diff --git a/plotly/io/_renderers.py b/plotly/io/_renderers.py
index 9ddd1db5dd..4c21760bb0 100644
--- a/plotly/io/_renderers.py
+++ b/plotly/io/_renderers.py
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ def show(fig, renderer=None, validate=True, **kwargs):
         )
 
     default_renderer = env_renderer
-elif ipython:
+elif ipython and ipython.get_ipython():
     # Try to detect environment so that we can enable a useful
     # default renderer
     if not default_renderer:
diff --git a/tests/test_io/test_renderers.py b/tests/test_io/test_renderers.py
index 4860c738a0..43dd250d8b 100644
--- a/tests/test_io/test_renderers.py
+++ b/tests/test_io/test_renderers.py
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ def fig1(request):
     )
 
 
+def test_default_renderer():
+    """
+    The default renderer should be 'browser'.
+    """
+    assert pio.renderers.default == "browser"
+
+
 # JSON
 # ----
 def test_json_renderer_mimetype(fig1):