diff --git a/docs/source/howto/configuration/config-user-env.md b/docs/source/howto/configuration/config-user-env.md
index ac089abe..39b2f2da 100644
--- a/docs/source/howto/configuration/config-user-env.md
+++ b/docs/source/howto/configuration/config-user-env.md
@@ -212,13 +212,31 @@ By default, the single-user server launches JupyterLab,
 which is based on [Jupyter Server][].
 
 This is the default server when running JupyterHub ≥ 2.0.
-To switch to using the legacy Jupyter Notebook server, you can set the `JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP` environment variable
+To switch to using the legacy Jupyter Notebook server (notebook < 7.0), you can set the `JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP` environment variable
 (in the single-user environment) to:
 
 ```bash
 export JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP='notebook.notebookapp.NotebookApp'
 ```
 
+:::{note}
+
+```
+JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP='notebook.notebookapp.NotebookApp'
+```
+
+is only valid for notebook < 7. notebook v7 is based on jupyter-server,
+and the default jupyter-server application must be used.
+Selecting the new notebook UI is no longer a matter of selecting the server app to launch,
+but only the default URL for users to visit.
+To use notebook v7 with JupyterHub, leave the default singleuser app config alone (or specify `JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP=jupyter-server`) and set the default _URL_ for user servers:
+
+```python
+c.Spawner.default_url = '/tree/'
+```
+
+:::
+
 [jupyter server]: https://jupyter-server.readthedocs.io
 [jupyter notebook]: https://jupyter-notebook.readthedocs.io
 
diff --git a/jupyterhub/singleuser/app.py b/jupyterhub/singleuser/app.py
index c4425420..818ff51a 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/singleuser/app.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/singleuser/app.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 .. versionchanged:: 2.0
 
     Default app changed to launch `jupyter labhub`.
-    Use JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP=notebook.notebookapp.NotebookApp for the legacy 'classic' notebook server.
+    Use JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP='notebook' for the legacy 'classic' notebook server (requires notebook<7).
 """
 import os
 
@@ -27,7 +27,25 @@ JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP = _app_shortcuts.get(
     JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP.replace("_", "-"), JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP
 )
 
+
 if JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP:
+    if JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP in {"notebook", _app_shortcuts["notebook"]}:
+        # better error for notebook v7, which uses jupyter-server
+        # when the legacy notebook server is requested
+        try:
+            from notebook import __version__
+        except ImportError:
+            # will raise later
+            pass
+        else:
+            # check if this failed because of notebook v7
+            _notebook_major_version = int(__version__.split(".", 1)[0])
+            if _notebook_major_version >= 7:
+                raise ImportError(
+                    f"JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP={JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP} is not valid with notebook>=7 (have notebook=={__version__}).\n"
+                    f"Leave $JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP unspecified (or use the default JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP=jupyter-server), "
+                    'and set `c.Spawner.default_url = "/tree"` to make notebook v7 the default UI.'
+                )
     App = import_item(JUPYTERHUB_SINGLEUSER_APP)
 else:
     App = None