@@ -358,22 +358,22 @@ export class IframeOrchestrator {
   // away during a test would keep the run waiting forever
   private watchUnload(iframe: HTMLIFrameElement, iframeId: string) {
     const loads = this.iframeLoads.get(iframe) ?? 0
-    iframe.contentWindow?.addEventListener(
-      'pagehide',
-      () => {
-        setTimeout(() => {
-          if (
-            this.iframes.get(iframeId) !== iframe ||
-            !this.iframeEvents.get(iframe)?.size ||
-            this.iframeLoads.get(iframe) !== loads
-          ) {
-            return
-          }
-          this.dispatchIframeError(this.createConnectError(iframe, this.getIframeHref(iframe)))
-        }, IFRAME_UNLOAD_TIMEOUT)
-      },
-      { once: true },
-    )
+    iframe.contentWindow?.addEventListener('pagehide', (event) => {
+      // tests can dispatch their own "pagehide"
+      if (!event.isTrusted) {
+        return
+      }
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        if (
+          this.iframes.get(iframeId) !== iframe ||
+          !this.iframeEvents.get(iframe)?.size ||
+          this.iframeLoads.get(iframe) !== loads
+        ) {
+          return
+        }
+        this.dispatchIframeError(this.createConnectError(iframe, this.getIframeHref(iframe)))
+      }, IFRAME_UNLOAD_TIMEOUT)
+    })
   }
 
   private createWarningMessage(iframeId: string, location: string) {
 
@@ -90,3 +90,52 @@ test.runIf(
   )
   expect(stderr).toMatch(/Cannot connect to the iframe/)
 })
+
+test.runIf(provider.name === 'playwright' && instances.some((i) => i.browser === 'firefox'))(
+  'vitest bails out when the iframe navigates away after the test dispatched pagehide',
+  async () => {
+    const { stderr } = await runInlineBrowserTests(
+      {
+        'navigate.test.ts': `
+          import { test } from 'vitest'
+
+          test('navigates away', async () => {
+            window.dispatchEvent(new Event('pagehide'))
+            location.href = 'http://127.0.0.1:1/'
+            await new Promise(() => {})
+          })
+        `,
+      },
+      {
+        browser: { instances: instances.filter((instance) => instance.browser === 'firefox') },
+      },
+      { fails: true },
+    )
+    expect(stderr).toMatch(/Cannot connect to the iframe/)
+  },
+)
+
+test('pagehide dispatched by the test does not fail the running file', async () => {
+  const { stderr, testTree } = await runInlineBrowserTests(
+    {
+      'pagehide.test.ts': `
+        import { test } from 'vitest'
+
+        test('runs page lifecycle code', async () => {
+          window.dispatchEvent(new Event('pagehide'))
+          await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 6_000))
+        })
+      `,
+    },
+    { browser: { instances: [instances[0]] } },
+  )
+
+  expect(stderr).toBe('')
+  expect(testTree()).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    {
+      "pagehide.test.ts": {
+        "runs page lifecycle code": "passed",
+      },
+    }
+  `)
+})