diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index ac1fbc0557..b1151a7f17 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ jobs:
     - run: npm ci
     - run: npm run build
     - run: node lib/cli/cli install-deps
-    - run: bash packages/installation-tests/installation-tests.sh
+    - run: xvfb-run --auto-servernum --server-args="-screen 0 1280x960x24" -- bash packages/installation-tests/installation-tests.sh
 
   headful_linux:
     name: "Headful Linux"
diff --git a/packages/installation-tests/inspector-custom-executable.js b/packages/installation-tests/inspector-custom-executable.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab62b3bd8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/installation-tests/inspector-custom-executable.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+const playwright = require('playwright');
+
+(async () => {
+  const browser = await playwright.chromium.launch({
+    executablePath: '/opt/google/chrome/chrome'
+  });
+  const context = await browser.newContext();
+  await context.newPage();
+  await browser.close();
+  console.log('SUCCESS');
+})();
diff --git a/packages/installation-tests/installation-tests.sh b/packages/installation-tests/installation-tests.sh
index cf7c879688..1881112d99 100755
--- a/packages/installation-tests/installation-tests.sh
+++ b/packages/installation-tests/installation-tests.sh
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ mkdir -p "${TEST_ROOT}"
 NODE_VERSION="$(node --version)"
 
 function copy_test_scripts {
+  cp "${SCRIPTS_PATH}/inspector-custom-executable.js" .
   cp "${SCRIPTS_PATH}/sanity.js" .
   cp "${SCRIPTS_PATH}/screencast.js" .
   cp "${SCRIPTS_PATH}/esm.mjs" .
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ function run_tests {
   test_screencast
   test_typescript_types
   test_skip_browser_download
+  test_skip_browser_download_inspect_with_custom_executable
   test_playwright_global_installation_subsequent_installs
   test_playwright_should_work
   test_playwright_should_work_with_relative_home_path
@@ -194,6 +196,32 @@ function test_skip_browser_download {
   echo "${FUNCNAME[0]} success"
 }
 
+function test_skip_browser_download_inspect_with_custom_executable {
+  initialize_test "${FUNCNAME[0]}"
+  copy_test_scripts
+
+  OUTPUT=$(PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 npm install ${PLAYWRIGHT_TGZ})
+  if [[ "${OUTPUT}" != *"Skipping browsers download because"* ]]; then
+    echo "missing log message that browsers download is skipped"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  if [[ "$(uname)" != "Linux" ]]; then
+    echo
+    echo "Skipping test on non-Linux platform"
+    echo
+    return
+  fi
+
+  OUTPUT=$(PWDEBUG=1 node inspector-custom-executable.js)
+  if [[ "${OUTPUT}" != *"SUCCESS"* ]]; then
+    echo "missing log message that launch succeeded: ${OUTPUT}"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  echo "${FUNCNAME[0]} success"
+}
+
 function test_playwright_should_work {
   initialize_test "${FUNCNAME[0]}"
 
diff --git a/src/server/browser.ts b/src/server/browser.ts
index 14d441d8d3..0cfd567800 100644
--- a/src/server/browser.ts
+++ b/src/server/browser.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export type BrowserOptions = PlaywrightOptions & {
   headful?: boolean,
   persistent?: types.BrowserContextOptions,  // Undefined means no persistent context.
   browserProcess: BrowserProcess,
+  customExecutablePath?: string;
   proxy?: ProxySettings,
   protocolLogger: types.ProtocolLogger,
   browserLogsCollector: RecentLogsCollector,
diff --git a/src/server/browserType.ts b/src/server/browserType.ts
index 539048578b..b71de74cc6 100644
--- a/src/server/browserType.ts
+++ b/src/server/browserType.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserType extends SdkObject {
     this._registry = playwrightOptions.registry;
   }
 
-  executablePath(options?: types.LaunchOptions): string {
+  executablePath(channel?: types.BrowserChannel): string {
     return this._registry.executablePath(this._name) || '';
   }
 
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserType extends SdkObject {
       headful: !options.headless,
       downloadsPath,
       browserProcess,
+      customExecutablePath: options.executablePath,
       proxy: options.proxy,
       protocolLogger,
       browserLogsCollector,
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserType extends SdkObject {
     else
       browserArguments.push(...this._defaultArgs(options, isPersistent, userDataDir));
 
-    const executable = executablePath || this.executablePath(options);
+    const executable = executablePath || this.executablePath(options.channel);
     if (!executable)
       throw new Error(`No executable path is specified. Pass "executablePath" option directly.`);
     if (!(await existsAsync(executable))) {
diff --git a/src/server/chromium/chromium.ts b/src/server/chromium/chromium.ts
index 2531f29440..400951305b 100644
--- a/src/server/chromium/chromium.ts
+++ b/src/server/chromium/chromium.ts
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ export class Chromium extends BrowserType {
       this._devtools = this._createDevTools();
   }
 
-  executablePath(options?: types.LaunchOptions): string {
-    if (options?.channel)
-      return findChromiumChannel(options.channel);
-    return super.executablePath(options);
+  executablePath(channel?: types.BrowserChannel): string {
+    if (channel)
+      return findChromiumChannel(channel);
+    return super.executablePath(channel);
   }
 
   async connectOverCDP(metadata: CallMetadata, endpointURL: string, options: { slowMo?: number, sdkLanguage: string }, timeout?: number) {
diff --git a/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts b/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
index 7688622b6f..0f7e67ae60 100644
--- a/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
+++ b/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ import { internalCallMetadata } from '../../instrumentation';
 import type { CallLog, EventData, Mode, Source } from './recorderTypes';
 import { BrowserContext } from '../../browserContext';
 import { isUnderTest } from '../../../utils/utils';
+import * as types from '../../types';
 
 const readFileAsync = util.promisify(fs.readFile);
+const existsAsync = (path: string): Promise<boolean> => new Promise(resolve => fs.stat(path, err => resolve(!err)));
 
 declare global {
   interface Window {
@@ -101,8 +103,17 @@ export class RecorderApp extends EventEmitter {
     ];
     if (process.env.PWTEST_RECORDER_PORT)
       args.push(`--remote-debugging-port=${process.env.PWTEST_RECORDER_PORT}`);
+    let channel: types.BrowserChannel | undefined;
+    let executablePath: string | undefined;
+    if (inspectedContext._browser.options.isChromium) {
+      channel = inspectedContext._browser.options.channel;
+      const defaultExecutablePath = recorderPlaywright.chromium.executablePath(channel);
+      if (!(await existsAsync(defaultExecutablePath)))
+        executablePath = inspectedContext._browser.options.customExecutablePath;
+    }
     const context = await recorderPlaywright.chromium.launchPersistentContext(internalCallMetadata(), '', {
-      channel: inspectedContext._browser.options.channel,
+      channel,
+      executablePath,
       sdkLanguage: inspectedContext._options.sdkLanguage,
       args,
       noDefaultViewport: true,
diff --git a/src/server/webkit/webkit.ts b/src/server/webkit/webkit.ts
index 1c1660d1a9..09e6f7521f 100644
--- a/src/server/webkit/webkit.ts
+++ b/src/server/webkit/webkit.ts
@@ -31,16 +31,16 @@ export class WebKit extends BrowserType {
     super('webkit', playwrightOptions);
   }
 
-  executablePath(options?: types.LaunchOptions): string {
-    if (options?.channel) {
+  executablePath(channel?: types.BrowserChannel): string {
+    if (channel) {
       let executablePath = undefined;
-      if ((options.channel as any) === 'technology-preview')
+      if ((channel as any) === 'technology-preview')
         executablePath = this._registry.executablePath('webkit-technology-preview');
-      assert(executablePath, `unsupported webkit channel "${options.channel}"`);
-      assert(fs.existsSync(executablePath), `webkit channel "${options.channel}" is not installed. Try running 'npx playwright install webkit-technology-preview'`);
+      assert(executablePath, `unsupported webkit channel "${channel}"`);
+      assert(fs.existsSync(executablePath), `webkit channel "${channel}" is not installed. Try running 'npx playwright install webkit-technology-preview'`);
       return executablePath;
     }
-    return super.executablePath(options);
+    return super.executablePath(channel);
   }
 
   _connectToTransport(transport: ConnectionTransport, options: BrowserOptions): Promise<WKBrowser> {