diff --git a/bats/tests/helpers/info.bash b/bats/tests/helpers/info.bash
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bbb940966c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bats/tests/helpers/info.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+load load.bash
+
+# This file exists to print information about the configuration just once, e.g.
+#
+#   bats test/helpers/info.bash tests/*
+#
+# This can't be done during normal `load` operation because then it would be
+# printed for every single test run.
+
+# The info output is wrapped in a dummy test because bats doesn't execute
+# files that don't contain at least a single test case.
+
+@test "info" {
+    echo "Using '$RD_LOCATION' install; resources '$PATH_RESOURCES'" >&3
+}
diff --git a/bats/tests/helpers/load.bash b/bats/tests/helpers/load.bash
index ca7f9d4bd1e..79013142cc8 100644
--- a/bats/tests/helpers/load.bash
+++ b/bats/tests/helpers/load.bash
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
 set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
 
-# Get absolute path names for current and top directories
-PATH_BATS_HELPERS=$(
-    cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
-    pwd
-)
-PATH_BATS_ROOT=$(
-    cd "$PATH_BATS_HELPERS/../.."
-    pwd
-)
+absolute_path() {
+    (cd "$1"; pwd)
+}
+
+PATH_BATS_HELPERS=$(absolute_path "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")
+PATH_BATS_ROOT=$(absolute_path "$PATH_BATS_HELPERS/../..")
 
 # Use fatal() to abort loading helpers; don't run any tests
 fatal() {
diff --git a/bats/tests/helpers/paths.bash b/bats/tests/helpers/paths.bash
index 50fef6a2cc5..c8ea5654512 100644
--- a/bats/tests/helpers/paths.bash
+++ b/bats/tests/helpers/paths.bash
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 # PATH_BATS_ROOT and PATH_BATS_HELPERS are already set by load.bash
 
-PATH_REPO_ROOT=$(
-    # We are running with `set -o errexit`, so no need for explicit error checking
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2164
-    cd "$PATH_BATS_ROOT/.."
-    pwd
-)
+PATH_REPO_ROOT=$(absolute_path "$PATH_BATS_ROOT/..")
+
+inside_repo_clone() {
+    [ -d "$PATH_REPO_ROOT/pkg/rancher-desktop" ]
+}
 
 set_path_resources() {
     local system=$1
@@ -18,15 +17,20 @@ set_path_resources() {
             RD_LOCATION=system
         elif [ -d "$user" ]; then
             RD_LOCATION=user
-        elif [ -d "$PATH_REPO_ROOT/pkg/rancher-desktop" ]; then
-            # dist and npm only work when inside a repo clone
+        elif inside_repo_clone; then
             if [ -d "$dist" ]; then
                 RD_LOCATION=dist
             else
                 RD_LOCATION=npm
             fi
         else
-            fatal "Could not locate Rancher Desktop installation"
+            (
+                echo "Couldn't locate Rancher Desktop in"
+                echo "- \"$system\""
+                echo "- \"$user\""
+                echo "and 'npm run dev' is unavailable outside repo clone"
+            ) >&3
+            exit 1
         fi
     fi
     if using_npm_run_dev; then
@@ -50,14 +54,14 @@ if is_macos; then
     PATH_EXTENSIONS="$PATH_APP_HOME/extensions"
     LIMA_HOME="$PATH_APP_HOME/lima"
 
-    DIST_ARCH="mac"
+    ELECTRON_DIST_ARCH="mac"
     if is_macos arm64; then
-        DIST_ARCH="mac-arm64"
+        ELECTRON_DIST_ARCH="mac-arm64"
     fi
     set_path_resources \
         "/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app" \
         "$HOME/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app" \
-        "$PATH_REPO_ROOT/dist/$DIST_ARCH/Rancher Desktop.app" \
+        "$PATH_REPO_ROOT/dist/$ELECTRON_DIST_ARCH/Rancher Desktop.app" \
         "Contents/Resources/resources"
 fi