diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5109e629..49d97740 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,14 +42,11 @@ Started in the context of the Human Cell Atlas Consortium, cellxgene hopes to bo
 
 **Install server**
 
-
      pip install -e .
 
 **Run (with demo data)**
 
     cellxgene --title PBMC3K scanpy example-dataset/
-*In google chrome, navigate to the viewer via the web address printed in your console.
-E.g.,* `Running on http://0.0.0.0:5005/`
 
 **Help**
 
diff --git a/server/app/app.py b/server/app/app.py
index e51f39d0..7a0f8915 100644
--- a/server/app/app.py
+++ b/server/app/app.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import argparse
 import os
 import warnings
+import webbrowser
 
 from flask import Flask
 from flask_caching import Cache
@@ -61,6 +62,8 @@ def run_scanpy(args):
         host = "0.0.0.0"
     else:
         host = "127.0.0.1"
+    if args.open_browser:
+        webbrowser.open(f"http://{host}:{args.port}")
     app.run(host=host, debug=True, port=args.port)
 
 
@@ -69,6 +72,7 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument("--title", "-t", help="Title to display -- if this is omitted the title will be the name "
                                               "of the directory from the data_directory arg")
     parser.add_argument("--port", help="Port to run server on.", type=int, default=5005)
+    parser.add_argument("--no-open", help="Do not launch the webbrowser.", action="store_false", dest="open_browser")
     parser.add_argument(
         "--bind-all",
         help="Bind to all interfaces (this makes the server accessible beyond this computer)",
diff --git a/server/test/test_api.py b/server/test/test_api.py
index 9a22c64d..eae5ee6e 100644
--- a/server/test/test_api.py
+++ b/server/test/test_api.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class EndPoints(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
-        cls.ps = Popen(["cellxgene", "scanpy", "example-dataset/"])
+        cls.ps = Popen(["cellxgene", "--no-open", "scanpy", "example-dataset/"])
         session = requests.Session()
         for i in range(90):
             try: