diff --git a/examples/example_check.py b/examples/example_check.py
index 490fc37b4e14..539b05f577c8 100644
--- a/examples/example_check.py
+++ b/examples/example_check.py
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ class App(mod.ExampleApp):
         JS console errors, JS errors, and Python logged errors.
         """
         name = __name__
+        open_browser = False
+
         serverapp_config = {
-            "open_browser": False,
             "base_url": "/foo/",
             "root_dir": osp.abspath(example_dir)
         }
diff --git a/jupyterlab/browser_check.py b/jupyterlab/browser_check.py
index 97a0d3decc53..3c58edde5e20 100644
--- a/jupyterlab/browser_check.py
+++ b/jupyterlab/browser_check.py
@@ -175,8 +175,9 @@ class BrowserApp(LabApp):
     JS console errors, JS errors, and Python logged errors.
     """
     name = __name__
+    open_browser = False
+
     serverapp_config = {
-        "open_browser": False,
         "base_url": "/foo/"
     }
     ip = '127.0.0.1'
diff --git a/jupyterlab/labapp.py b/jupyterlab/labapp.py
index 6092ce77a22d..7a5d43308490 100644
--- a/jupyterlab/labapp.py
+++ b/jupyterlab/labapp.py
@@ -546,11 +546,6 @@ class LabApp(NBClassicConfigShimMixin, LabServerApp):
     expose_app_in_browser = Bool(False, config=True,
         help="Whether to expose the global app instance to browser via window.jupyterlab")
 
-    # By default, open a browser for JupyterLab
-    serverapp_config = {
-        "open_browser": True
-    }
-
     @default('app_dir')
     def _default_app_dir(self):
         app_dir = get_app_dir()
diff --git a/jupyterlab/labhubapp.py b/jupyterlab/labhubapp.py
index 6417fa7feec5..b5ed43f8efcf 100644
--- a/jupyterlab/labhubapp.py
+++ b/jupyterlab/labhubapp.py
@@ -519,7 +519,6 @@ class OverrideSingleUserNotebookApp(SingleUserNotebookApp):
 
     # Disable the default jupyterlab extension and enable ourself
     serverapp_config = {
-        "open_browser": True,
         "jpserver_extensions": { "jupyterlab": False, "jupyterlab.labhubapp": True }
     }
 
diff --git a/jupyterlab/tests/test_app.py b/jupyterlab/tests/test_app.py
index b341d9bf5add..5eb801ee5d77 100644
--- a/jupyterlab/tests/test_app.py
+++ b/jupyterlab/tests/test_app.py
@@ -256,10 +256,6 @@ class JestApp(ProcessTestApp):
 
     test_config = Dict(dict(foo='bar'))
 
-    serverapp_config = {
-        "open_browser": False
-    }
-
     @deprecated(removed_version=4)
     def get_command(self):
         """Get the command to run"""
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index cf61c4bd2595..51c326065ccd 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ def run(self):
     'tornado>=6.1.0',
     'jupyter_core',
     'jupyterlab_server~=2.0',
-    'jupyter_server~=1.1',
+    'jupyter_server~=1.2',
     'nbclassic~=0.2',
     'jinja2>=2.10'
 ]