diff --git a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/updates/controller.ts b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/updates/controller.ts
index 5ae8feae30..c94bc04ee1 100644
--- a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/updates/controller.ts
+++ b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/updates/controller.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ import { EMDASH_RELEASES_URL } from '@shared/urls';
 import { formatUpdaterError } from './utils';
 
 export const updateController = createRPCController({
-  check: async () => {
+  check: async (args?: { source?: 'background' | 'manual' }) => {
     try {
-      const result = await updateService.checkForUpdates();
+      const result = await updateService.checkForUpdates(args?.source ?? 'manual');
       return { success: true, result: result ?? null };
     } catch (error) {
       return { success: false, error: formatUpdaterError(error) };
diff --git a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/updates/update-service.ts b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/updates/update-service.ts
index aef9a7b9e0..83cd2ce1d6 100644
--- a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/updates/update-service.ts
+++ b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/updates/update-service.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ const CHECK_INTERVAL_MS = 60 * 60 * 1000; // 1 hour
 const STARTUP_DELAY_MS = 30 * 1000; // 30 seconds
 const INSTALL_RESTART_GUARD_TIMEOUT_MS = 2 * 60 * 1000;
 
+type UpdateCheckSource = 'background' | 'manual';
+
 export interface UpdateState {
   status: 'idle' | 'checking' | 'available' | 'downloading' | 'downloaded' | 'installing' | 'error';
   lastCheck?: Date;
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ class UpdateService implements IInitializable, IDisposable {
   private updateState: UpdateState;
   private checkTimer?: NodeJS.Timeout;
   private currentCheckPromise: Promise<UpdateInfo | null> | null = null;
+  private currentCheckSource: UpdateCheckSource | null = null;
   private initialized = false;
   private active = false;
   private installRequested = false;
@@ -126,6 +129,14 @@ class UpdateService implements IInitializable, IDisposable {
         return;
       }
 
+      if (this.updateState.status === 'checking' && this.currentCheckSource === 'background') {
+        this.updateState.status = 'idle';
+        this.updateState.error = undefined;
+        events.emit(updateNotAvailableEvent, undefined);
+        log.warn('Background update check failed; suppressing user-facing error');
+        return;
+      }
+
       const previousVersion = this.updateState.availableVersion;
       const previousInfo = this.updateState.updateInfo;
 
@@ -175,12 +186,17 @@ class UpdateService implements IInitializable, IDisposable {
     }, delay);
   }
 
-  async checkForUpdates(): Promise<UpdateInfo | null> {
+  async checkForUpdates(source: UpdateCheckSource = 'background'): Promise<UpdateInfo | null> {
     if (!this.active) return null;
-    if (this.currentCheckPromise) return this.currentCheckPromise;
+    if (this.currentCheckPromise) {
+      if (source === 'manual') this.currentCheckSource = 'manual';
+      return this.currentCheckPromise;
+    }
 
+    this.currentCheckSource = source;
     this.currentCheckPromise = this._performCheck().finally(() => {
       this.currentCheckPromise = null;
+      this.currentCheckSource = null;
       this.scheduleNextCheck();
     });
 
diff --git a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/lib/stores/update-store.ts b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/lib/stores/update-store.ts
index 6a4fb61411..4b1b56b1d0 100644
--- a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/lib/stores/update-store.ts
+++ b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/renderer/lib/stores/update-store.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ export type UpdateState =
   | { status: 'idle' }
   | { status: 'checking' }
   | { status: 'available'; info?: { version: string } }
-  | { status: 'not-available' }
   | { status: 'downloading'; progress?: DownloadProgress }
   | { status: 'downloaded' }
   | { status: 'installing' }
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ export class UpdateStore {
 
     events.on(updateNotAvailableEvent, () => {
       runInAction(() => {
-        this.state = { status: 'not-available' };
+        this.state = { status: 'idle' };
       });
     });
 
@@ -132,10 +131,10 @@ export class UpdateStore {
     });
 
     events.on(menuCheckForUpdatesChannel, () => {
-      rpc.update.check().catch(() => {});
+      rpc.update.check({ source: 'manual' }).catch(() => {});
     });
 
-    rpc.update.check().catch(() => {});
+    rpc.update.check({ source: 'background' }).catch(() => {});
   }
 
   async check(): Promise<void> {
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ export class UpdateStore {
       this.state = { status: 'checking' };
     });
     try {
-      const res = await rpc.update.check();
+      const res = await rpc.update.check({ source: 'manual' });
       if (!res) {
         runInAction(() => {
           this.state = { status: 'error', message: 'Update API unavailable' };