Leon McKenzie made himself an instant Norwich hero with a brace on his debut to send the Canaries to the top of Division One.
Ipswich dominated possession but could find no way through the well marshalled visiting defence and were hit by two sucker punches by McKenzie, a £325,000 signing from Peterborough on Monday.
The game had a surprisingly quiet start although Norwich had to cope with some early Town pressure.
It was fully 30 minutes before the first attempt at goal, Darren Bent's header from an Ian Westlake cross dropping well wide.
On 32 minutes came the first save from either keeper, Robert Green punching away an in-swinging Jim Magilton free-kick.
Paul McVeigh floated an effort over the angle for Norwich, before Bent's weak header was easily saved by Green.
Against the run of play, City went ahead in the 37th minute, McKenzie firing home a loose ball after Kelvin Davis failed to hold a Malky Mackay header under pressure from McVeigh.
Ipswich tried to hit back in the second half but for all their early pressure their shots posed little threat to the City goal.
Green saved from Bent at one end before Davis easily claimed a curling McVeigh effort.
McVeigh came close again with a low drive which flashed across goal with no one on hand to turn the ball in, and Magilton curled a shot over before Town wasted their best chance of an equaliser after 71 minutes.
Substitute Pablo Counago threaded the ball through for Bent who saw two shots saved well by Green, who then also grabbed Magilton's header.
City clinched the game on 76 minutes with a breakaway attack, which ended with Gary Holt crossing for McKenzie to loop a header over Davis.
Ipswich kept pressing until the end but for all their efforts they couldn't find the target as Norwich made full amends for Town's 2-0 derby success at Carrow Road last season.