diff --git a/e2e/maputnik-driver.ts b/e2e/maputnik-driver.ts
index 4ef28ce2..ad594a9e 100644
--- a/e2e/maputnik-driver.ts
+++ b/e2e/maputnik-driver.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Assertable, PlaywrightHelper } from "./playwright-helper";
+import { PlaywrightHelper } from "./playwright-helper";
 import { ModalDriver } from "./modal-driver";
 
 const baseUrl = "http://localhost:8888/";
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ const isMac = process.platform === "darwin";
  */
 export class MaputnikDriver {
   private readonly helper = new PlaywrightHelper();
-  private readonly modalDriver = new ModalDriver(this);
+  private readonly modalDriver = new ModalDriver();
 
-  then = <T>(target: T) => new Assertable(target);
+  then = this.helper.then;
 
   /** Reads the maputnik style currently persisted in localStorage. */
   private async readStoredStyle(): Promise<any> {
diff --git a/e2e/modal-driver.ts b/e2e/modal-driver.ts
index f822df72..3f7e4915 100644
--- a/e2e/modal-driver.ts
+++ b/e2e/modal-driver.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import { v1 as uuid } from "uuid";
-import type { MaputnikDriver } from "./maputnik-driver";
+import { PlaywrightHelper } from "./playwright-helper";
 
 export class ModalDriver {
-  constructor(private readonly driver: MaputnikDriver) {}
+  private readonly helper = new PlaywrightHelper();
 
   public when = {
     fillLayers: async (opts: { type: string; layer?: string; id?: string }) => {
-      const { when, get, then } = this.driver;
+      const { when, get, then } = this.helper;
       const id = opts.id ?? `${opts.type}:${uuid()}`;
 
       await when.select("add-layer.layer-type.select", opts.type);
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ export class ModalDriver {
     },
 
     open: async () => {
-      await this.driver.when.click("layer-list:add-layer");
+      await this.helper.when.click("layer-list:add-layer");
     },
 
     close: async (key: string) => {
-      await this.driver.when.click(key + ".close-modal");
+      await this.helper.when.click(key + ".close-modal");
     },
   };
 }
diff --git a/e2e/playwright-helper.ts b/e2e/playwright-helper.ts
index 3b2f0bc8..58dabfe5 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright-helper.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright-helper.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,9 @@ export class PlaywrightHelper {
     return new Query<T>(getter);
   }
 
+  /** Entry point for fluent assertions over a Locator or a value/Query. */
+  public then = <T>(target: T): Assertable<T> => new Assertable(target);
+
   public given = {
     intercept: async (pattern: RegExp, alias: string, _method = "GET") => {
       this.recordedRequests.set(alias, []);