diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/client/browser.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/client/browser.ts
index 7c353656cbee7..be47ddeb51dd1 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/client/browser.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/client/browser.ts
@@ -85,16 +85,6 @@ export class Browser extends ChannelOwner<channels.BrowserChannel> implements ap
     const response = forReuse ? await this._channel.newContextForReuse(contextOptions) : await this._channel.newContext(contextOptions);
     const context = BrowserContext.from(response.context);
     await this._browserType._didCreateContext(context, contextOptions, this._options, options.logger || this._logger);
-    if (!forReuse && process.env.PW_CLOCK === 'frozen') {
-      await this._wrapApiCall(async () => {
-        await context.clock.install({ time: 0 });
-        await context.clock.pauseAt(1000);
-      }, true);
-    } else if (!forReuse && process.env.PW_CLOCK === 'realtime') {
-      await this._wrapApiCall(async () => {
-        await context.clock.install({ time: 0 });
-      }, true);
-    }
     return context;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/index.ts b/packages/playwright/src/index.ts
index 2e1236d8ea3fd..a258cbcad55bc 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/index.ts
@@ -274,6 +274,18 @@ const playwrightFixtures: Fixtures<TestFixtures, WorkerFixtures> = ({
       contexts.set(context, contextData);
       if (captureVideo)
         context.on('page', page => contextData.pagesWithVideo.push(page));
+
+      if (process.env.PW_CLOCK === 'frozen') {
+        await (context as any)._wrapApiCall(async () => {
+          await context.clock.install({ time: 0 });
+          await context.clock.pauseAt(1000);
+        }, true);
+      } else if (process.env.PW_CLOCK === 'realtime') {
+        await (context as any)._wrapApiCall(async () => {
+          await context.clock.install({ time: 0 });
+        }, true);
+      }
+
       return context;
     });
 
diff --git a/tests/page/page-clock.frozen.spec.ts b/tests/page/page-clock.frozen.spec.ts
index 9b709363772d8..b9b319cd6331a 100644
--- a/tests/page/page-clock.frozen.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/page/page-clock.frozen.spec.ts
@@ -23,5 +23,5 @@ it('clock should be frozen', async ({ page }) => {
 
 it('clock should be realtime', async ({ page }) => {
   it.skip(process.env.PW_CLOCK !== 'realtime');
-  expect(await page.evaluate('Date.now()')).toBeLessThan(1000);
+  expect(await page.evaluate('Date.now()')).toBeLessThan(10000);
 });
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/reporter-html.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/reporter-html.spec.ts
index 83992c0bad55b..e416cd05c1ed7 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-test/reporter-html.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/reporter-html.spec.ts
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ for (const useIntermediateMergeReport of [false] as const) {
     });
 
     test('should include image diff when screenshot failed to generate due to animation', async ({ runInlineTest, page, showReport }) => {
+      test.skip(process.env.PW_CLOCK === 'frozen', 'Assumes Date.now() changes');
       const result = await runInlineTest({
         'playwright.config.ts': `
           module.exports = { use: { viewport: { width: 200, height: 200 }} };