diff --git a/packages/data-context/src/DataContext.ts b/packages/data-context/src/DataContext.ts
index e5f484b7c0..607f8c0c5e 100644
--- a/packages/data-context/src/DataContext.ts
+++ b/packages/data-context/src/DataContext.ts
@@ -433,6 +433,9 @@ export class DataContext {
       await this.lifecycleManager.initializeRunMode()
     } else if (this._config.mode === 'open') {
       await this.initializeOpenMode()
+      if (this.coreData.currentTestingType && await this.lifecycleManager.waitForInitializeSuccess()) {
+        this.lifecycleManager.setCurrentTestingType(this.coreData.currentTestingType)
+      }
     } else {
       throw new Error(`Missing DataContext config "mode" setting, expected run | open`)
     }
diff --git a/packages/data-context/src/data/ProjectConfigManager.ts b/packages/data-context/src/data/ProjectConfigManager.ts
index cb2a9c5e31..19b2248d87 100644
--- a/packages/data-context/src/data/ProjectConfigManager.ts
+++ b/packages/data-context/src/data/ProjectConfigManager.ts
@@ -129,10 +129,6 @@ export class ProjectConfigManager {
         this._cachedLoadConfig = result
 
         this.options.onInitialConfigLoaded(result.initialConfig)
-
-        if (this._testingType && this.isTestingTypeConfigured(this._testingType) || this.options.isRunMode) {
-          this.setupNodeEvents(result).catch(this.onLoadError)
-        }
       }
 
       return result.initialConfig
diff --git a/packages/data-context/src/data/ProjectLifecycleManager.ts b/packages/data-context/src/data/ProjectLifecycleManager.ts
index c01057bacb..bcd17a09c6 100644
--- a/packages/data-context/src/data/ProjectLifecycleManager.ts
+++ b/packages/data-context/src/data/ProjectLifecycleManager.ts
@@ -296,6 +296,16 @@ export class ProjectLifecycleManager {
     return this._configManager.reloadConfig()
   }
 
+  async waitForInitializeSuccess (): Promise<boolean> {
+    try {
+      await this.initializeConfig()
+
+      return true
+    } catch (error) {
+      return false
+    }
+  }
+
   async initializeConfig () {
     assert(this._configManager)
 
@@ -362,10 +372,6 @@ export class ProjectLifecycleManager {
     }
 
     this.loadCypressEnvFile().catch(this.onLoadError)
-
-    if (this.ctx.coreData.currentTestingType) {
-      this.setCurrentTestingType(this.ctx.coreData.currentTestingType)
-    }
   }
 
   async #legacyMigration (legacyConfigPath: string) {
@@ -623,14 +629,16 @@ export class ProjectLifecycleManager {
   async initializeRunMode () {
     this._pendingInitialize = pDefer()
 
-    if (!this._currentTestingType) {
-      // e2e is assumed to be the default testing type if
-      // none is passed in run mode
-      this.setCurrentTestingType('e2e')
-    }
+    if (await this.waitForInitializeSuccess()) {
+      if (this._currentTestingType) {
+        this.setCurrentTestingType(this._currentTestingType)
+      } else {
+        this.setCurrentTestingType('e2e')
+      }
 
-    if (!this.metaState.hasValidConfigFile) {
-      return this.ctx.onError(getError('NO_DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE_FOUND', this.projectRoot))
+      if (!this.metaState.hasValidConfigFile) {
+        return this.ctx.onError(getError('NO_DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE_FOUND', this.projectRoot))
+      }
     }
 
     return this._pendingInitialize.promise.finally(() => {