diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browserType.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browserType.ts
index d0258358f9..b06ef52a2b 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browserType.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browserType.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import type { CallMetadata } from './instrumentation';
 import { SdkObject } from './instrumentation';
 import { ManualPromise } from '../utils/manualPromise';
 import { type ProtocolError, isProtocolError } from './protocolError';
-import type { ClientCertificatesProxy } from './socksClientCertificatesInterceptor';
 
 export const kNoXServerRunningError = 'Looks like you launched a headed browser without having a XServer running.\n' +
   'Set either \'headless: true\' or use \'xvfb-run <your-playwright-app>\' before running Playwright.\n\n<3 Playwright Team';
@@ -80,9 +79,18 @@ export abstract class BrowserType extends SdkObject {
     const controller = new ProgressController(metadata, this);
     const persistent: channels.BrowserNewContextParams = { ...options };
     controller.setLogName('browser');
+
+    // Note: Any initial TLS requests will fail since we rely on the Page/Frames initialize which sets ignoreHTTPSErrors.
+    const clientCertificatesProxy = await createClientCertificatesProxyIfNeeded(persistent);
+    if (clientCertificatesProxy)
+      options.proxy = persistent.proxy;
+
     const browser = await controller.run(progress => {
+      progress.cleanupWhenAborted(() => clientCertificatesProxy?.close());
       return this._innerLaunchWithRetries(progress, options, persistent, helper.debugProtocolLogger(), userDataDir).catch(e => { throw this._rewriteStartupLog(e); });
     }, TimeoutSettings.launchTimeout(options));
+    browser._defaultContext!._clientCertificatesProxy = clientCertificatesProxy;
+
     return browser._defaultContext!;
   }
 
@@ -102,22 +110,8 @@ export abstract class BrowserType extends SdkObject {
 
   async _innerLaunch(progress: Progress, options: types.LaunchOptions, persistent: channels.BrowserNewContextParams | undefined, protocolLogger: types.ProtocolLogger, maybeUserDataDir?: string): Promise<Browser> {
     options.proxy = options.proxy ? normalizeProxySettings(options.proxy) : undefined;
-    let clientCertificatesProxy: ClientCertificatesProxy | undefined;
-    if (persistent) {
-      // Note: Any initial requests done by browser will not be intercepted by the client certificates proxy.
-      // We rely when the Page/Frames to ignoreHTTPSErrors to bypass the certificate errors.
-      clientCertificatesProxy = await createClientCertificatesProxyIfNeeded(persistent);
-      options.proxy = persistent.proxy;
-    }
     const browserLogsCollector = new RecentLogsCollector();
-    let launchInfo;
-    try {
-      launchInfo = await this._launchProcess(progress, options, !!persistent, browserLogsCollector, maybeUserDataDir);
-    } catch (error) {
-      await clientCertificatesProxy?.close();
-      throw error;
-    }
-    const { browserProcess, userDataDir, artifactsDir, transport } = launchInfo;
+    const { browserProcess, userDataDir, artifactsDir, transport } = await this._launchProcess(progress, options, !!persistent, browserLogsCollector, maybeUserDataDir);
     if ((options as any).__testHookBeforeCreateBrowser)
       await (options as any).__testHookBeforeCreateBrowser();
     const browserOptions: BrowserOptions = {
@@ -141,16 +135,8 @@ export abstract class BrowserType extends SdkObject {
     if (persistent)
       validateBrowserContextOptions(persistent, browserOptions);
     copyTestHooks(options, browserOptions);
-    let browser;
-    try {
-      browser = await this._connectToTransport(transport, browserOptions);
-    } catch (error) {
-      await clientCertificatesProxy?.close();
-      throw error;
-    }
+    const browser = await this._connectToTransport(transport, browserOptions);
     (browser as any)._userDataDirForTest = userDataDir;
-    if (persistent)
-      browser._defaultContext!._clientCertificatesProxy = clientCertificatesProxy;
     // We assume no control when using custom arguments, and do not prepare the default context in that case.
     if (persistent && !options.ignoreAllDefaultArgs)
       await browser._defaultContext!._loadDefaultContext(progress);