diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/src/expect.ts b/packages/playwright-test/src/expect.ts
index e302bb0e8c..77d1b88f9c 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/src/expect.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/src/expect.ts
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class ExpectMetaInfoProxyHandler {
   }
 
   get(target: any, matcherName: any, receiver: any): any {
-    const matcher = Reflect.get(target, matcherName, receiver);
+    let matcher = Reflect.get(target, matcherName, receiver);
     if (matcher === undefined)
       throw new Error(`expect: Property '${matcherName}' not found.`);
     if (typeof matcher !== 'function') {
@@ -180,6 +180,11 @@ class ExpectMetaInfoProxyHandler {
         this._info.isNot = !this._info.isNot;
       return new Proxy(matcher, this);
     }
+    if (this._info.isPoll) {
+      if ((customMatchers as any)[matcherName] || matcherName === 'resolves' || matcherName === 'rejects')
+        throw new Error(`\`expect.poll()\` does not support "${matcherName}" matcher.`);
+      matcher = (...args: any[]) => pollMatcher(matcherName, this._info.isNot, this._info.pollIntervals, currentExpectTimeout({ timeout: this._info.pollTimeout }), this._info.generator!, ...args);
+    }
     return (...args: any[]) => {
       const testInfo = currentTestInfo();
       if (!testInfo)
@@ -231,14 +236,7 @@ class ExpectMetaInfoProxyHandler {
       };
 
       try {
-        let result;
-        if (this._info.isPoll) {
-          if ((customMatchers as any)[matcherName] || matcherName === 'resolves' || matcherName === 'rejects')
-            throw new Error(`\`expect.poll()\` does not support "${matcherName}" matcher.`);
-          result = pollMatcher(matcherName, this._info.isNot, this._info.pollIntervals, currentExpectTimeout({ timeout: this._info.pollTimeout }), this._info.generator!, ...args);
-        } else {
-          result = matcher.call(target, ...args);
-        }
+        const result = matcher.call(target, ...args);
         if ((result instanceof Promise))
           return result.then(() => step.complete({})).catch(reportStepError);
         else
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/expect.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/expect.spec.ts
index 960f2dc398..4c7051ce88 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-test/expect.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/expect.spec.ts
@@ -348,3 +348,29 @@ test.describe('helpful expect errors', () => {
     expect(result.passed).toBe(1);
   });
 });
+
+test('should reasonably work in global setup', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({
+    'playwright.config.ts': `
+      export default { globalSetup: './global-setup' };
+    `,
+    'global-setup.ts': `
+      const { expect } = pwt;
+      export default async () => {
+        expect(1).toBe(1);
+        await expect.poll(async () => {
+          await new Promise(f => setTimeout(f, 50));
+          return 42;
+        }).toBe(42);
+        expect(1).toBe(2);
+      };
+    `,
+    'a.spec.ts': `
+      const { test } = pwt;
+      test('skipped', () => {});
+    `,
+  });
+
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(stripAnsi(result.output)).toContain('> 11 |         expect(1).toBe(2);');
+});