diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridAgent.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridAgent.ts
index b40cdf4198..a9daa422d7 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridAgent.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridAgent.ts
@@ -30,16 +30,16 @@ export function launchGridAgent(agentId: string, gridURL: string, runId: string
   const ws = new WebSocket(gridURL.replace('http://', 'ws://') + `/registerAgent?` + params.toString());
   ws.on('message', (message: string) => {
     log('worker requested ' + message);
-    const { workerId, browserAlias } = JSON.parse(message);
+    const { workerId, browserName } = JSON.parse(message);
     if (!workerId) {
       log('workerId not specified');
       return;
     }
-    if (!browserAlias) {
-      log('browserAlias not specified');
+    if (!browserName) {
+      log('browserName not specified');
       return;
     }
-    fork(require.resolve('./gridBrowserWorker.js'), [gridURL, agentId, workerId, browserAlias], { detached: true });
+    fork(require.resolve('./gridBrowserWorker.js'), [gridURL, agentId, workerId, browserName], { detached: true });
   });
   ws.on('close', () => process.exit(0));
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridBrowserWorker.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridBrowserWorker.ts
index a49ce27d03..725fdb8822 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridBrowserWorker.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridBrowserWorker.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ import { ws as WebSocket } from '../utilsBundle';
 import { PlaywrightConnection } from '../remote/playwrightConnection';
 import { gracefullyCloseAll } from '../utils/processLauncher';
 
-function launchGridBrowserWorker(gridURL: string, agentId: string, workerId: string, browserAlias: string) {
+function launchGridBrowserWorker(gridURL: string, agentId: string, workerId: string, browserName: string) {
   const log = debug(`pw:grid:worker:${workerId}`);
   log('created');
   const ws = new WebSocket(gridURL.replace('http://', 'ws://') + `/registerWorker?agentId=${agentId}&workerId=${workerId}`);
-  new PlaywrightConnection(Promise.resolve(), 'auto', ws, { enableSocksProxy: true, browserAlias, launchOptions: {} }, { playwright: null, browser: null }, log, async () => {
+  new PlaywrightConnection(Promise.resolve(), 'auto', ws, { enableSocksProxy: true, browserName, launchOptions: {} }, { playwright: null, browser: null }, log, async () => {
     log('exiting process');
     setTimeout(() => process.exit(0), 30000);
     // Meanwhile, try to gracefully close all browsers.
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridServer.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridServer.ts
index f6ffd7f34e..2b99c6bedc 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridServer.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridServer.ts
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ const WSErrors = {
 
 
 type GridWorkerParams = {
-  browserAlias?: string;
-  headless?: boolean;
+  browserName?: string;
 };
 
 class GridWorker extends EventEmitter {
@@ -284,8 +283,7 @@ export class GridServer {
         }
 
         agent.createWorker(ws, {
-          browserAlias: request.headers['x-playwright-browser'] as string | undefined,
-          headless: request.headers['x-playwright-headless'] !== '0',
+          browserName: request.headers['x-playwright-browser'] as string,
         });
         return;
       }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightConnection.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightConnection.ts
index 352101ed75..afa84413e4 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightConnection.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightConnection.ts
@@ -15,12 +15,11 @@
  */
 
 import type { WebSocket } from '../utilsBundle';
-import type { Playwright, DispatcherScope, Executable } from '../server';
+import type { Playwright, DispatcherScope } from '../server';
 import { createPlaywright, DispatcherConnection, Root, PlaywrightDispatcher } from '../server';
 import { Browser } from '../server/browser';
 import { serverSideCallMetadata } from '../server/instrumentation';
 import { gracefullyCloseAll } from '../utils/processLauncher';
-import { registry } from '../server';
 import { SocksProxy } from '../common/socksProxy';
 import type { Mode } from './playwrightServer';
 import { assert } from '../utils';
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ import type { LaunchOptions } from '../server/types';
 
 type Options = {
   enableSocksProxy: boolean,
-  browserAlias: string | null,
+  browserName: string | null,
   launchOptions: LaunchOptions,
 };
 
@@ -78,7 +77,7 @@ export class PlaywrightConnection {
         return await this._initReuseBrowsersMode(scope);
       if (mode === 'use-pre-launched-browser')
         return await this._initPreLaunchedBrowserMode(scope);
-      if (!options.browserAlias)
+      if (!options.browserName)
         return await this._initPlaywrightConnectMode(scope);
       return await this._initLaunchBrowserMode(scope);
     });
@@ -95,15 +94,11 @@ export class PlaywrightConnection {
   }
 
   private async _initLaunchBrowserMode(scope: DispatcherScope) {
-    this._debugLog(`engaged launch mode for "${this._options.browserAlias}"`);
-    const executable = this._executableForBrowerAlias(this._options.browserAlias!);
+    this._debugLog(`engaged launch mode for "${this._options.browserName}"`);
 
     const playwright = createPlaywright('javascript');
     const socksProxy = this._options.enableSocksProxy ? await this._enableSocksProxy(playwright) : undefined;
-    const browser = await playwright[executable.browserName!].launch(serverSideCallMetadata(), {
-      channel: executable.type === 'browser' ? undefined : executable.name,
-      headless: this._options.launchOptions?.headless,
-    });
+    const browser = await playwright[this._options.browserName as 'chromium'].launch(serverSideCallMetadata(), this._options.launchOptions);
 
     // Close the browser on disconnect.
     // TODO: it is technically possible to launch more browsers over protocol.
@@ -132,20 +127,26 @@ export class PlaywrightConnection {
   }
 
   private async _initReuseBrowsersMode(scope: DispatcherScope) {
-    this._debugLog(`engaged reuse browsers mode for ${this._options.browserAlias}`);
-    const executable = this._executableForBrowerAlias(this._options.browserAlias!);
+    this._debugLog(`engaged reuse browsers mode for ${this._options.browserName}`);
     const playwright = this._preLaunched.playwright!;
     const requestedOptions = launchOptionsHash(this._options.launchOptions);
     let browser = playwright.allBrowsers().find(b => {
+      if (b.options.name !== this._options.browserName)
+        return false;
       const existingOptions = launchOptionsHash(b.options.originalLaunchOptions);
       return existingOptions === requestedOptions;
     });
-    const remaining = playwright.allBrowsers().filter(b => b !== browser);
-    for (const r of remaining)
-      await r.close();
+
+    // Close remaining browsers of this type+channel. Keep different browser types for the speed.
+    for (const b of playwright.allBrowsers()) {
+      if (b === browser)
+        continue;
+      if (b.options.name === this._options.browserName && b.options.channel === this._options.launchOptions.channel)
+        await b.close();
+    }
 
     if (!browser) {
-      browser = await playwright[executable.browserName!].launch(serverSideCallMetadata(), {
+      browser = await playwright[this._options.browserName as 'chromium'].launch(serverSideCallMetadata(), {
         ...this._options.launchOptions,
         headless: false,
       });
@@ -187,13 +188,6 @@ export class PlaywrightConnection {
     } catch (e) {
     }
   }
-
-  private _executableForBrowerAlias(browserAlias: string): Executable {
-    const executable = registry.findExecutable(browserAlias);
-    if (!executable || !executable.browserName)
-      throw new Error(`Unsupported browser "${browserAlias}`);
-    return executable;
-  }
 }
 
 function launchOptionsHash(options: LaunchOptions) {
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightServer.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightServer.ts
index 091ee3de04..2155a0cdd7 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightServer.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightServer.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export class PlaywrightServer {
       }
       const url = new URL('http://localhost' + (request.url || ''));
       const browserHeader = request.headers['x-playwright-browser'];
-      const browserAlias = url.searchParams.get('browser') || (Array.isArray(browserHeader) ? browserHeader[0] : browserHeader) || null;
+      const browserName = url.searchParams.get('browser') || (Array.isArray(browserHeader) ? browserHeader[0] : browserHeader) || null;
       const proxyHeader = request.headers['x-playwright-proxy'];
       const proxyValue = url.searchParams.get('proxy') || (Array.isArray(proxyHeader) ? proxyHeader[0] : proxyHeader);
       const enableSocksProxy = this._options.enableSocksProxy && proxyValue === '*';
@@ -132,17 +132,12 @@ export class PlaywrightServer {
       } catch (e) {
       }
 
-      const headlessHeader = request.headers['x-playwright-headless'];
-      const headlessValue = url.searchParams.get('headless') || (Array.isArray(headlessHeader) ? headlessHeader[0] : headlessHeader);
-      if (headlessValue && headlessValue !== '0')
-        launchOptions.headless = true;
-
       const log = newLogger();
       log(`serving connection: ${request.url}`);
       const connection = new PlaywrightConnection(
           semaphore.aquire(),
           this._mode, ws,
-          { enableSocksProxy, browserAlias, launchOptions },
+          { enableSocksProxy, browserName, launchOptions },
           { playwright: this._preLaunchedPlaywright, browser: this._options.preLaunchedBrowser || null },
           log, () => semaphore.release());
       (ws as any)[kConnectionSymbol] = connection;
diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/src/index.ts b/packages/playwright-test/src/index.ts
index c45bcf121b..dd8d7f8c84 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/src/index.ts
@@ -115,8 +115,7 @@ export const test = _baseTest.extend<TestFixtures, WorkerFixtures>({
       throw new Error(`Unexpected browserName "${browserName}", must be one of "chromium", "firefox" or "webkit"`);
     const browser = await playwright[browserName].connect(connectOptions.wsEndpoint, {
       headers: {
-        'x-playwright-browser': channel || browserName,
-        'x-playwright-headless': headless ? '1' : '0',
+        'x-playwright-browser': browserName,
         'x-playwright-launch-options': JSON.stringify(launchOptions),
         ...connectOptions.headers,
       },
diff --git a/tests/library/port-forwarding-server.spec.ts b/tests/library/port-forwarding-server.spec.ts
index 9ae7fcc503..43dfd2789b 100644
--- a/tests/library/port-forwarding-server.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/library/port-forwarding-server.spec.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ const it = contextTest.extend<{ pageFactory: (redirectPortForTest?: number) => P
       const server = new OutOfProcessPlaywrightServer(0, 3200 + testInfo.workerIndex);
       playwrightServers.push(server);
       const browser = await browserType.connect({
-        wsEndpoint: await server.wsEndpoint() + '?proxy=*&browser=' + (channel || browserName),
+        wsEndpoint: await server.wsEndpoint() + '?proxy=*&browser=' + browserName,
+        headers: { 'x-playwright-launch-options': JSON.stringify({ channel }) },
         __testHookRedirectPortForwarding: redirectPortForTest,
       } as any);
       browsers.push(browser);