diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f7b1a0616bf6..58e823cc265d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@
     "test": "vitest --api -r test/core",
     "test:run": "vitest run -r test/core",
     "test:all": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream run test --allowOnly",
-    "test:ci": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-fails --filter !test-browser --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser run test --allowOnly",
-    "test:ci:vm-threads": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-fails --filter !test-coverage --filter !test-single-thread --filter !test-browser --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser --filter !example-react-testing-lib-msw run test --allowOnly --pool vmThreads",
-    "test:ci:no-threads": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-fails --filter !test-vm-threads --filter !test-coverage --filter !test-watch --filter !test-bail --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser run test --allowOnly --pool forks",
+    "test:ci": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-browser --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser run test --allowOnly",
+    "test:ci:vm-threads": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-coverage --filter !test-single-thread --filter !test-browser --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser --filter !example-react-testing-lib-msw run test --allowOnly --pool vmThreads",
+    "test:ci:no-threads": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-vm-threads --filter !test-coverage --filter !test-watch --filter !test-bail --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser run test --allowOnly --pool forks",
     "typecheck": "tsc -p tsconfig.check.json --noEmit",
     "typecheck:why": "tsc -p tsconfig.check.json --noEmit --explainFiles > explainTypes.txt",
     "ui:build": "vite build packages/ui",
diff --git a/packages/runner/src/fixture.ts b/packages/runner/src/fixture.ts
index d85cd6e3fbd7..026cdf4f19ab 100644
--- a/packages/runner/src/fixture.ts
+++ b/packages/runner/src/fixture.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ function resolveDeps(fixtures: FixtureItem[], depSet = new Set<FixtureItem>(), p
       return
     }
     if (depSet.has(fixture))
-      throw new Error('circular fixture dependency')
+      throw new Error(`Circular fixture dependency detected: ${fixture.prop} <- ${[...depSet].reverse().map(d => d.prop).join(' <- ')}`)
 
     depSet.add(fixture)
     resolveDeps(fixture.deps, depSet, pendingFixtures)
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ function getUsedProps(fn: Function) {
 
   const first = args[0]
   if (!(first.startsWith('{') && first.endsWith('}')))
-    throw new Error('the first argument must use object destructuring pattern')
+    throw new Error(`The first argument inside a fixture must use object destructuring pattern, e.g. ({ test } => {}). Instead, received "${first}".`)
 
   const _first = first.slice(1, -1).replace(/\s/g, '')
   const props = splitByComma(_first).map((prop) => {
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ function getUsedProps(fn: Function) {
 
   const last = props.at(-1)
   if (last && last.startsWith('...'))
-    throw new Error('Rest parameters are not supported')
+    throw new Error(`Rest parameters are not supported in fixtures, received "${last}".`)
 
   return props
 }
diff --git a/test/fails/fixtures/test-extend/fixture-error.test.ts b/test/fails/fixtures/test-extend/fixture-error.test.ts
index 70fd35d436c6..f02431a627b4 100644
--- a/test/fails/fixtures/test-extend/fixture-error.test.ts
+++ b/test/fails/fixtures/test-extend/fixture-error.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expectTypeOf, test } from 'vitest'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expectTypeOf, test, expect } from 'vitest'
 
 describe('error thrown in beforeEach fixtures', () => {
   const myTest = test.extend<{ a: never }>({
@@ -38,3 +38,16 @@ describe('error thrown in test fixtures', () => {
   // eslint-disable-next-line unused-imports/no-unused-vars
   myTest('fixture errors', ({ a }) => {})
 })
+
+// TODO: enable when #4669 is fixed
+describe.skip('correctly fails when test times out', () => {
+  const myTest = test.extend<{ a: number }>({
+    a: async ({}, use) => {
+      await use(2)
+    },
+  })
+  myTest('test times out', async ({ a }) => {
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000))
+    expect(a).toBe(2)
+  }, 20)
+})
diff --git a/test/fails/test/__snapshots__/runner.test.ts.snap b/test/fails/test/__snapshots__/runner.test.ts.snap
index 7c060bad49dc..23b1824e9134 100644
--- a/test/fails/test/__snapshots__/runner.test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/fails/test/__snapshots__/runner.test.ts.snap
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ TypeError: failure
 TypeError: failure"
 `;
 
-exports[`should fail test-extend/circular-dependency.test.ts > test-extend/circular-dependency.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: circular fixture dependency"`;
+exports[`should fail test-extend/circular-dependency.test.ts > test-extend/circular-dependency.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: Circular fixture dependency detected: a <- b <- a"`;
 
 exports[`should fail test-extend/fixture-error.test.ts > test-extend/fixture-error.test.ts 1`] = `
 "Error: Error thrown in test fixture
@@ -48,17 +48,17 @@ Error: Error thrown in afterEach fixture
 Error: Error thrown in beforeEach fixture"
 `;
 
-exports[`should fail test-extend/fixture-rest-params.test.ts > test-extend/fixture-rest-params.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: the first argument must use object destructuring pattern"`;
+exports[`should fail test-extend/fixture-rest-params.test.ts > test-extend/fixture-rest-params.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: The first argument inside a fixture must use object destructuring pattern, e.g. ({ test } => {}). Instead, received "...rest"."`;
 
-exports[`should fail test-extend/fixture-rest-props.test.ts > test-extend/fixture-rest-props.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: Rest parameters are not supported"`;
+exports[`should fail test-extend/fixture-rest-props.test.ts > test-extend/fixture-rest-props.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: Rest parameters are not supported in fixtures, received "...rest"."`;
 
-exports[`should fail test-extend/fixture-without-destructuring.test.ts > test-extend/fixture-without-destructuring.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: the first argument must use object destructuring pattern"`;
+exports[`should fail test-extend/fixture-without-destructuring.test.ts > test-extend/fixture-without-destructuring.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: The first argument inside a fixture must use object destructuring pattern, e.g. ({ test } => {}). Instead, received "context"."`;
 
-exports[`should fail test-extend/test-rest-params.test.ts > test-extend/test-rest-params.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: the first argument must use object destructuring pattern"`;
+exports[`should fail test-extend/test-rest-params.test.ts > test-extend/test-rest-params.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: The first argument inside a fixture must use object destructuring pattern, e.g. ({ test } => {}). Instead, received "...rest"."`;
 
-exports[`should fail test-extend/test-rest-props.test.ts > test-extend/test-rest-props.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: Rest parameters are not supported"`;
+exports[`should fail test-extend/test-rest-props.test.ts > test-extend/test-rest-props.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: Rest parameters are not supported in fixtures, received "...rest"."`;
 
-exports[`should fail test-extend/test-without-destructuring.test.ts > test-extend/test-without-destructuring.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: the first argument must use object destructuring pattern"`;
+exports[`should fail test-extend/test-without-destructuring.test.ts > test-extend/test-without-destructuring.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: The first argument inside a fixture must use object destructuring pattern, e.g. ({ test } => {}). Instead, received "context"."`;
 
 exports[`should fail test-timeout.test.ts > test-timeout.test.ts 1`] = `
 "Error: Test timed out in 200ms.