diff --git a/parl/remote/client.py b/parl/remote/client.py
index 11865f8ff2afe9368768c701a0c00d232a54c4e1..946493421b58e38f4e19ff543a820e03aedea3b2 100644
--- a/parl/remote/client.py
+++ b/parl/remote/client.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import socket
 import sys
 import threading
 import zmq
-from parl.utils import to_str, to_byte, get_ip_address, logger
+from parl.utils import to_str, to_byte, get_ip_address, logger, isnotebook
 from parl.remote import remote_constants
 import time
 
@@ -94,11 +94,14 @@ class Client(object):
         pyfiles['python_files'] = {}
         pyfiles['other_files'] = {}
 
-        main_file = sys.argv[0]
-        main_folder = './'
-        sep = os.sep
-        if sep in main_file:
-            main_folder = sep.join(main_file.split(sep)[:-1])
+        if isnotebook():
+            main_folder = './'
+        else:
+            main_file = sys.argv[0]
+            main_folder = './'
+            sep = os.sep
+            if sep in main_file:
+                main_folder = sep.join(main_file.split(sep)[:-1])
         code_files = filter(lambda x: x.endswith('.py'),
                             os.listdir(main_folder))
 
@@ -108,16 +111,6 @@ class Client(object):
             with open(file_path, 'rb') as code_file:
                 code = code_file.read()
                 pyfiles['python_files'][file_name] = code
-        # append entry file to code list
-        assert os.path.isfile(
-            main_file
-        ), "[xparl] error occurs when distributing files. cannot find the entry file:{} in current working directory: {}".format(
-            main_file, os.getcwd())
-        with open(main_file, 'rb') as code_file:
-            code = code_file.read()
-            # parl/remote/remote_decorator.py -> remote_decorator.py
-            file_name = main_file.split(os.sep)[-1]
-            pyfiles['python_files'][file_name] = code
 
         for file_name in distributed_files:
             assert os.path.exists(file_name)
diff --git a/parl/remote/utils.py b/parl/remote/utils.py
index 63c94c1a8022256bec382a348a11466c93d0ecc8..5d6368e21d2f9d19a72f28eea0d214df8a913664 100644
--- a/parl/remote/utils.py
+++ b/parl/remote/utils.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import sys
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 import os
+from parl.utils import isnotebook
 
 __all__ = [
     'load_remote_class', 'redirect_stdout_to_file', 'locate_remote_file'
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@ def redirect_stdout_to_file(file_path):
 def locate_remote_file(module_path):
     """xparl has to locate the file that has the class decorated by parl.remote_class. 
     This function returns the relative path between this file and the entry file.
+    Note that this function should support the jupyter-notebook environment.
 
     Args:
         module_path: Absolute path of the module.
@@ -116,14 +118,17 @@ def locate_remote_file(module_path):
         entry_file: /home/user/dir/main.py
         --------> relative_path: subdir/my_module
   """
-    entry_file = sys.argv[0]
-    entry_file = entry_file.split(os.sep)[-1]
-    entry_path = None
-    for path in sys.path:
-        to_check_path = os.path.join(path, entry_file)
-        if os.path.isfile(to_check_path):
-            entry_path = path
-            break
+    if isnotebook():
+        entry_path = os.getcwd()
+    else:
+        entry_file = sys.argv[0]
+        entry_file = entry_file.split(os.sep)[-1]
+        entry_path = None
+        for path in sys.path:
+            to_check_path = os.path.join(path, entry_file)
+            if os.path.isfile(to_check_path):
+                entry_path = path
+                break
     if entry_path is None or \
         (module_path.startswith(os.sep) and entry_path != module_path[:len(entry_path)]):
         raise FileNotFoundError("cannot locate the remote file")
diff --git a/parl/utils/utils.py b/parl/utils/utils.py
index effb572811a6f72b9c6e363901fa632bdc75a625..69af1511a437cce56a9dc80885c6eb7086463160 100644
--- a/parl/utils/utils.py
+++ b/parl/utils/utils.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import numpy as np
 __all__ = [
     'has_func', 'to_str', 'to_byte', 'is_PY2', 'is_PY3', 'MAX_INT32',
     '_HAS_FLUID', '_HAS_TORCH', '_IS_WINDOWS', '_IS_MAC', 'kill_process',
-    'get_fluid_version'
+    'get_fluid_version', 'isnotebook'
 ]
 
 
@@ -101,3 +101,19 @@ def kill_process(regex_pattern):
         command = "ps aux | grep {} | awk '{{print $2}}' | xargs kill -9".format(
             regex_pattern)
         subprocess.call([command], shell=True)
+
+
+def isnotebook():
+    """check if the code is excuted in the IPython notebook
+    Reference: https://stackoverflow.com/a/39662359
+    """
+    try:
+        shell = get_ipython().__class__.__name__
+        if shell == 'ZMQInteractiveShell':
+            return True  # Jupyter notebook or qtconsole
+        elif shell == 'TerminalInteractiveShell':
+            return False  # Terminal running IPython
+        else:
+            return False  # Other type (?)
+    except NameError:
+        return False  # Probably standard Python interpreter