diff --git a/src/features/app/__tests__/updates.test.ts b/src/features/app/__tests__/updates.test.ts
index f1710e97..1a4a71f8 100644
--- a/src/features/app/__tests__/updates.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/app/__tests__/updates.test.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ vi.mock("@/platform/ipc", async (orig) => {
 const { checkForUpdates, installUpdate, notifyUpdate, progressText, CHECK_TASK_ID, INSTALL_TASK_ID, UPDATE_KEY } =
   await import("../updates");
 const { provideNotificationService } = await import("@/workbench/contributions");
+const { useProject } = await import("@/platform/project");
 const { useTasks } = await import("@/workbench/tasks");
 
 type Note = Parameters<NotificationService["notify"]>[0];
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   check = deferred();
   provideNotificationService({ notify: (n) => void notes.push(n), expire: (k) => void expired.push(k) });
   useTasks.setState({ tasks: [] });
+  useProject.setState({ project: null, lightEdit: false });
 });
 
 afterEach(() => vi.clearAllMocks());
@@ -163,6 +165,23 @@ describe("Check for Updates", () => {
     expect(notes.at(-1)?.title).toBe(title);
     expect(task(CHECK_TASK_ID)?.done).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  it("shows the check in a balloon where there is no status bar (the welcome screen)", async () => {
+    const done = checkForUpdates();
+    expect(notes[0]).toMatchObject({ level: "info", title: "Checking for updates…", key: UPDATE_KEY });
+    check.resolve(ok({ enabled: true, update: null }));
+    await done;
+    expect(notes.at(-1)).toMatchObject({ title: "OpenIDEA 0.1.21 is up to date", key: UPDATE_KEY });
+  });
+
+  it("leaves the check to the status bar in a project window", async () => {
+    useProject.setState({ project: { root: "/p", name: "p", trusted: true, isGit: false, settings: {} } as never });
+    const done = checkForUpdates();
+    expect(notes).toHaveLength(0);
+    check.resolve(ok({ enabled: true, update: null }));
+    await done;
+    expect(notes.at(-1)?.title).toBe("OpenIDEA 0.1.21 is up to date");
+  });
 });
 
 describe("progressText", () => {
diff --git a/src/features/app/updates.tsx b/src/features/app/updates.tsx
index 7cdae992..e0451b85 100644
--- a/src/features/app/updates.tsx
+++ b/src/features/app/updates.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * Update check and install. Both run as background tasks in the status bar: the
- * check while the request is out, the install with download progress and Cancel,
- * which its balloon shows too (the welcome screen has no status bar).
+ * check while the request is out, the install with download progress and Cancel.
+ * Their balloons show the progress too (the welcome screen has no status bar).
  * Every entry point (Help menu, toolbar gear, welcome screen, Search Everywhere,
  * the "is available" notification and its log entry) goes through these, so a
  * repeated click joins the running check or install instead of starting another.
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   type UpdateInfo,
   type UpdateProgress,
 } from "@/platform/ipc";
+import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
 import { notifications } from "@/workbench/contributions";
 import { upsertTask } from "@/workbench/tasks";
 import { UpdateBalloonBody } from "./UpdateBalloonBody";
@@ -45,6 +46,15 @@ async function runCheck() {
   let abandon = () => {};
   const abandoned = new Promise<"cancelled">((resolve) => (abandon = () => resolve("cancelled")));
   upsertTask({ id: CHECK_TASK_ID, title, message: null, fraction: null, done: false, cancel: () => abandon() });
+  // No status bar (the welcome screen): the balloon is the only place the check can show.
+  const { project, lightEdit } = useProject.getState();
+  if (!installing && !project && !lightEdit)
+    notifications().notify({
+      level: "info",
+      title,
+      body: <UpdateBalloonBody task={CHECK_TASK_ID} />,
+      key: UPDATE_KEY,
+    });
   try {
     const r = await Promise.race([call(commands.appCheckUpdate()), abandoned]);
     if (r === "cancelled") return;
diff --git a/src/workbench/activate.ts b/src/workbench/activate.ts
index 71ea2b99..2cc8abd9 100644
--- a/src/workbench/activate.ts
+++ b/src/workbench/activate.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { installBrowserGuards } from "./browserGuards";
 import { installDistractionFree } from "./distractionFree";
 import { installFileDrop } from "./fileDrop";
 import { installFocusTracking } from "./focus";
-import { clearNotifications, installNotifyEvents, notificationServiceImpl } from "./notificationStore";
+import { clearProjectNotifications, installNotifyEvents, notificationServiceImpl } from "./notificationStore";
 import {
   NOTIFICATIONS_TOOL_WINDOW,
   NotificationsHeaderActions,
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export function activateWorkbench(): () => void {
   const unsubProject = useProject.subscribe((s, prev) => {
     if (s.project?.root === prev.project?.root && s.lightEdit === prev.lightEdit) return;
     // The previous project's notifications (and their actions) no longer apply.
-    if (prev.project) clearNotifications();
+    if (prev.project) clearProjectNotifications();
     onProject(s.project?.root ?? null);
   });
 
diff --git a/src/workbench/notificationStore.ts b/src/workbench/notificationStore.ts
index 5069884a..2a0b4e26 100644
--- a/src/workbench/notificationStore.ts
+++ b/src/workbench/notificationStore.ts
@@ -175,6 +175,11 @@ export function clearNotifications() {
   useNotifications.setState({ items: [] });
 }
 
+/** A project switch drops the previous project's notifications; app-wide ones (updates) stay. */
+export function clearProjectNotifications() {
+  useNotifications.setState((s) => ({ items: s.items.filter((x) => x.group === "updates") }));
+}
+
 /** The list was seen: everything is read and no longer shown as a balloon. */
 export function markAllNotificationsRead() {
   useNotifications.setState((s) => ({
diff --git a/src/workbench/projectNotifications.test.ts b/src/workbench/projectNotifications.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9294cab5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/workbench/projectNotifications.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
+import { activateWorkbench } from "./activate";
+import { notify, useNotifications } from "./notificationStore";
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  useNotifications.setState({ items: [] });
+  useProject.setState({ project: null, lightEdit: false });
+});
+
+describe("notifications across project changes", () => {
+  it("keeps app-level update notifications and drops project ones", () => {
+    useProject.setState({
+      project: { root: "/p", name: "p", trusted: true, isGit: false, settings: {} } as never,
+    });
+    const dispose = activateWorkbench();
+    try {
+      notify({ level: "info", title: "Downloading OpenIDEA 0.1.35", key: "app.update", sticky: true });
+      notify({ level: "info", title: "Git refresh failed", group: "vcs" });
+      useProject.setState({ project: null });
+      expect(useNotifications.getState().items.map((n) => n.title)).toEqual(["Downloading OpenIDEA 0.1.35"]);
+    } finally {
+      dispose();
+    }
+  });
+});