diff --git a/datalab_kernel/tests/conftest.py b/datalab_kernel/tests/conftest.py
index cd3e3f4..8445b59 100644
--- a/datalab_kernel/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/datalab_kernel/tests/conftest.py
@@ -172,8 +172,11 @@ def _start_datalab():
 
     # Set environment variables for DataLab
     env = os.environ.copy()
-    # Prevent auto-quit and enable unattended mode
+    # Prevent auto-quit and enable unattended mode. DataLab 1.4 and later read the
+    # execution environment of SigimaX (SIGIMAX_DO_NOT_QUIT); earlier versions read
+    # DATALAB_DO_NOT_QUIT: set both so that DataLab stays open after starting.
     env["DATALAB_DO_NOT_QUIT"] = "1"
+    env["SIGIMAX_DO_NOT_QUIT"] = "1"
     env["GUIDATA_UNATTENDED"] = "1"
     # Auto-start WebAPI with known configuration
     env["DATALAB_WEBAPI_ENABLED"] = "1"
diff --git a/doc/release_notes/release_0.02.md b/doc/release_notes/release_0.02.md
index 7ccc8fd..775b850 100644
--- a/doc/release_notes/release_0.02.md
+++ b/doc/release_notes/release_0.02.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 * Python 3.10 or later is now required. Python 3.9 users must keep an earlier compatible release.
 * Kernel language information now reports the Python version actually running the kernel, rather than always announcing Python 3.9.
 * Fixed images with non-uniform coordinates losing their coordinates when transferred to or from DataLab, or when the workspace was saved to and loaded from an HDF5 file: they came back with uniform coordinates equal to the pixel indices, so that their physical positions were wrong. The pixel center coordinates are now kept, in the same NPZ format as DataLab (1.4.0 or later); data and files written by earlier versions are still read with uniform coordinates.
+* Tests: the live tests started with `--start-datalab` no longer fail with DataLab 1.4 or later, which quit right after starting because it did not get the instruction to stay open.
 
 ## DataLab-Kernel Version 0.2.11 (2026-02-15) ##