diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/src/index.ts b/packages/playwright-test/src/index.ts
index 56595a18a6..d26f61b52a 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/src/index.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export const test = _baseTest.extend<TestFixtures, WorkerFixtures>({
       await removeFolders([dir]);
   }, { scope: 'worker' }],
 
-  _browserOptions: [async ({ headless, channel, launchOptions }, use) => {
+  _browserOptions: [async ({ playwright, headless, channel, launchOptions }, use) => {
     const options: LaunchOptions = {
       handleSIGINT: false,
       timeout: 0,
@@ -98,8 +98,13 @@ export const test = _baseTest.extend<TestFixtures, WorkerFixtures>({
       options.headless = headless;
     if (channel !== undefined)
       options.channel = channel;
+
+    for (const browserType of [playwright.chromium, playwright.firefox, playwright.webkit])
+      (browserType as any)._defaultLaunchOptions = options;
     await use(options);
-  }, { scope: 'worker' }],
+    for (const browserType of [playwright.chromium, playwright.firefox, playwright.webkit])
+      (browserType as any)._defaultLaunchOptions = undefined;
+  }, { scope: 'worker', auto: true }],
 
   browser: [async ({ playwright, browserName, connectOptions }, use) => {
     if (!['chromium', 'firefox', 'webkit'].includes(browserName))
@@ -323,7 +328,6 @@ export const test = _baseTest.extend<TestFixtures, WorkerFixtures>({
       (browserType as any)._onDidCreateContext = onDidCreateBrowserContext;
       (browserType as any)._onWillCloseContext = onWillCloseContext;
       (browserType as any)._defaultContextOptions = _combinedContextOptions;
-      (browserType as any)._defaultLaunchOptions = _browserOptions;
       const existingContexts = Array.from((browserType as any)._contexts) as BrowserContext[];
       await Promise.all(existingContexts.map(onDidCreateBrowserContext));
     }
@@ -365,7 +369,6 @@ export const test = _baseTest.extend<TestFixtures, WorkerFixtures>({
       (browserType as any)._onDidCreateContext = undefined;
       (browserType as any)._onWillCloseContext = undefined;
       (browserType as any)._defaultContextOptions = undefined;
-      (browserType as any)._defaultLaunchOptions = undefined;
     }
     leftoverContexts.forEach(context => (context as any)._instrumentation.removeAllListeners());
     for (const context of (playwright.request as any)._contexts)
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/playwright.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/playwright.spec.ts
index ca217e010a..147e20a45c 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-test/playwright.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/playwright.spec.ts
@@ -257,6 +257,26 @@ test('should respect headless in launchPersistent', async ({ runInlineTest }) =>
   expect(result.passed).toBe(1);
 });
 
+test('should respect headless in modifiers that run before tests', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'playwright.config.ts': `
+      module.exports = { use: { headless: false } };
+    `,
+    'a.test.ts': `
+      const { test } = pwt;
+
+      test.skip(({ browser }) => false);
+
+      test('should work', async ({ page }) => {
+        expect(await page.evaluate(() => navigator.userAgent)).not.toContain('Headless');
+      });
+    `,
+  }, { workers: 1 });
+
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+  expect(result.passed).toBe(1);
+});
+
 test('should call logger from launchOptions config', async ({ runInlineTest }, testInfo) => {
   const result = await runInlineTest({
     'a.test.ts': `