diff --git a/test/automation/src/playwrightBrowser.ts b/test/automation/src/playwrightBrowser.ts
index 1d441a79985..848170a8f0a 100644
--- a/test/automation/src/playwrightBrowser.ts
+++ b/test/automation/src/playwrightBrowser.ts
@@ -51,16 +51,16 @@ async function launchServer(options: LaunchOptions) {
 	const args = [
 		'--disable-telemetry',
 		'--disable-workspace-trust',
-		'--port', `${port++}`,
+		`--port${port++}`,
 		'--enable-smoke-test-driver',
-		'--extensions-dir', extensionsPath,
-		'--server-data-dir', agentFolder,
+		`--extensions-dir=${extensionsPath}`,
+		`--server-data-dir=${agentFolder}`,
 		'--accept-server-license-terms',
-		'--logsPath', logsPath
+		`--logsPath=${logsPath}`
 	];
 
 	if (options.verbose) {
-		args.push('--log', 'trace');
+		args.push('--log=trace');
 	}
 
 	let serverLocation: string | undefined;
diff --git a/test/smoke/src/areas/extensions/extensions.test.ts b/test/smoke/src/areas/extensions/extensions.test.ts
index 1f5595dcb2b..b6bd459b12d 100644
--- a/test/smoke/src/areas/extensions/extensions.test.ts
+++ b/test/smoke/src/areas/extensions/extensions.test.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ export function setup(logger: Logger) {
 		// Shared before/after handling
 		installAllHandlers(logger);
 
-		it.skip('install and enable vscode-smoketest-check extension', async function () { // TODO@bpasero TODO@sandy081 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/146800
+		it('install and enable vscode-smoketest-check extension', async function () {
+			this.retries(3); // TODO@bpasero TODO@sandy081 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/146800
+
 			const app = this.app as Application;
 
 			await app.workbench.extensions.openExtensionsViewlet();
diff --git a/test/smoke/src/areas/workbench/localization.test.ts b/test/smoke/src/areas/workbench/localization.test.ts
index daab050886d..57f6a252806 100644
--- a/test/smoke/src/areas/workbench/localization.test.ts
+++ b/test/smoke/src/areas/workbench/localization.test.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ export function setup(logger: Logger) {
 		// Shared before/after handling
 		installAllHandlers(logger);
 
-		it.skip('starts with "DE" locale and verifies title and viewlets text is in German', async function () { // TODO@bpasero TODO@sandy081 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/146800
+		it('starts with "DE" locale and verifies title and viewlets text is in German', async function () {
+			this.retries(3); // TODO@bpasero TODO@sandy081 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/146800
+
 			const app = this.app as Application;
 			await app.workbench.extensions.openExtensionsViewlet();
 			await app.workbench.extensions.installExtension('ms-ceintl.vscode-language-pack-de', false);
diff --git a/test/smoke/src/main.ts b/test/smoke/src/main.ts
index 5d9027234ee..1074295db67 100644
--- a/test/smoke/src/main.ts
+++ b/test/smoke/src/main.ts
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ describe(`VSCode Smoke Tests (${opts.web ? 'Web' : opts.legacy ? 'Electron (lega
 	setupLanguagesTests(logger);
 	if (opts.web) { setupTerminalTests(logger); } // Tests require playwright driver (https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/146811)
 	setupStatusbarTests(logger);
-	if (quality !== Quality.Dev && !opts.remote) { setupExtensionTests(logger); } // https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/146800
+	if (quality !== Quality.Dev) { setupExtensionTests(logger); }
 	setupMultirootTests(logger);
 	if (!opts.web && !opts.remote && quality !== Quality.Dev) { setupLocalizationTests(logger); }
 	if (!opts.web && !opts.remote) { setupLaunchTests(logger); }