diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/matchers/DEPS.list b/packages/playwright/src/matchers/DEPS.list
index 73e44a39d451c..ec1f3bf85bfbf 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/matchers/DEPS.list
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/matchers/DEPS.list
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@
 ../util.ts
 ../worker/testInfo.ts
 node_modules/colors/safe
+../package.ts
diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/matchers/expect.ts b/packages/playwright/src/matchers/expect.ts
index c938fd4abe67f..bc4b2724a5eec 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/matchers/expect.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/matchers/expect.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { currentZone } from '@utils/zones';
 import { ExpectError, isJestError } from './matcherHint';
 import {
   computeMatcherTitleSuffix,
+  defaultDeadlineForMatcher,
   toBeAttached,
   toBeChecked,
   toBeDisabled,
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ import { toMatchAriaSnapshot } from './toMatchAriaSnapshot';
 import { toHaveScreenshot, toMatchSnapshot } from './toMatchSnapshot';
 import {
   expect as expectLibrary,
-} from '../common/expectBundle';
+} from './expectBundle';
 import { currentTestInfo } from '../common/globals';
 import { filteredStackTrace } from '../util';
 import { TestInfoImpl } from '../worker/testInfo';
@@ -366,7 +367,7 @@ async function pollMatcher(qualifiedMatcherName: string, info: ExpectMetaInfo, p
   const testInfo = currentTestInfo();
   const poll = info.poll!;
   const timeout = poll.timeout ?? info.timeout ?? testInfo?._projectInternal?.expect?.timeout ?? defaultExpectTimeout;
-  const { deadline, timeoutMessage } = testInfo ? testInfo._deadlineForMatcher(timeout) : TestInfoImpl._defaultDeadlineForMatcher(timeout);
+  const { deadline, timeoutMessage } = testInfo ? testInfo._deadlineForMatcher(timeout) : defaultDeadlineForMatcher(timeout);
 
   const result = await pollAgainstDeadline<Error|undefined>(async () => {
     if (testInfo && currentTestInfo() !== testInfo)
diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/common/expectBundle.ts b/packages/playwright/src/matchers/expectBundle.ts
similarity index 89%
rename from packages/playwright/src/common/expectBundle.ts
rename to packages/playwright/src/matchers/expectBundle.ts
index 620ec16d93212..ffca5ad7b5083 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/common/expectBundle.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/matchers/expectBundle.ts
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@
  */
 
 import { libPath } from '../package';
-export const expect: typeof import('../../bundles/expect/node_modules/expect/build').expect = require(libPath('common', 'expectBundleImpl')).expect;
+export const expect: typeof import('../../bundles/expect/node_modules/expect/build').expect = require(libPath('matchers', 'expectBundleImpl')).expect;
diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/matchers/matchers.ts b/packages/playwright/src/matchers/matchers.ts
index 990fc05f3343c..a8ef78fa04a7b 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/matchers/matchers.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/matchers/matchers.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { isString } from '@isomorphic/stringUtils';
 import { pollAgainstDeadline } from '@isomorphic/timeoutRunner';
 import { constructURLBasedOnBaseURL, isURLPattern } from '@isomorphic/urlMatch';
 import { formatMatcherMessage, serializeExpectedTextValues } from '@utils/expectUtils';
+import { monotonicTime } from '@isomorphic/index';
 
 import { expectTypes } from '../util';
 import { toBeTruthy } from './toBeTruthy';
@@ -31,7 +32,6 @@ import { toMatchText } from './toMatchText';
 import { toHaveScreenshotStepTitle } from './toMatchSnapshot';
 import { takeFirst } from '../common/config';
 import { currentTestInfo } from '../common/globals';
-import { TestInfoImpl } from '../worker/testInfo';
 import { MatcherResult } from './matcherHint';
 
 import type { ExpectMatcherState } from '../../types/test';
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ export async function toPass(
   const timeout = takeFirst(options.timeout, testInfo?._projectInternal.expect?.toPass?.timeout, 0);
   const intervals = takeFirst(options.intervals, testInfo?._projectInternal.expect?.toPass?.intervals, [100, 250, 500, 1000]);
 
-  const { deadline, timeoutMessage } = testInfo ? testInfo._deadlineForMatcher(timeout) : TestInfoImpl._defaultDeadlineForMatcher(timeout);
+  const { deadline, timeoutMessage } = testInfo ? testInfo._deadlineForMatcher(timeout) : defaultDeadlineForMatcher(timeout);
   const result = await pollAgainstDeadline<Error|undefined>(async () => {
     if (testInfo && currentTestInfo() !== testInfo)
       return { continuePolling: false, result: undefined };
@@ -524,3 +524,7 @@ export function computeMatcherTitleSuffix(matcherName: string, receiver: any, ar
   }
   return {};
 }
+
+export function defaultDeadlineForMatcher(timeout: number): { deadline: any; timeoutMessage: any; } {
+  return { deadline: (timeout ? monotonicTime() + timeout : 0), timeoutMessage: `Timeout ${timeout}ms exceeded while waiting on the predicate` };
+}
diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/worker/testInfo.ts b/packages/playwright/src/worker/testInfo.ts
index 0e12f50a58d34..025e5742eff63 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/worker/testInfo.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/worker/testInfo.ts
@@ -171,10 +171,6 @@ export class TestInfoImpl implements TestInfo {
     return { deadline: Math.min(testDeadline, matcherDeadline), timeoutMessage: testDeadline < matcherDeadline ? testMessage : matcherMessage };
   }
 
-  static _defaultDeadlineForMatcher(timeout: number): { deadline: any; timeoutMessage: any; } {
-    return { deadline: (timeout ? monotonicTime() + timeout : 0), timeoutMessage: `Timeout ${timeout}ms exceeded while waiting on the predicate` };
-  }
-
   constructor(
     configInternal: FullConfigInternal,
     projectInternal: FullProjectInternal,
diff --git a/utils/build/build.js b/utils/build/build.js
index b7e495fb37d86..7fb905db40781 100644
--- a/utils/build/build.js
+++ b/utils/build/build.js
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ bundles.push({
 
 bundles.push({
   modulePath: 'packages/playwright/bundles/expect',
-  outdir: 'packages/playwright/lib/common',
+  outdir: 'packages/playwright/lib/matchers',
   entryPoints: ['src/expectBundleImpl.ts'],
 });
 
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ for (const pkg of workspace.packages()) {
   // playwright-client is built as a bundle.
   if (['@playwright/client'].includes(pkg.name))
     continue;
-  if (pkg.name === 'playwright-core')
+  if (pkg.name === 'playwright-core' || pkg.name === 'playwright')
     continue;
 
   steps.push(new EsbuildStep({
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ function assertCoreBundleHasNoNodeModules() {
 
 steps.push(new CustomCallbackStep(assertCoreBundleHasNoNodeModules));
 
-// playwright/lib/transform/esmLoader2.js — bundled ESM loader registered by
+// playwright/lib/transform/esmLoader.js — bundled ESM loader registered by
 // common/esmLoaderHost.ts via node:module register. Same externalization
 // rules as the worker bundle.
 {
@@ -689,6 +689,48 @@ steps.push(new CustomCallbackStep(assertCoreBundleHasNoNodeModules));
   }, [playwrightSrc]));
 }
 
+// Build playwright entry points (per-file), excluding matchers/* which is
+// produced by the bundle step below.
+steps.push(new EsbuildStep({
+  entryPoints: [
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/agents/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/cli/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/common/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/loader/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/mcp/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/plugins/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/reporters/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/runner/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/transform/**/*.ts'),
+    filePath('packages/playwright/src/worker/**/*.ts'),
+  ],
+  outdir: filePath('packages/playwright/lib'),
+  sourcemap: withSourceMaps ? 'linked' : false,
+  platform: 'node',
+  format: 'cjs',
+  plugins: [dynamicImportToRequirePlugin],
+}));
+
+// playwright/lib/matchers/expect.js — bundled jest expect facade.
+steps.push(new EsbuildStep({
+  bundle: true,
+  entryPoints: [filePath('packages/playwright/src/matchers/expect.ts')],
+  outfile: filePath('packages/playwright/lib/matchers/expect.js'),
+  sourcemap: withSourceMaps ? 'linked' : false,
+  platform: 'node',
+  format: 'cjs',
+  external: [
+    'playwright-core',
+    'playwright-core/*',
+    '../common/*',
+    '../util',
+    '../package',
+  ],
+  plugins: [dynamicImportToRequirePlugin],
+}, [filePath('packages/playwright/src')]));
+
 // Build the Electron preload loader as a standalone CJS file. It runs inside
 // the Electron process (via `electron -r loader.js`) and must not depend on
 // coreBundle. `electron` is resolved at runtime by the Electron process.