and Renovate bumps those pins.
+//
+// Each fixture carries a committed, settings-only `pnpm-workspace.yaml`. It
+// stops pnpm from walking up into this repo's workspace, and it exempts the
+// Rstack family from pnpm's `minimumReleaseAge` gate (fixtures pin releases
+// that are often hours old; third-party packages stay gated). The exemption
+// has to live in a file rather than `--config.minimumReleaseAge=0` because the
+// dependency-recovery tests copy a fixture to the OS tmpdir and re-install
+// with `--frozen-lockfile`, and pnpm 11 re-checks release age even when
+// frozen, so the policy must travel with the copy. The same file rules out
+// `--ignore-workspace`, under which pnpm ignores its settings. Setup-only
+// options stay flags below. Keep the list in step with the root
+// `pnpm-workspace.yaml`.
 //
 // Idempotent: pnpm is a no-op when the fixture is already up to date, so
 // `test:e2e` can always run it.
@@ -65,9 +76,6 @@ const install = (name) => {
     pnpmCommand,
     [
       'install',
-      // A fixture is a standalone project, never a workspace member of this
-      // repo: the whole point is a plain, published-versions install.
-      '--ignore-workspace',
       // Fixtures pin exact toolchain versions rather than committing lockfiles;
       // Renovate updates the pins.
       '--no-frozen-lockfile',
@@ -76,10 +84,6 @@ const install = (name) => {
       // `node_modules`, which it refuses to do without a TTY. The directory is
       // disposable.
       '--config.confirmModulesPurge=false',
-      // Fixtures deliberately install pinned published versions of the Rstack
-      // toolchain, which are often hours old — disable pnpm's
-      // minimum-release-age supply-chain gate for these sandboxes.
-      '--config.minimumReleaseAge=0',
       // pnpm's build-script gate exits non-zero on unapproved postinstalls
       // (e.g. core-js in the rstest fixture). These sandboxes install real
       // published packages exactly like a user project would, so run their
diff --git a/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/pnpm-workspace.yaml
index 34cde38..085be5a 100644
--- a/pnpm-workspace.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ allowBuilds:
 
 # The whole point of this repo is tracking the freshest Rstack toolchain
 # releases, so exempt them from the minimum-release-age supply-chain policy.
+# Each E2E fixture's pnpm-workspace.yaml repeats this list; keep them in step.
 minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
   - rstack
   - '@rslint/core'
@@ -19,3 +20,4 @@ minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
   - '@rslib/core'
   - '@rstackjs/*'
   - rsbuild-plugin-dts
+  - '@rspack/*'