Feature config override (specifically 'restart') causes process to hang after suite

[hxllv]

Description

We have a codebase where for all of the tests, we have restart set as false inside of codecept.conf.js. However we have 1 Feature where we would like to have restart set to session/keep. The problem is that when overriding config on the feature with

Feature('blabla').config({ restart: 'session' })

we run into the problem that suite hangs up after it completes, leaving browser open and just never finishing. This causes it to label it as failed due to timeout on our CI pipeline.

This problem does not occur if restart: 'session' is set in codecept.conf.js. Setting config on each Scenario also doesn't work, because config gets reverted between them, which causes the browser to close after first Scenario and not reopening for the second one.

How it should work

After the suite completes, codecept process shuts down as expected.

Example

codecept.conf.js:

const { setHeadlessWhen, setCommonPlugins } = require('@codeceptjs/configure')
// turn on headless mode when running with HEADLESS=true environment variable
// export HEADLESS=true && npx codeceptjs run
setHeadlessWhen(process.env.HEADLESS)

// enable all common plugins https://github.com/codeceptjs/configure#setcommonplugins
setCommonPlugins()

/** @type {CodeceptJS.MainConfig} */
exports.config = {
	tests: './*_test.js',
	output: './output',
	helpers: {
		Playwright: {
			browser: 'chromium',
			url: 'http://google.com',
			show: true,
			keepBrowserState: false, // No influence when restart: true
			keepCookies: false, // No influence when restart: true
			restart: true
		},
		FileSystem: {}
	},
	name: 'ccjs'
}

Suite:

Feature('Config hangs').config({
	restart: 'session'
})

Scenario('do something 1', ({ I }) => {
	I.amOnPage('https://codecept.io/quickstart/')
})

Scenario('do something 2', ({ I }) => {
	I.waitForText('Quickstart')
})

Scenario('do something 3', ({ I }) => {
	I.see('If you prefer not to use Playwright')
})

Output:

~hxllv~ ~/ccjs npx codeceptjs run featureConfigHang.js --verbose
***************************************
nodeInfo:  23.6.0
osInfo:  macOS 15.7.1
cpuInfo:  (16) arm64 Apple M3 Max
chromeInfo:  142.0.7444.162
edgeInfo:  Not Found
firefoxInfo:  undefined
safariInfo:  26.0.1
If you need more detailed info, just run this: npx codeceptjs info
***************************************
CodeceptJS v3.6.7 #StandWithUkraine
Using test root "/Users/xx/ccjs"
Helpers: Playwright, FileSystem
Plugins: screenshotOnFail, tryTo, retryFailedStep, retryTo, eachElement

Config hangs --
    [1]  Starting recording promises
 › [Suite Config] Playwright {"restart":"session"}
    Timeouts: 
 › [Session] Starting singleton browser session
  do something 1
 › [Dir] /Users/xx/ccjs
    I am on page "https://codecept.io/quickstart/"
  ✔ OK in 1827ms

 › [Session] cleaning cookies and localStorage
  do something 2
 › [Dir] /Users/xx/ccjs
    I wait for text "Quickstart"
  ✔ OK in 5ms

 › [Session] cleaning cookies and localStorage
  do something 3
 › [Dir] /Users/xx/ccjs
    I see "If you prefer not to use Playwright"
  ✔ OK in 15ms

 › [Session] cleaning cookies and localStorage
 › [Suite Config] Reverted for Playwright

  OK  | 3 passed   // 3s       <- hangs here

Expected output:

~hxllv~ ~/ccjs npx codeceptjs run featureConfigHang.js --verbose
***************************************
nodeInfo:  23.6.0
osInfo:  macOS 15.7.1
cpuInfo:  (16) arm64 Apple M3 Max
chromeInfo:  142.0.7444.162
edgeInfo:  Not Found
firefoxInfo:  undefined
safariInfo:  26.0.1
If you need more detailed info, just run this: npx codeceptjs info
***************************************
CodeceptJS v3.6.7 #StandWithUkraine
Using test root "/Users/xx/ccjs"
Helpers: Playwright, FileSystem
Plugins: screenshotOnFail, tryTo, retryFailedStep, retryTo, eachElement

Config hangs --
    [1]  Starting recording promises
    Timeouts: 
 › [Session] Starting singleton browser session
  do something 1
 › [Dir] /Users/xx/ccjs
    I am on page "https://codecept.io/quickstart/"
  ✔ OK in 1648ms

 › [Session] cleaning cookies and localStorage
  do something 2
 › [Dir] /Users/xx/ccjs
    I wait for text "Quickstart"
  ✔ OK in 8ms

 › [Session] cleaning cookies and localStorage
  do something 3
 › [Dir] /Users/xx/ccjs
    I see "If you prefer not to use Playwright"
  ✔ OK in 3ms

 › [Session] cleaning cookies and localStorage

  OK  | 3 passed   // 2s
~hxllv~ ~/ccjs        <- back in control of terminal

[hxllv]

While I'm using v3.6.7 in this example, I can confirm the same still occurs in v3.7.5

[hxllv]

After some more testing, I noticed that

AfterSuite(({ I }) => {
    I.usePlaywrightTo('Close browser', async ({ browser }) => {
        await browser.close()
    })
})

is an easy workaround to this, for anyone who needs it.