diff --git a/nbdev/serve.py b/nbdev/serve.py
index d80d3cd07..cc073df0b 100644
--- a/nbdev/serve.py
+++ b/nbdev/serve.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def proc_nbs(
     (cache/'_quarto.yml').unlink(missing_ok=True)  # single-doc renders strip the staged copy in place (`_strip_sidebar`), so always restage it
 
     files = files.map(_proc_file, mtime=cache_mtime, cache=cache, path=path).filter()
-    kw = {} if IN_NOTEBOOK else {'method':'spawn'}
+    kw = {} if in_notebook() else {'method':'spawn'}
     parallel(nbdev.serve_drv.main, files, n_workers=n_workers, pause=0.01, **kw)
     if cache.exists(): cache.touch()
     return cache
diff --git a/nbdev/test.py b/nbdev/test.py
index 2696c116c..9dcd21eb2 100644
--- a/nbdev/test.py
+++ b/nbdev/test.py
@@ -92,12 +92,12 @@ def test_nb(
     cell_timing_min:float=None # print cells slower than this many seconds (None: no timing output)
 ):
     "Execute tests in notebook in `fn` except those with `skip_flags`"
-    if not IN_NOTEBOOK and threading.current_thread() is threading.main_thread(): signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, _int_handler)
+    if not in_notebook() and threading.current_thread() is threading.main_thread(): signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, _int_handler)
     fn = Path(fn)
     _cur_nb[0] = fn
     if basepath: sys.path.insert(0, str(basepath))
     prev_test = os.environ.get('IN_TEST')
-    if not IN_NOTEBOOK: os.environ['IN_TEST'] = '1'
+    if not in_notebook(): os.environ['IN_TEST'] = '1'
     try:
         nb = NBProcessor(fn, rm_directives=False, process=True).nb
         fm = nb_frontmatter(nb)
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ def nbdev_test(
     if len(files)==0: return print('No files were eligible for testing')
 
     if n_workers is None: n_workers = 0 if len(files)==1 else min(num_cpus(), 8)
-    if IN_NOTEBOOK: kw = {'method':'spawn'} if os.name=='nt' or sys.platform=='darwin' else {'method':'forkserver'}
+    if in_notebook(): kw = {'method':'spawn'} if os.name=='nt' or sys.platform=='darwin' else {'method':'forkserver'}
     else: kw = {'method':'spawn'} if sys.platform=='darwin' else {}
     wd_pth = cfg.nbs_path
     with working_directory(wd_pth if (wd_pth and wd_pth.exists()) else os.getcwd()):
diff --git a/nbs/api/12_test.ipynb b/nbs/api/12_test.ipynb
index de3a301c0..6e2177407 100644
--- a/nbs/api/12_test.ipynb
+++ b/nbs/api/12_test.ipynb
@@ -165,12 +165,12 @@
     "    cell_timing_min:float=None # print cells slower than this many seconds (None: no timing output)\n",
     "):\n",
     "    \"Execute tests in notebook in `fn` except those with `skip_flags`\"\n",
-    "    if not IN_NOTEBOOK and threading.current_thread() is threading.main_thread(): signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, _int_handler)\n",
+    "    if not in_notebook() and threading.current_thread() is threading.main_thread(): signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, _int_handler)\n",
     "    fn = Path(fn)\n",
     "    _cur_nb[0] = fn\n",
     "    if basepath: sys.path.insert(0, str(basepath))\n",
     "    prev_test = os.environ.get('IN_TEST')\n",
-    "    if not IN_NOTEBOOK: os.environ['IN_TEST'] = '1'\n",
+    "    if not in_notebook(): os.environ['IN_TEST'] = '1'\n",
     "    try:\n",
     "        nb = NBProcessor(fn, rm_directives=False, process=True).nb\n",
     "        fm = nb_frontmatter(nb)\n",
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@
     "    if len(files)==0: return print('No files were eligible for testing')\n",
     "\n",
     "    if n_workers is None: n_workers = 0 if len(files)==1 else min(num_cpus(), 8)\n",
-    "    if IN_NOTEBOOK: kw = {'method':'spawn'} if os.name=='nt' or sys.platform=='darwin' else {'method':'forkserver'}\n",
+    "    if in_notebook(): kw = {'method':'spawn'} if os.name=='nt' or sys.platform=='darwin' else {'method':'forkserver'}\n",
     "    else: kw = {'method':'spawn'} if sys.platform=='darwin' else {}\n",
     "    wd_pth = cfg.nbs_path\n",
     "    with working_directory(wd_pth if (wd_pth and wd_pth.exists()) else os.getcwd()):\n",
diff --git a/nbs/api/17_serve.ipynb b/nbs/api/17_serve.ipynb
index 060ac4e62..e1737ff3c 100644
--- a/nbs/api/17_serve.ipynb
+++ b/nbs/api/17_serve.ipynb
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
     "    (cache/'_quarto.yml').unlink(missing_ok=True)  # single-doc renders strip the staged copy in place (`_strip_sidebar`), so always restage it\n",
     "\n",
     "    files = files.map(_proc_file, mtime=cache_mtime, cache=cache, path=path).filter()\n",
-    "    kw = {} if IN_NOTEBOOK else {'method':'spawn'}\n",
+    "    kw = {} if in_notebook() else {'method':'spawn'}\n",
     "    parallel(nbdev.serve_drv.main, files, n_workers=n_workers, pause=0.01, **kw)\n",
     "    if cache.exists(): cache.touch()\n",
     "    return cache"