diff --git a/.github/actions/smoke-tests/action.yml b/.github/actions/smoke-tests/action.yml
index 45604600..b3f3b0e7 100644
--- a/.github/actions/smoke-tests/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/smoke-tests/action.yml
@@ -34,9 +34,13 @@ runs:
                       - 'packages/browser/**'
                       - 'packages/react/**'
                       - 'packages/sdk-core/**'
+                      - 'smoketests/**'
+                      - '.github/actions/smoke-tests/**'
                   node:
                       - 'packages/sdk-core/**'
                       - 'packages/node/**'
+                      - 'smoketests/**'
+                      - '.github/actions/smoke-tests/**'
 
         - run: npm run smoketest:node
           shell: bash
diff --git a/smoketests/tests/jest/node/tests.ts b/smoketests/tests/jest/node/tests.ts
index c277d892..54fce1e9 100644
--- a/smoketests/tests/jest/node/tests.ts
+++ b/smoketests/tests/jest/node/tests.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+// explicit import so jest matcher types win over expect-webdriverio's global expect
+import { expect } from '@jest/globals';
 import { npm } from '../../__helpers/npm.js';
 import { RXID_REGEX } from '../../__helpers/rxid.js';
 import { DIRECT_SUBMIT_URL, SUBMIT_LAYER_URL } from '../../__helpers/urls.js';
diff --git a/smoketests/wdio.conf.ts b/smoketests/wdio.conf.ts
index 95636288..34ec1437 100644
--- a/smoketests/wdio.conf.ts
+++ b/smoketests/wdio.conf.ts
@@ -4,13 +4,6 @@ export const config: Options.Testrunner & {
     capabilities: WebdriverIO.Capabilities[];
 } = {
     runner: 'local',
-    autoCompileOpts: {
-        autoCompile: true,
-        tsNodeOpts: {
-            project: './tsconfig.json',
-            transpileOnly: true,
-        },
-    },
 
     user: process.env.SMOKETESTS_SAUCE_USERNAME,
     key: process.env.SMOKETESTS_SAUCE_ACCESS_KEY,
@@ -56,6 +49,10 @@ export const config: Options.Testrunner & {
             'sauce',
             {
                 sauceConnect: true,
+                sauceConnectOpts: {
+                    // sc output is debug-level and dropped under logLevel info, print it so CI shows the exit reason
+                    logger: (output: string) => console.log(`[sauce-connect] ${output}`),
+                },
                 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
                 setJobName(config, capabilities: any) {
                     return `@backtrace/javascript smoketests for ${capabilities.browserName} on ${capabilities.platformName}`;