diff --git a/src/main/updater.ts b/src/main/updater.ts
index 84726b012ab..0f6f625304c 100644
--- a/src/main/updater.ts
+++ b/src/main/updater.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ let currentStatus: UpdateStatus = { state: 'idle' }
 let userInitiatedCheck = false
 let onBeforeQuitCleanup: (() => void) | null = null
 let autoUpdaterInitialized = false
+let availableVersion: string | null = null
 
 function sendStatus(status: UpdateStatus): void {
   currentStatus = status
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ export function setupAutoUpdater(
     return
   }
 
-  autoUpdater.autoDownload = true
+  autoUpdater.autoDownload = false
   autoUpdater.autoInstallOnAppQuit = true
   // Use allowPrerelease to bypass broken /releases/latest endpoint (returns 406)
   // and instead parse the version directly from the atom feed which works reliably.
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ export function setupAutoUpdater(
       sendStatus({ state: 'not-available', userInitiated: wasUserInitiated || undefined })
       return
     }
+    availableVersion = info.version
     sendStatus({ state: 'available', version: info.version })
   })
 
@@ -115,7 +117,11 @@ export function setupAutoUpdater(
   })
 
   autoUpdater.on('download-progress', (progress) => {
-    sendStatus({ state: 'downloading', percent: Math.round(progress.percent) })
+    sendStatus({
+      state: 'downloading',
+      percent: Math.round(progress.percent),
+      version: availableVersion ?? ''
+    })
   })
 
   autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', (info) => {
@@ -137,5 +143,17 @@ export function setupAutoUpdater(
     })
   })
 
-  autoUpdater.checkForUpdatesAndNotify()
+  autoUpdater.checkForUpdates().catch((err) => {
+    // Startup check — don't bother the user, but log for diagnostics
+    console.error('[updater] startup check failed:', err?.message ?? err)
+  })
+}
+
+export function downloadUpdate(): void {
+  if (currentStatus.state !== 'available') {
+    return
+  }
+  autoUpdater.downloadUpdate().catch((err) => {
+    sendStatus({ state: 'error', message: String(err?.message ?? err) })
+  })
 }
diff --git a/src/main/window/attach-main-window-services.ts b/src/main/window/attach-main-window-services.ts
index f9b6aaad921..ce5ae82e8fd 100644
--- a/src/main/window/attach-main-window-services.ts
+++ b/src/main/window/attach-main-window-services.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@ import type { Store } from '../persistence'
 import { registerRepoHandlers } from '../ipc/repos'
 import { registerWorktreeHandlers } from '../ipc/worktrees'
 import { registerPtyHandlers } from '../ipc/pty'
-import { checkForUpdates, getUpdateStatus, quitAndInstall, setupAutoUpdater } from '../updater'
+import {
+  checkForUpdates,
+  downloadUpdate,
+  getUpdateStatus,
+  quitAndInstall,
+  setupAutoUpdater
+} from '../updater'
 
 export function attachMainWindowServices(mainWindow: BrowserWindow, store: Store): void {
   registerRepoHandlers(mainWindow, store)
@@ -46,10 +52,12 @@ export function registerUpdaterHandlers(): void {
   ipcMain.removeHandler('updater:getStatus')
   ipcMain.removeHandler('updater:getVersion')
   ipcMain.removeHandler('updater:check')
+  ipcMain.removeHandler('updater:download')
   ipcMain.removeHandler('updater:quitAndInstall')
 
   ipcMain.handle('updater:getStatus', () => getUpdateStatus())
   ipcMain.handle('updater:getVersion', () => app.getVersion())
   ipcMain.handle('updater:check', () => checkForUpdates())
+  ipcMain.handle('updater:download', () => downloadUpdate())
   ipcMain.handle('updater:quitAndInstall', () => quitAndInstall())
 }
diff --git a/src/preload/index.d.ts b/src/preload/index.d.ts
index 1cc5721268a..61112022630 100644
--- a/src/preload/index.d.ts
+++ b/src/preload/index.d.ts
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ type UpdaterApi = {
   getVersion: () => Promise<string>
   getStatus: () => Promise<UpdateStatus>
   check: () => Promise<void>
+  download: () => Promise<void>
   quitAndInstall: () => Promise<void>
   onStatus: (callback: (status: UpdateStatus) => void) => () => void
 }
diff --git a/src/preload/index.ts b/src/preload/index.ts
index 0b3a5412a22..4375968f394 100644
--- a/src/preload/index.ts
+++ b/src/preload/index.ts
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ const api = {
     getStatus: (): Promise<unknown> => ipcRenderer.invoke('updater:getStatus'),
     getVersion: (): Promise<string> => ipcRenderer.invoke('updater:getVersion'),
     check: (): Promise<void> => ipcRenderer.invoke('updater:check'),
+    download: (): Promise<void> => ipcRenderer.invoke('updater:download'),
     quitAndInstall: (): Promise<void> => ipcRenderer.invoke('updater:quitAndInstall'),
     onStatus: (callback: (status: unknown) => void): (() => void) => {
       const listener = (_event: Electron.IpcRendererEvent, status: unknown) => callback(status)
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/GeneralPane.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/GeneralPane.tsx
index 08c86af8361..3f21f72d6c1 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/GeneralPane.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/GeneralPane.tsx
@@ -161,7 +161,17 @@ export function GeneralPane({
             Check for Updates
           </Button>
 
-          {updateStatus.state === 'downloaded' ? (
+          {updateStatus.state === 'available' ? (
+            <Button
+              variant="default"
+              size="sm"
+              onClick={() => window.api.updater.download()}
+              className="gap-2"
+            >
+              <Download className="size-3.5" />
+              Install Update ({updateStatus.version})
+            </Button>
+          ) : updateStatus.state === 'downloaded' ? (
             <Button
               variant="default"
               size="sm"
@@ -178,9 +188,10 @@ export function GeneralPane({
           {updateStatus.state === 'idle' && 'Updates are checked automatically on launch.'}
           {updateStatus.state === 'checking' && 'Checking for updates...'}
           {updateStatus.state === 'available' &&
-            `Version ${updateStatus.version} is available. Downloading...`}
+            `Version ${updateStatus.version} is available. Click "Install Update" to download.`}
           {updateStatus.state === 'not-available' && 'You\u2019re on the latest version.'}
-          {updateStatus.state === 'downloading' && `Downloading update... ${updateStatus.percent}%`}
+          {updateStatus.state === 'downloading' &&
+            `Downloading v${updateStatus.version}... ${updateStatus.percent}%`}
           {updateStatus.state === 'downloaded' &&
             `Version ${updateStatus.version} is ready to install.`}
           {updateStatus.state === 'error' && `Update error: ${updateStatus.message}`}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/SidebarToolbar.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/SidebarToolbar.tsx
index df6b5aae108..578620aab19 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/SidebarToolbar.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/SidebarToolbar.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ const SidebarToolbar = React.memo(function SidebarToolbar() {
 
   const updateVersion = 'version' in updateStatus ? updateStatus.version : null
   const showUpdateBanner =
-    (updateStatus.state === 'downloaded' || updateStatus.state === 'available') &&
+    (updateStatus.state === 'downloaded' ||
+      updateStatus.state === 'available' ||
+      updateStatus.state === 'downloading') &&
     updateVersion !== dismissedUpdateVersion
 
   return (
@@ -21,17 +23,28 @@ const SidebarToolbar = React.memo(function SidebarToolbar() {
       {showUpdateBanner && (
         <div className="flex items-center border-t border-sidebar-border bg-primary/10">
           <button
-            onClick={() =>
-              updateStatus.state === 'downloaded' ? window.api.updater.quitAndInstall() : undefined
-            }
-            className="flex items-center gap-1.5 flex-1 min-w-0 px-2 py-1.5 text-[11px] font-medium text-primary hover:bg-primary/15 transition-colors cursor-pointer"
+            onClick={() => {
+              if (updateStatus.state === 'downloaded') {
+                window.api.updater.quitAndInstall()
+              } else if (updateStatus.state === 'available') {
+                window.api.updater.download()
+              }
+            }}
+            disabled={updateStatus.state === 'downloading'}
+            className="flex items-center gap-1.5 flex-1 min-w-0 px-2 py-1.5 text-[11px] font-medium text-primary hover:bg-primary/15 transition-colors cursor-pointer disabled:opacity-60 disabled:cursor-default"
           >
             <Download className="size-3.5 shrink-0" />
             {updateStatus.state === 'downloaded' ? (
               <span>Restart now (update)</span>
+            ) : updateStatus.state === 'downloading' ? (
+              <span>
+                Downloading <span className="font-semibold">v{updateVersion}</span>…{' '}
+                {updateStatus.percent}%
+              </span>
             ) : (
               <span>
-                Downloading <span className="font-semibold">v{updateStatus.version}</span>…
+                Update <span className="font-semibold">v{updateStatus.version}</span> available —
+                Install
               </span>
             )}
           </button>
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
index 0af1fd2d3c6..fd61a183b4b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export function useIpcEvents(): void {
     })
 
     let checkingToastId: string | number | undefined
+    let availableToastId: string | number | undefined
     unsubs.push(
       window.api.updater.onStatus((raw) => {
         const status = raw as UpdateStatus
@@ -52,7 +53,23 @@ export function useIpcEvents(): void {
             toast.dismiss(checkingToastId)
           }
           checkingToastId = undefined
+          availableToastId = toast.info(`Version ${status.version} is available.`, {
+            duration: Infinity,
+            action: {
+              label: 'Install',
+              onClick: () => window.api.updater.download()
+            }
+          })
+        } else if (status.state === 'downloading') {
+          if (availableToastId) {
+            toast.dismiss(availableToastId)
+            availableToastId = undefined
+          }
         } else if (status.state === 'downloaded') {
+          if (availableToastId) {
+            toast.dismiss(availableToastId)
+            availableToastId = undefined
+          }
           toast.success(`Version ${status.version} is ready to install.`, {
             duration: Infinity,
             action: {
diff --git a/src/shared/types.ts b/src/shared/types.ts
index f01c74126a0..3126ef88714 100644
--- a/src/shared/types.ts
+++ b/src/shared/types.ts
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ export type UpdateStatus =
   | { state: 'checking'; userInitiated?: boolean }
   | { state: 'available'; version: string }
   | { state: 'not-available'; userInitiated?: boolean }
-  | { state: 'downloading'; percent: number }
+  | { state: 'downloading'; percent: number; version: string }
   | { state: 'downloaded'; version: string }
   | { state: 'error'; message: string; userInitiated?: boolean }