diff --git a/travo/dashboards.py b/travo/dashboards.py
index 399e40bb64857c40a27b302fdf9500c7cd8cb114..59784f17dd456952bc8c424c230a25c21ada34f8 100644
--- a/travo/dashboards.py
+++ b/travo/dashboards.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import logging
 import os
 import subprocess
 import requests
+import textwrap
 from threading import Thread
 from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ except ImportError:
     )
 
 from IPython.display import display, Javascript  # type: ignore
+import traitlets  # type: ignore
 
 from .assignment import Assignment
 
@@ -507,6 +509,62 @@ class StatusBar(VBox):
         ).start()
 
 
+class LinkAsButton(ipywidgets.HTML):
+    """
+    A widget displaying an html link with a button-like style and interface
+    """
+
+    disabled = traitlets.Bool(False)
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        description: str,
+        target: Optional[str] = None,
+        button_style: str = "",
+        icon: Optional[str] = None,
+        tooltip: Optional[str] = None,
+        layout: Optional[Layout] = None,
+        disabled: bool = False,
+    ):
+        super().__init__("")
+
+        self.target = target
+
+        if icon:
+            description = f'<i class="fa fa-{icon}"></i>' + description
+        self.button_content = description
+
+        classes = "lm-Widget jupyter-widgets jupyter-button widget-button"
+        if button_style:
+            classes += f" mod-{button_style}"
+        self.classes = classes
+
+        self.title = tooltip
+
+        if disabled:
+            self.disabled = disabled  # will trigger an update
+        else:
+            self.update()
+
+    def update(self) -> None:
+        opacity = 0.5 if self.disabled else 1
+        content = textwrap.dedent(
+            f"""
+        <span class="{self.classes}" title="{self.title}" style="width: initial; opacity: {opacity};">
+          {self.button_content}
+        </span>
+        """
+        )
+        if self.target is not None:
+            content = f'<a href="{self.target}">{content}</a>'
+
+        self.value = content
+
+    @traitlets.observe("disabled")
+    def _disabled_changed(self, change: dict) -> None:
+        self.update()
+
+
 class AssignmentStudentDashboard(HBox):
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -526,10 +584,6 @@ class AssignmentStudentDashboard(HBox):
             )
         self.status_bar = status_bar
 
-        from ipylab import JupyterFrontEnd  # type: ignore
-
-        self.jupyter_front_end = JupyterFrontEnd()
-
         layout = Layout(width="initial")
         self.nameUI = HTML(self.name, layout=layout)
         self.fetchUI = Button(
@@ -551,7 +605,7 @@ class AssignmentStudentDashboard(HBox):
         )
         self.submitUI.on_click(lambda event: self.submit())
 
-        self.work_dir_UI = Button(
+        self.work_dir_UI = LinkAsButton(
             description=_("open"),
             button_style="primary",
             icon="edit",
@@ -559,7 +613,6 @@ class AssignmentStudentDashboard(HBox):
             layout=layout,
             disabled=True,
         )
-        self.work_dir_UI.on_click(self.open_work_dir_callback)
         self.scoreUI = HTML("", tooltip=_("browse feedback"))
         self.updateUI = Button(
             description="",
@@ -602,6 +655,23 @@ class AssignmentStudentDashboard(HBox):
         Thread(target=self.update).start()
 
     def update(self) -> None:
+        # First take care of the UI for the local work dir for the assignment
+        # as it does not require authentication
+        self.work_dir_UI.disabled = True
+        has_assignment_dir = (
+            self.assignment.assignment_dir is not None
+            and os.path.exists(self.assignment.assignment_dir)
+        )
+        if has_assignment_dir:
+            assert self.assignment.assignment_dir is not None
+            index_files = ["index.md", "index.ipynb", "README.md", "README.ipynb"]
+            for x in index_files:
+                file = os.path.join(self.assignment.assignment_dir, x)
+                if os.path.isfile(file):
+                    self.work_dir_UI.target = file
+                    self.work_dir_UI.disabled = False
+                    break
+
         # For now, fetching the assignment status requires the user to
         # be logged in. Fails gracefuly if this is not yet the case.
         try:
@@ -647,13 +717,7 @@ class AssignmentStudentDashboard(HBox):
             self.submissionUI.value = ""
 
         self.submitUI.tooltip = _("submit assignment", assignment_name=self.name)
-        self.submitUI.disabled = True
-        self.work_dir_UI.disabled = True
-        if self.assignment.assignment_dir is not None and os.path.exists(
-            self.assignment.assignment_dir
-        ):
-            self.work_dir_UI.disabled = False
-            self.submitUI.disabled = False
+        self.submitUI.disabled = not has_assignment_dir
 
         if status.autograde_status == "success":
             # these two s/could be provided by autograde_status
@@ -698,52 +762,6 @@ class AssignmentStudentDashboard(HBox):
             on_success=self.update,
         )
 
-    def open_work_dir_callback(self, event: Any) -> None:
-        self.work_dir_UI.disabled = True
-        self.status_bar.run(  # run_in_subthread(
-            action=_("open work dir", assignment_name=self.name),
-            command=self.open_work_dir,
-            on_finished=lambda: setattr(self.work_dir_UI, "disabled", False),
-        )
-
-    def open_work_dir(self) -> None:
-        if self.assignment.assignment_dir is None:
-            raise ValueError(_("cannot open work dir unset"))
-        if os.path.isabs(self.assignment.assignment_dir):
-            raise NotImplementedError(
-                _(
-                    _("cannot open work dir absolute"),
-                    work_dir=self.assignment.assignment_dir,
-                )
-            )
-        path = os.path.dirname(self.jupyter_front_end.sessions.current_session["path"])
-        # TODO : if README.md does not exist neither, try to open gitlab file browser
-        index_files = ["index.md", "index.ipynb", "README.md", "README.ipynb"]
-        for x in index_files:
-            file = os.path.join(self.assignment.assignment_dir, x)
-            if os.path.isfile(file):
-                self.jupyter_front_end.commands.execute(
-                    "docmanager:open",
-                    {
-                        "path": path + "/" + file,  # Generalize if there is no index.md
-                        "factory": "Notebook",
-                        # 'options': {
-                        #     'mode': 'split-right'
-                        # },
-                        "kernelPreference": {
-                            "shutdownOnClose": True,
-                        },
-                    },
-                )
-                return
-        raise FileNotFoundError(
-            _(
-                "no index file",
-                assignment_dir=self.assignment.assignment_dir,
-                index_files=" ".join(index_files),
-            )
-        )
-
     def other_action(self) -> None:
         action = self.other_actionsUI.value
         if not action: