diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 568ec20feffd..581f00a0f0b8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ jobs:
           yarn test:integration:ci
 
   job_e2e_tests:
-    name: E2E Test ${{ matrix.test-application }}
+    name: E2E Test ${{ matrix.test-application }}) ${{ matrix.build-command || '' }}
     # We only run E2E tests for non-fork PRs because the E2E tests require secrets to work and they can't be accessed from forks
     # Dependabot PRs sadly also don't have access to secrets, so we skip them as well
     if:
@@ -743,6 +743,11 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         test-application: ['node-express-app', 'create-react-app']
+        build-command:
+          - false
+        include:
+          - test-application: 'create-react-app'
+            build-command: [false, 'test:build-ts3.8']
 
     steps:
       - name: Check out current commit (${{ needs.job_get_metadata.outputs.commit_label }})
@@ -780,6 +785,16 @@ jobs:
           E2E_TEST_SENTRY_ORG_SLUG: 'sentry-javascript-sdks'
           E2E_TEST_SENTRY_TEST_PROJECT: 'sentry-javascript-e2e-tests'
 
+      - name: Build E2E app
+        env:
+          E2E_TEST_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.E2E_TEST_AUTH_TOKEN }}
+          E2E_TEST_DSN: ${{ secrets.E2E_TEST_DSN }}
+          E2E_TEST_SENTRY_ORG_SLUG: 'sentry-javascript-sdks'
+          E2E_TEST_SENTRY_TEST_PROJECT: 'sentry-javascript-e2e-tests'
+        working-directory: packages/e2e-tests/test-applications/${{ matrix.test-application }}
+        timeout-minutes: 5
+        run: ${{ matrix.build-command || 'yarn test:build' }}
+
       - name: Run E2E test
         env:
           E2E_TEST_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.E2E_TEST_AUTH_TOKEN }}
@@ -787,9 +802,8 @@ jobs:
           E2E_TEST_SENTRY_ORG_SLUG: 'sentry-javascript-sdks'
           E2E_TEST_SENTRY_TEST_PROJECT: 'sentry-javascript-e2e-tests'
         working-directory: packages/e2e-tests/test-applications/${{ matrix.test-application }}
-        run: |
-          yarn test:build
-          yarn test:assert
+        timeout-minutes: 5
+        run: yarn test:assert
 
   job_required_tests:
     name: All required tests passed or skipped
diff --git a/packages/e2e-tests/test-applications/node-express-app/src/app.ts b/packages/e2e-tests/test-applications/node-express-app/src/app.ts
index 87b629148e72..330017d20f95 100644
--- a/packages/e2e-tests/test-applications/node-express-app/src/app.ts
+++ b/packages/e2e-tests/test-applications/node-express-app/src/app.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ Sentry.init({
 });
 
 const app = express();
-const port = 8000;
+const port = 9000;
 
 app.use(Sentry.Handlers.requestHandler());
 app.use(Sentry.Handlers.tracingHandler());