diff --git a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_notebook.py b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_app.py
similarity index 65%
rename from nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_notebook.py
rename to nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_app.py
index 550d2d1c7..71629f5ef 100644
--- a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_notebook.py
+++ b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_app.py
@@ -12,16 +12,21 @@
 if not os.path.isdir(env["NBGRADER_TEST_DIR"]):
   raise Exception(f"Test directory {env['NBGRADER_TEST_DIR']} doesn't exists")
 
-shutil.copyfile("./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/jupyter_server_config_notebook.py",
-                join(root_dir, "jupyter_server_config_notebook.py"))
+subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "jupyter", "server", "extension", "enable", "--user", "--py", "nbgrader"], env=env)
+subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "jupyter", "labextension", "develop", "--overwrite", "."])
 
 shutil.copyfile("./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/files/nbgrader_config.py",
                 join(root_dir, "nbgrader_config.py"))
 
-subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "jupyter", "server", "extension", "enable", "--user", "--py", "nbgrader"], env=env)
-subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "jupyter", "labextension", "develop", "--overwrite", "."])
+if "NBGRADER_TEST_IS_NOTEBOOK" in env.keys():
+  shutil.copyfile("./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/jupyter_server_config_notebook.py",
+                join(root_dir, "jupyter_server_config_notebook.py"))
+  command = ["jupyter", "notebook", "--config", "./jupyter_server_config_notebook.py"]
+else:
+  shutil.copyfile("./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/jupyter_server_config.py",
+                join(root_dir, "jupyter_server_config.py"))
+  command = ["jupyter", "lab", "--config", "./jupyter_server_config.py"]
 
 os.chdir(root_dir)
 
-command = ["jupyter", "notebook", "--config", "./jupyter_server_config_notebook.py"]
 subprocess.run(command)
diff --git a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_lab.py b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_lab.py
deleted file mode 100644
index dc86b44df..000000000
--- a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_lab.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-import sys
-import os
-from os.path import join
-import shutil
-import subprocess
-
-env = os.environ.copy()
-root_dir = env.get("NBGRADER_TEST_DIR", '')
-
-if not env["NBGRADER_TEST_DIR"]:
-  raise Exception("Test directory not provided")
-if not os.path.isdir(env["NBGRADER_TEST_DIR"]):
-  raise Exception(f"Test directory {env['NBGRADER_TEST_DIR']} doesn't exists")
-
-shutil.copyfile("./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/jupyter_server_config.py",
-                join(root_dir, "jupyter_server_config.py"))
-
-shutil.copyfile("./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/files/nbgrader_config.py",
-                join(root_dir, "nbgrader_config.py"))
-
-subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "jupyter", "server", "extension", "enable", "--user", "--py", "nbgrader"], env=env)
-subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "jupyter", "labextension", "develop", "--overwrite", "."])
-
-os.chdir(root_dir)
-
-command = ["jupyter", "lab", "--config", "./jupyter_server_config.py"]
-subprocess.run(command)
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8a4aac57c..31f45217c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -35,10 +35,9 @@
     "clean:labextension": "rimraf nbgrader/labextension",
     "clean:all": "jlpm clean:lib && jlpm clean:labextension",
     "install:labextension": "jlpm build",
-    "start:test": "python ./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_lab.py",
-    "start:test:notebook": "python ./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_notebook.py",
+    "start:test": "python ./nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/utils/run_jupyter_app.py",
     "test": "jlpm playwright test",
-    "test:notebook": "jlpm playwright test --config=playwright.notebook.config.ts",
+    "test:notebook": "NBGRADER_TEST_IS_NOTEBOOK=1 jlpm playwright test --config=playwright.notebook.config.ts",
     "watch": "run-p watch:src watch:labextension",
     "watch:src": "tsc -w",
     "watch:labextension": "jupyter labextension watch ."
diff --git a/playwright.notebook.config.ts b/playwright.notebook.config.ts
index 15e8d8a85..ba9e2d57f 100644
--- a/playwright.notebook.config.ts
+++ b/playwright.notebook.config.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,9 @@ module.exports = {
     appPath: '',
   },
   webServer: {
-    command: 'jlpm start:test:notebook',
+    command: 'jlpm start:test',
     url: 'http://localhost:8888/tree',
     timeout: 120 * 1000,
     reuseExistingServer: !process.env.CI,
-  },
-
+  }
 };
diff --git a/tasks.py b/tasks.py
index b617b29a2..46906a5d8 100755
--- a/tasks.py
+++ b/tasks.py
@@ -82,9 +82,6 @@ def _run_ts_test(args, notebook=False):
     root_dir = mkdtemp(prefix="nbgrader-galata-")
     os.environ["NBGRADER_TEST_DIR"] = root_dir
 
-    if notebook:
-        os.environ["NBGRADER_TEST_IS_NOTEBOOK"] = "1"
-
     cmd = ['jlpm', f'test{":notebook" if notebook else ""}', '--retries=2'] + args
     run(" ".join(cmd))