diff --git a/packages/services/src/session/default.ts b/packages/services/src/session/default.ts
index 05ffeb314043..3ea347204950 100644
--- a/packages/services/src/session/default.ts
+++ b/packages/services/src/session/default.ts
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ export class SessionConnection implements Session.ISessionConnection {
    * Dispose of the resources held by the session.
    */
   dispose(): void {
-    if (this.isDisposed) {
+    if (this._updating || this.isDisposed) {
       return;
     }
     this._isDisposed = true;
@@ -391,10 +391,16 @@ export class SessionConnection implements Session.ISessionConnection {
   private async _patch(
     body: DeepPartial<Session.IModel>
   ): Promise<Session.IModel> {
-    const model = await updateSession(
-      { ...body, id: this._id },
-      this.serverSettings
-    );
+    this._updating = true;
+    let model: Session.IModel;
+    try {
+      model = await updateSession(
+        {...body, id: this._id},
+        this.serverSettings
+      );
+    } finally {
+      this._updating = false;
+    }
     this.update(model);
     return model;
   }
@@ -422,6 +428,7 @@ export class SessionConnection implements Session.ISessionConnection {
   private _clientId: string;
   private _kernel: Kernel.IKernelConnection | null = null;
   private _isDisposed = false;
+  private _updating = false;
   private _disposed = new Signal<this, void>(this);
   private _kernelChanged = new Signal<
     this,
diff --git a/packages/services/src/session/restapi.ts b/packages/services/src/session/restapi.ts
index def827e48047..499a63d60789 100644
--- a/packages/services/src/session/restapi.ts
+++ b/packages/services/src/session/restapi.ts
@@ -160,16 +160,45 @@ export async function updateSession(
   settings: ServerConnection.ISettings = ServerConnection.makeSettings()
 ): Promise<Session.IModel> {
   const url = getSessionUrl(settings.baseUrl, model.id);
-  const init = {
+  const body = JSON.stringify(model);
+  const bodyjson = JSON.parse(body);
+  bodyjson['id'] = '';
+  let init = {
     method: 'PATCH',
     body: JSON.stringify(model)
   };
-  const response = await ServerConnection.makeRequest(url, init, settings);
-  if (response.status !== 200) {
-    const err = await ServerConnection.ResponseError.create(response);
-    throw err;
+  let data = { id: '', execution_state: 'waiting' };
+  let count = 0;
+  while (count++ < 300) {
+    const response = await ServerConnection.makeRequest(url, init, settings);
+    if (response.status !== 200 && response.status !== 201) {
+      throw await ServerConnection.ResponseError.create(response);
+    }
+    data = await response.json();
+    if (data.execution_state != 'waiting') {
+      console.log(
+        'Kernel started in update session ' + data.id + ' after ' + count + ' seconds'
+      );
+      break;
+    } else {
+      bodyjson['id'] = data.id;
+      init = {
+        method: 'PATCH',
+        body: JSON.stringify(bodyjson)
+      };
+      await sleep(2000);
+      console.log(
+        'Waiting for kernel in update session ' +
+        data.id +
+        ' for ' +
+        2 * count +
+        ' seconds'
+      );
+    }
+  }
+  if (count >= 300) {
+    throw new Error('10 minute timeout waiting for updated kernel to start');
   }
-  const data = await response.json();
   updateLegacySessionModel(data);
   validateModel(data);
   return data;
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index db6f4ca0c2a4..55f23eecf96f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "ipykernel>=6.5.0",
     "jinja2>=3.0.3",
     "jupyter_core",
-    "jupyter_server@git+https://github.com/spotinst/jupyter_server.git@ocean-spark-jupyterserver-jlab",
+    "jupyter_server@git+https://github.com/spotinst/jupyter_server.git@ddf0b98",
     "jupyter-lsp>=2.0.0",
     "jupyterlab_server>=2.27.1,<3",
     "notebook_shim>=0.2",