diff --git a/.github/workflows/install-test.yml b/.github/workflows/install-test.yml
index 4cd5e11..ccec9b0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/install-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/install-test.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,14 @@ jobs:
               ./test/integration release/*.iso boot --no-preview --memory 8192 --timeout 1800
             '
 
+      # The harness ran as root in its container: test-runs and what QEMU
+      # wrote there (the serial logs) belong to root until this step.
+      - name: Hand the results to the runner's user
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p test-runs
+          sudo chown -R "$(id -u):$(id -g)" test-runs
+
       - name: Report times
         if: always()
         run: |
@@ -89,11 +97,7 @@ jobs:
       # it needs the PR number, which a workflow_run event omits for forks.
       - name: Record the pull request
         if: always() && github.event_name == 'pull_request'
-        run: |
-          # The harness ran as root in its container and created test-runs.
-          mkdir -p test-runs
-          sudo chown "$(id -u):$(id -g)" test-runs
-          echo "${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}" > test-runs/pr-number
+        run: echo "${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}" > test-runs/pr-number
 
       - name: Upload test artifacts
         if: always()
diff --git a/test/integration.d/base-test.sh b/test/integration.d/base-test.sh
index 901b9e5..b9d4ab3 100644
--- a/test/integration.d/base-test.sh
+++ b/test/integration.d/base-test.sh
@@ -569,11 +569,13 @@ install_phase() {
       return 1
     fi
 
+    # A line every 30 s so a slow runner never looks hung; a screenshot of
+    # the installer's dashboard every 2 min, which is enough to see progress.
     if ((waited % 120 == 0)); then
       printf -v progress_name 'success-install-progress-%04ds' "$waited"
       capture_console "$progress_name"
-      echo "    ... installing (${waited}s)"
     fi
+    ((waited % 30 == 0)) && echo "    ... installing (${waited}s)"
 
     sleep 10
     ((waited += 10))