diff --git a/amber/src/test/integration/org/apache/texera/amber/engine/e2e/ReconfigurationIntegrationSpec.scala b/amber/src/test/integration/org/apache/texera/amber/engine/e2e/ReconfigurationIntegrationSpec.scala
index 768caf079f4..acadb9154c8 100644
--- a/amber/src/test/integration/org/apache/texera/amber/engine/e2e/ReconfigurationIntegrationSpec.scala
+++ b/amber/src/test/integration/org/apache/texera/amber/engine/e2e/ReconfigurationIntegrationSpec.scala
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package org.apache.texera.amber.engine.e2e
 
+import com.twitter.util.{Await, Duration, Promise, Return}
 import com.typesafe.scalalogging.Logger
 import org.apache.pekko.actor.{ActorSystem, Props}
 import org.apache.pekko.testkit.{ImplicitSender, TestKit}
@@ -28,12 +29,21 @@ import org.apache.texera.amber.core.executor.{OpExecInitInfo, OpExecWithCode}
 import org.apache.texera.amber.core.tuple.Tuple
 import org.apache.texera.amber.core.virtualidentity.OperatorIdentity
 import org.apache.texera.amber.core.workflow.{PortIdentity, WorkflowContext}
+import org.apache.texera.amber.engine.architecture.controller.{
+  ControllerConfig,
+  ExecutionStateUpdate
+}
+import org.apache.texera.amber.engine.architecture.rpc.controlcommands.EmptyRequest
+import org.apache.texera.amber.engine.architecture.rpc.controlreturns.WorkflowAggregatedState.COMPLETED
 import org.apache.texera.amber.engine.common.AmberRuntime
+import org.apache.texera.amber.engine.common.client.AmberClient
 import org.apache.texera.amber.engine.e2e.TestUtils.{
+  buildWorkflow,
   cleanupWorkflowExecutionData,
   initiateTexeraDBForTestCases,
   setUpWorkflowExecutionData
 }
+import org.apache.texera.amber.operator.source.scan.text.TextInputSourceOpDesc
 import org.apache.texera.amber.operator.{LogicalOp, TestOperators}
 import org.apache.texera.amber.tags.IntegrationTest
 import org.apache.texera.workflow.LogicalLink
@@ -86,12 +96,64 @@ class ReconfigurationIntegrationSpec
     // Explicitly load the JDBC driver to avoid flaky CI failures.
     Class.forName("org.postgresql.Driver")
     initiateTexeraDBForTestCases()
+    warmupOnce()
   }
 
   override def afterAll(): Unit = {
     TestKit.shutdownActorSystem(system)
   }
 
+  /**
+    * Run a trivial pure-Scala workflow (TextInput → terminal) once before the
+    * timed tests start, so the first 5-second `startWorkflow` await in
+    * [[TestUtils.shouldReconfigure]] doesn't have to absorb JVM JIT
+    * warmup, pekko dispatcher first-touch, and `RegionExecutionCoordinator`
+    * class loading.
+    *
+    * Hard-capped at 10 seconds total, defensively wrapped: if warmup itself
+    * times out or throws, log and continue — the existing `Retries` mixin
+    * still backs up individual test cases. This ensures warmup can never
+    * hang the suite.
+    */
+  private def warmupOnce(): Unit = {
+    val warmupCap = Duration.fromSeconds(10)
+    setUpWorkflowExecutionData()
+    var client: AmberClient = null
+    try {
+      val src = new TextInputSourceOpDesc()
+      src.textInput = "warmup"
+      val warmupCtx = new WorkflowContext()
+      val workflow = buildWorkflow(List(src), List.empty, warmupCtx)
+      client = new AmberClient(
+        system,
+        workflow.context,
+        workflow.physicalPlan,
+        ControllerConfig.default,
+        _ => {}
+      )
+      val completion = Promise[Unit]()
+      client.registerCallback[ExecutionStateUpdate](evt => {
+        if (evt.state == COMPLETED) completion.updateIfEmpty(Return(()))
+      })
+      Await.result(
+        client.controllerInterface.startWorkflow(EmptyRequest(), ()),
+        warmupCap
+      )
+      Await.result(completion, warmupCap)
+    } catch {
+      case e: Throwable =>
+        logger.warn(
+          s"warmup workflow did not finish within ${warmupCap}; tests will run cold and rely on Retries: ${e.getMessage}"
+        )
+    } finally {
+      if (client != null) {
+        try client.shutdown()
+        catch { case _: Throwable => () }
+      }
+      cleanupWorkflowExecutionData()
+    }
+  }
+
   // Thin wrapper around the shared TestUtils helper so call sites below stay
   // ctx/system-implicit. The actual workflow-driver logic lives in TestUtils
   // and is reused by ReconfigurationSpec.