diff --git a/packages/application-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/application-extension/src/index.ts
index 13c02193b52..9bf2ba9f0cd 100644
--- a/packages/application-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/application-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ import {
   SidePanel,
   SidePanelHandler,
   SidePanelPalette,
+  INotebookPathOpener,
+  defaultNotebookPathOpener,
 } from '@jupyter-notebook/application';
 
 import { jupyterIcon } from '@jupyter-notebook/ui-components';
@@ -301,7 +303,7 @@ const pages: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   activate: (
     app: JupyterFrontEnd,
     translator: ITranslator,
-    palette: ICommandPalette | null
+    palette: ICommandPalette | null,
   ): void => {
     const trans = translator.load('notebook');
     const baseUrl = PageConfig.getBaseUrl();
@@ -309,7 +311,7 @@ const pages: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
     app.commands.addCommand(CommandIDs.openLab, {
       label: trans.__('Open JupyterLab'),
       execute: () => {
-        window.open(`${baseUrl}lab`);
+        window.open(URLExt.join(baseUrl, 'lab'));
       },
     });
     const page = PageConfig.getOption('notebookPage');
@@ -320,7 +322,7 @@ const pages: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         if (page === 'tree') {
           app.commands.execute('filebrowser:activate');
         } else {
-          window.open(`${baseUrl}tree`);
+          window.open(URLExt.join(baseUrl, 'tree'));
         }
       },
     });
@@ -332,6 +334,18 @@ const pages: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   },
 };
 
+/**
+ * A plugin to open paths in new browser tabs.
+ */
+const pathOpener: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<INotebookPathOpener> = {
+  id: '@jupyter-notebook/application-extension:path-opener',
+  autoStart: true,
+  provides: INotebookPathOpener,
+  activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd): INotebookPathOpener => {
+    return defaultNotebookPathOpener;
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * The default paths for a Jupyter Notebook app.
  */
@@ -361,6 +375,7 @@ const rendermime: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<IRenderMimeRegistry> = {
     ISanitizer,
     IMarkdownParser,
     ITranslator,
+    INotebookPathOpener,
   ],
   activate: (
     app: JupyterFrontEnd,
@@ -368,9 +383,11 @@ const rendermime: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<IRenderMimeRegistry> = {
     latexTypesetter: ILatexTypesetter | null,
     sanitizer: IRenderMime.ISanitizer | null,
     markdownParser: IMarkdownParser | null,
-    translator: ITranslator | null
+    translator: ITranslator | null,
+    notebookPathOpener: INotebookPathOpener | null,
   ) => {
     const trans = (translator ?? nullTranslator).load('jupyterlab');
+    const opener = notebookPathOpener ?? defaultNotebookPathOpener;
     if (docManager) {
       app.commands.addCommand(CommandIDs.handleLink, {
         label: trans.__('Handle Local Link'),
@@ -382,10 +399,12 @@ const rendermime: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<IRenderMimeRegistry> = {
           return docManager.services.contents
             .get(path, { content: false })
             .then((model) => {
-              // Open in a new browser tab
-              const url = PageConfig.getBaseUrl();
-              const treeUrl = URLExt.join(url, 'tree', model.path);
-              window.open(treeUrl, '_blank');
+              const baseUrl = PageConfig.getBaseUrl();
+              opener.open({
+                route: URLExt.join(baseUrl, 'tree'),
+                path: model.path,
+                target: '_blank',
+              })
             });
         },
       });
@@ -395,18 +414,18 @@ const rendermime: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<IRenderMimeRegistry> = {
       linkHandler: !docManager
         ? undefined
         : {
-            handleLink: (node: HTMLElement, path: string, id?: string) => {
-              // If node has the download attribute explicitly set, use the
-              // default browser downloading behavior.
-              if (node.tagName === 'A' && node.hasAttribute('download')) {
-                return;
-              }
-              app.commandLinker.connectNode(node, CommandIDs.handleLink, {
-                path,
-                id,
-              });
-            },
+          handleLink: (node: HTMLElement, path: string, id?: string) => {
+            // If node has the download attribute explicitly set, use the
+            // default browser downloading behavior.
+            if (node.tagName === 'A' && node.hasAttribute('download')) {
+              return;
+            }
+            app.commandLinker.connectNode(node, CommandIDs.handleLink, {
+              path,
+              id,
+            });
           },
+        },
       latexTypesetter: latexTypesetter ?? undefined,
       markdownParser: markdownParser ?? undefined,
       translator: translator ?? undefined,
@@ -1089,6 +1108,7 @@ const plugins: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<any>[] = [
   menuSpacer,
   opener,
   pages,
+  pathOpener,
   paths,
   rendermime,
   shell,
diff --git a/packages/application/src/app.ts b/packages/application/src/app.ts
index f909fa4f3a7..648b01ea02a 100644
--- a/packages/application/src/app.ts
+++ b/packages/application/src/app.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ import { IRenderMime } from '@jupyterlab/rendermime-interfaces';
 
 import { Throttler } from '@lumino/polling';
 
-import { NotebookShell } from './shell';
-
-import { INotebookShell } from './tokens';
+import { INotebookShell, NotebookShell } from './shell';
 
 /**
  * App is the main application class. It is instantiated once and shared.
@@ -165,7 +163,7 @@ export namespace NotebookApp {
    */
   export interface IOptions
     extends JupyterFrontEnd.IOptions<INotebookShell>,
-      Partial<IInfo> {}
+    Partial<IInfo> { }
 
   /**
    * The information about a Jupyter Notebook application.
diff --git a/packages/application/src/index.ts b/packages/application/src/index.ts
index 3ea563baafd..c726fb4561d 100644
--- a/packages/application/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/application/src/index.ts
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@
 export * from './app';
 export * from './shell';
 export * from './panelhandler';
+export * from './pathopener';
 export * from './tokens';
diff --git a/packages/application/src/pathopener.ts b/packages/application/src/pathopener.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..66048e4bf0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/application/src/pathopener.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+// Copyright (c) Jupyter Development Team.
+// Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
+
+import { URLExt } from "@jupyterlab/coreutils";
+
+import { INotebookPathOpener } from "./tokens";
+
+/**
+ * A class to open path in new browser tabs in the Notebook application.
+ */
+class DefaultNotebookPathOpener implements INotebookPathOpener {
+  /**
+   * Open a path in a new browser tab.
+   */
+  open(options: INotebookPathOpener.IOpenOptions): WindowProxy | null {
+    const { route, path, searchParams, target, features } = options;
+    const url = new URL(URLExt.join(route, path ?? ''), window.location.origin);
+    if (searchParams) {
+      url.search = searchParams.toString();
+    }
+    return window.open(url, target, features);
+  }
+}
+
+export const defaultNotebookPathOpener = new DefaultNotebookPathOpener();
diff --git a/packages/application/src/shell.ts b/packages/application/src/shell.ts
index 5a9ff9476ba..2180a55140c 100644
--- a/packages/application/src/shell.ts
+++ b/packages/application/src/shell.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,23 @@ import { DocumentRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/docregistry';
 import { ITranslator, nullTranslator } from '@jupyterlab/translation';
 
 import { find } from '@lumino/algorithm';
-import { JSONExt, PromiseDelegate } from '@lumino/coreutils';
+import { JSONExt, PromiseDelegate, Token } from '@lumino/coreutils';
 import { ISignal, Signal } from '@lumino/signaling';
 
 import { BoxLayout, Panel, SplitPanel, Widget } from '@lumino/widgets';
-
 import { PanelHandler, SidePanelHandler } from './panelhandler';
 
-import { INotebookShell } from './tokens';
+/**
+ * The Jupyter Notebook application shell token.
+ */
+export const INotebookShell = new Token<INotebookShell>(
+  '@jupyter-notebook/application:INotebookShell'
+);
+
+/**
+ * The Jupyter Notebook application shell interface.
+ */
+export interface INotebookShell extends NotebookShell {}
 
 /**
  * The namespace for INotebookShell type information.
diff --git a/packages/application/src/tokens.ts b/packages/application/src/tokens.ts
index eb7083b8946..503aaf7ae3c 100644
--- a/packages/application/src/tokens.ts
+++ b/packages/application/src/tokens.ts
@@ -1,29 +1,54 @@
 import { Token } from '@lumino/coreutils';
 
-import { NotebookShell } from './shell';
-
 /**
  * The INotebookPathOpener interface.
  */
 export interface INotebookPathOpener {
-  open: (route: string, path?: string) => void;
+  /**
+   * Open a path in the application.
+   *
+   * @param options - The options used to open the path.
+   */
+  open: (options: INotebookPathOpener.IOpenOptions) => WindowProxy | null;
+}
+
+export namespace INotebookPathOpener {
+  export interface IOpenOptions {
+    /**
+     * The base route, which should include the base URL
+     */
+    route: string
+
+    /**
+     * The path to open in the application, e.g `setup.py`, or `notebooks/example.ipynb`
+     */
+    path?: string,
+
+    /**
+     * The extra search params to use in the URL.
+     */
+    searchParams?: URLSearchParams;
+
+    /**
+     * Name of the browsing context the resource is being loaded into.
+     * See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window/open for more details.
+     */
+    target?: string;
+
+    /**
+     *
+     * See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window/open for more details.
+     */
+    features?: string;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
  * The INotebookPathOpener token.
+ * The main purpose of this token is to allow other extensions or downstream application
+ * to override the default behavior of opening a notebook in a new tab.
+ * It also allows to pass the path open as a search parame, or other options to the window.open call.
  */
 export const INotebookPathOpener = new Token<INotebookPathOpener>(
   '@jupyter-notebook/application:INotebookPathOpener'
 );
-
-/**
- * The Jupyter Notebook application shell interface.
- */
-export interface INotebookShell extends NotebookShell {}
-
-/**
- * The Jupyter Notebook application shell token.
- */
-export const INotebookShell = new Token<INotebookShell>(
-  '@jupyter-notebook/application:INotebookShell'
-);
diff --git a/packages/console-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/console-extension/src/index.ts
index 92085ace476..07d69b5fed2 100644
--- a/packages/console-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/console-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ import {
 
 import { IConsoleTracker } from '@jupyterlab/console';
 
-import { PageConfig } from '@jupyterlab/coreutils';
+import { PageConfig, URLExt } from '@jupyterlab/coreutils';
+
+import { INotebookPathOpener, defaultNotebookPathOpener } from '@jupyter-notebook/application';
 
 import { find } from '@lumino/algorithm';
 
@@ -52,9 +54,12 @@ const opener: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
 const redirect: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   id: '@jupyter-notebook/console-extension:redirect',
   requires: [IConsoleTracker],
+  optional: [INotebookPathOpener],
   autoStart: true,
-  activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, tracker: IConsoleTracker) => {
+  activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, tracker: IConsoleTracker, notebookPathOpener: INotebookPathOpener | null) => {
     const baseUrl = PageConfig.getBaseUrl();
+    const opener = notebookPathOpener ?? defaultNotebookPathOpener;
+
     tracker.widgetAdded.connect(async (send, console) => {
       const { sessionContext } = console;
       await sessionContext.ready;
@@ -66,7 +71,11 @@ const redirect: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         // bail if the console is already added to the main area
         return;
       }
-      window.open(`${baseUrl}consoles/${sessionContext.path}`, '_blank');
+      opener.open({
+        route: URLExt.join(baseUrl, 'consoles'),
+        path: sessionContext.path,
+        target: '_blank',
+      })
 
       // the widget is not needed anymore
       console.dispose();
diff --git a/packages/docmanager-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/docmanager-extension/src/index.ts
index 4f352d29e32..32ad52d0122 100644
--- a/packages/docmanager-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/docmanager-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ import {
   JupyterFrontEndPlugin,
 } from '@jupyterlab/application';
 
-import { PageConfig, PathExt } from '@jupyterlab/coreutils';
+import { PageConfig, PathExt, URLExt } from '@jupyterlab/coreutils';
 
 import { IDocumentWidgetOpener } from '@jupyterlab/docmanager';
 
 import { IDocumentWidget, DocumentRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/docregistry';
 
-import { INotebookShell } from '@jupyter-notebook/application';
+import { INotebookPathOpener, INotebookShell, defaultNotebookPathOpener } from '@jupyter-notebook/application';
 
 import { Signal } from '@lumino/signaling';
 
@@ -23,11 +23,12 @@ import { Signal } from '@lumino/signaling';
 const opener: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<IDocumentWidgetOpener> = {
   id: '@jupyter-notebook/docmanager-extension:opener',
   autoStart: true,
-  optional: [INotebookShell],
+  optional: [INotebookPathOpener, INotebookShell],
   provides: IDocumentWidgetOpener,
-  activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, notebookShell: INotebookShell | null) => {
+  activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, notebookPathOpener: INotebookPathOpener, notebookShell: INotebookShell | null) => {
     const baseUrl = PageConfig.getBaseUrl();
     const docRegistry = app.docRegistry;
+    const pathOpener = notebookPathOpener ?? defaultNotebookPathOpener;
     let id = 0;
     return new (class {
       open(widget: IDocumentWidget, options?: DocumentRegistry.IOpenOptions) {
@@ -46,13 +47,21 @@ const opener: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<IDocumentWidgetOpener> = {
           ) {
             route = 'notebooks';
           }
-          let url = `${baseUrl}${route}/${path}`;
           // append ?factory only if it's not the default
           const defaultFactory = docRegistry.defaultWidgetFactory(path);
+          let searchParams = undefined;
           if (widgetName !== defaultFactory.name) {
-            url = `${url}?factory=${widgetName}`;
+            searchParams = new URLSearchParams({
+              factory: widgetName,
+            });
           }
-          window.open(url);
+
+          pathOpener.open({
+            route: URLExt.join(baseUrl, route),
+            path,
+            searchParams,
+          });
+
           // dispose the widget since it is not used on this page
           widget.dispose();
           return;
diff --git a/packages/lab-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/lab-extension/src/index.ts
index dea33fb3253..e78a4330838 100644
--- a/packages/lab-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/lab-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
 
 import { ICommandPalette, IToolbarWidgetRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/apputils';
 
-import { PageConfig } from '@jupyterlab/coreutils';
+import { PageConfig, URLExt } from '@jupyterlab/coreutils';
 
 import { INotebookTracker, NotebookPanel } from '@jupyterlab/notebook';
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import { ITranslator } from '@jupyterlab/translation';
 
 import { Menu, MenuBar, Widget } from '@lumino/widgets';
 
-import { INotebookShell } from '@jupyter-notebook/application';
+import { defaultNotebookPathOpener, INotebookPathOpener, INotebookShell } from '@jupyter-notebook/application';
 
 import {
   caretDownIcon,
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ const interfaceSwitcher: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   requires: [ITranslator, INotebookTracker],
   optional: [
     ICommandPalette,
+    INotebookPathOpener,
     INotebookShell,
     ILabShell,
     IToolbarWidgetRegistry,
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ const interfaceSwitcher: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
     translator: ITranslator,
     notebookTracker: INotebookTracker,
     palette: ICommandPalette | null,
+    notebookPathOpener: INotebookPathOpener | null,
     notebookShell: INotebookShell | null,
     labShell: ILabShell | null,
     toolbarRegistry: IToolbarWidgetRegistry | null
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ const interfaceSwitcher: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
       PageConfig.getOption('nbclassic_enabled') === 'true';
     const switcher = new Menu({ commands });
     const switcherOptions: ISwitcherChoice[] = [];
+    const opener = notebookPathOpener ?? defaultNotebookPathOpener;
 
     if (!notebookShell) {
       switcherOptions.push({
@@ -94,7 +97,7 @@ const interfaceSwitcher: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         commandLabel: trans.__('Notebook'),
         commandDescription: trans.__('Open in %1', 'Jupyter Notebook'),
         buttonLabel: 'openNotebook',
-        urlPrefix: `${baseUrl}tree/`,
+        urlPrefix: `${baseUrl}tree`,
       });
     }
 
@@ -104,7 +107,7 @@ const interfaceSwitcher: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         commandLabel: trans.__('JupyterLab'),
         commandDescription: trans.__('Open in %1', 'JupyterLab'),
         buttonLabel: 'openLab',
-        urlPrefix: `${baseUrl}doc/tree/`,
+        urlPrefix: `${baseUrl}doc/tree`,
       });
     }
 
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@ const interfaceSwitcher: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         commandLabel: trans.__('NbClassic'),
         commandDescription: trans.__('Open in %1', 'NbClassic'),
         buttonLabel: 'openNbClassic',
-        urlPrefix: `${baseUrl}nbclassic/notebooks/`,
+        urlPrefix: `${baseUrl}nbclassic/notebooks`,
       });
     }
 
@@ -133,7 +136,10 @@ const interfaceSwitcher: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         if (!current) {
           return;
         }
-        window.open(`${urlPrefix}${current.context.path}`);
+        opener.open({
+          route: urlPrefix,
+          path: current.context.path,
+        })
       };
 
       commands.addCommand(command, {
@@ -223,7 +229,8 @@ const launchNotebookTree: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
     commands.addCommand(CommandIDs.launchNotebookTree, {
       label: trans.__('Launch Jupyter Notebook File Browser'),
       execute: () => {
-        window.open(PageConfig.getBaseUrl() + 'tree');
+        const url = URLExt.join(PageConfig.getBaseUrl(), 'tree');
+        window.open(url);
       },
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/terminal-extension/src/index.ts b/packages/terminal-extension/src/index.ts
index a8dc01fb935..d455716ba95 100644
--- a/packages/terminal-extension/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/terminal-extension/src/index.ts
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ import {
   JupyterFrontEndPlugin,
 } from '@jupyterlab/application';
 
-import { PageConfig } from '@jupyterlab/coreutils';
+import { PageConfig, URLExt } from '@jupyterlab/coreutils';
 
 import { ITerminalTracker } from '@jupyterlab/terminal';
 
+import { INotebookPathOpener, defaultNotebookPathOpener } from '@jupyter-notebook/application';
+
 import { find } from '@lumino/algorithm';
 
 /**
@@ -58,9 +60,12 @@ const opener: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
 const redirect: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   id: '@jupyter-notebook/terminal-extension:redirect',
   requires: [ITerminalTracker],
+  optional: [INotebookPathOpener],
   autoStart: true,
-  activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, tracker: ITerminalTracker) => {
+  activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, tracker: ITerminalTracker, notebookPathOpener: INotebookPathOpener | null) => {
     const baseUrl = PageConfig.getBaseUrl();
+    const opener = notebookPathOpener ?? defaultNotebookPathOpener;
+
     tracker.widgetAdded.connect((send, terminal) => {
       const widget = find(
         app.shell.widgets('main'),
@@ -71,7 +76,11 @@ const redirect: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         return;
       }
       const name = terminal.content.session.name;
-      window.open(`${baseUrl}terminals/${name}`, '_blank');
+      opener.open({
+        route: URLExt.join(baseUrl, 'terminals'),
+        path: name,
+        target: '_blank',
+      })
 
       // dispose the widget since it is not used on this page
       terminal.dispose();