diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 8ad0332..e0f4794 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ ignore = [
   "TID252",   # forbids relative imports
   "B904",     # forces use of raise from other_exception
   "RUF012",   # forbids mutable attributes as ClassVar
+  "SIM117",   # forbids nested with statements
 ]
 unfixable = ["F841", "F601", "F602", "B018"]
 extend-fixable = ["F401", "B905", "W291"]
diff --git a/src/serena/agent.py b/src/serena/agent.py
index 339cdc1..52ef28c 100644
--- a/src/serena/agent.py
+++ b/src/serena/agent.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 The Serena Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server
 """
 
+import contextlib
 import os
 import platform
 import sys
@@ -272,7 +273,11 @@ class SerenaAgent:
             Logger.root.addHandler(dashboard_log_handler)
             self._dashboard_thread, port = SerenaDashboardAPI(dashboard_log_handler, tool_names).run_in_thread()
             if self.serena_config.web_dashboard_open_on_launch:
-                webbrowser.open(f"http://localhost:{port}/dashboard/index.html")
+                # open the dashboard URL in the default web browser, making sure to redirect output,
+                # as this can print to stdout (contaminating the MCP server stream)
+                with open(os.devnull, "w") as fnull:
+                    with contextlib.redirect_stdout(fnull), contextlib.redirect_stderr(fnull):
+                        webbrowser.open(f"http://localhost:{port}/dashboard/index.html")
 
         # log fundamental information
         log.info(f"Starting Serena server (version={serena_version()}, process id={os.getpid()}, parent process id={os.getppid()})")
diff --git a/src/serena/dashboard.py b/src/serena/dashboard.py
index 4cd98b6..8ab3412 100644
--- a/src/serena/dashboard.py
+++ b/src/serena/dashboard.py
@@ -128,11 +128,8 @@ class SerenaDashboardAPI:
         if self._shutdown_callback:
             self._shutdown_callback()
         else:
-            # Try to use the global shutdown function from process_isolated_agent
-            from serena.process_isolated_agent import request_global_shutdown
-
-            request_global_shutdown()
             # noinspection PyProtectedMember
+            # noinspection PyUnresolvedReferences
             os._exit(0)
 
     @staticmethod