diff --git a/cypress/e2e/add-forge-now-request-create.cy.js b/cypress/e2e/add-forge-now-request-create.cy.js
--- a/cypress/e2e/add-forge-now-request-create.cy.js
+++ b/cypress/e2e/add-forge-now-request-create.cy.js
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 
 function populateForm(type, url, contact, email, consent, comment) {
   cy.get('#swh-input-forge-type').select(type);
-  cy.get('#swh-input-forge-url').clear().type(url, {delay: 0, force: true});
-  cy.get('#swh-input-forge-contact-name').clear().type(contact, {delay: 0, force: true});
-  cy.get('#swh-input-forge-contact-email').clear().type(email, {delay: 0, force: true});
+  cy.get('#swh-input-forge-url').clear().type(url);
+  cy.get('#swh-input-forge-contact-name').clear().type(contact);
+  cy.get('#swh-input-forge-contact-email').clear().type(email);
   if (comment) {
-    cy.get('#swh-input-forge-comment').clear().type(comment, {delay: 0, force: true});
+    cy.get('#swh-input-forge-comment').clear().type(comment);
   }
   cy.get('#swh-input-consent-check').click({force: consent === 'on'});
 }
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/deposit-admin.cy.js b/cypress/e2e/deposit-admin.cy.js
--- a/cypress/e2e/deposit-admin.cy.js
+++ b/cypress/e2e/deposit-admin.cy.js
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@
           cy.get('#swh-web-modal-html code.xml').should('be.visible');
 
           // Dismiss the modal
-          cy.get('body').wait(500).type('{esc}');
+          cy.wait(500).get('#swh-web-modal-html .close').click();
           cy.get('#swh-web-modal-html code.xml').should('not.be.visible');
         } else {
           cy.get('button.metadata', {withinSubject: row}).should('not.exist');
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/mailmap.cy.js b/cypress/e2e/mailmap.cy.js
--- a/cypress/e2e/mailmap.cy.js
+++ b/cypress/e2e/mailmap.cy.js
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@
   if (fromEmail) {
     cy.get('#swh-mailmap-from-email')
       .clear()
-      .type(fromEmail, {delay: 0, force: true});
+      .type(fromEmail);
   }
 
   if (displayName) {
     cy.get('#swh-mailmap-display-name')
       .clear()
-      .type(displayName, {delay: 0, force: true});
+      .type(displayName);
   }
 
   if (activated) {
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/origin-search.cy.js b/cypress/e2e/origin-search.cy.js
--- a/cypress/e2e/origin-search.cy.js
+++ b/cypress/e2e/origin-search.cy.js
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@
       .as('searchOrigin');
 
     cy.get('#swh-origins-url-patterns')
-      .type(origin.url.slice(0, -1), {delay: 0, force: true});
+      .type(origin.url.slice(0, -1));
 
     cy.get('.swh-search-icon')
       .click();
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@
         .as('searchOrigin');
 
       cy.get('#swh-origins-url-patterns')
-        .type(swhid, {delay: 0, force: true});
+        .type(swhid);
 
       cy.get('.swh-search-icon')
         .click();
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/persistent-identifiers.cy.js b/cypress/e2e/persistent-identifiers.cy.js
--- a/cypress/e2e/persistent-identifiers.cy.js
+++ b/cypress/e2e/persistent-identifiers.cy.js
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
       if (win.location.port) {
         urlPrefix += `:${win.location.port}`;
       }
+      // for some reasons, cypress hangs when visiting that URL in beforeEach callback
+      // due to HTTP redirection, so get the redirected URL here to workaround that issue.
+      url = win.location.href;
       const swhids = win.swh.webapp.getSwhIdsContext();
       cntSWHID = swhids.content.swhid;
       cntSWHIDWithContext = swhids.content.swhid_with_context;
diff --git a/cypress/support/e2e.js b/cypress/support/e2e.js
--- a/cypress/support/e2e.js
+++ b/cypress/support/e2e.js
@@ -108,3 +108,9 @@
 beforeEach(function() {
   mockCostlyRequests();
 });
+
+Cypress.Commands.overwrite('type', (originalFn, subject, text, options = {}) => {
+  options.delay = options.delay || 0;
+  options.force = options.force || true;
+  return originalFn(subject, text, options);
+});