diff --git a/ts/mains/main_node.ts b/ts/mains/main_node.ts
index ea01af993..07e7a67cb 100644
--- a/ts/mains/main_node.ts
+++ b/ts/mains/main_node.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ const appInstance = config.util.getEnv('NODE_APP_INSTANCE') || 0;
 import { initAttachmentsChannel } from '../node/attachment_channel';
 
 import * as updater from '../updater/index';
+import { autoUpdateDisabled } from '../updater/auto_update_disabled';
 
 import { ephemeralConfig } from '../node/config/ephemeral_config';
 import { createTemplate } from '../node/menu';
@@ -554,6 +555,11 @@ async function readyForUpdates() {
     return;
   }
 
+  if (autoUpdateDisabled(userConfig.get('autoUpdate'))) {
+    console.log('[updater] updates disabled');
+    return;
+  }
+
   isReadyForUpdates = true;
 
   // Second, start checking for app updates
diff --git a/ts/test/session/unit/updater/updater_test.ts b/ts/test/session/unit/updater/updater_test.ts
index 1ddab8ae5..ded21f1f0 100644
--- a/ts/test/session/unit/updater/updater_test.ts
+++ b/ts/test/session/unit/updater/updater_test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ import { expect } from 'chai';
 import { enableLogRedirect } from '../../../test-utils/utils';
 import { DURATION } from '../../../../session/constants';
 import { fetchLatestRelease } from '../../../../session/fetch_latest_release';
+import {
+  autoUpdateDisabled,
+  DISABLE_UPDATE_PROMPT_ARG,
+} from '../../../../updater/auto_update_disabled';
 
 describe('Updater', () => {
   it('package.json target is correct', () => {
@@ -31,4 +35,28 @@ describe('Updater', () => {
   it('checks the file server on the same cadence as the update throttle', () => {
     expect(fetchLatestRelease.fetchReleaseFromFileServerInterval).to.equal(30 * DURATION.MINUTES);
   });
+
+  describe('autoUpdateDisabled', () => {
+    it('defaults to enabled when the user setting is absent', () => {
+      expect(autoUpdateDisabled(undefined, [], false)).to.be.false;
+    });
+
+    it('respects the user setting', () => {
+      expect(autoUpdateDisabled(false, [], false)).to.be.true;
+      expect(autoUpdateDisabled(true, [], false)).to.be.false;
+    });
+
+    it('disables updates for Mac App Store builds', () => {
+      expect(autoUpdateDisabled(true, [], true)).to.be.true;
+    });
+
+    it(`disables updates when ${DISABLE_UPDATE_PROMPT_ARG} is present`, () => {
+      expect(autoUpdateDisabled(true, ['session-desktop', DISABLE_UPDATE_PROMPT_ARG], false)).to.be
+        .true;
+    });
+
+    it('ignores unrelated launch arguments', () => {
+      expect(autoUpdateDisabled(true, ['session-desktop', '--start-in-tray'], false)).to.be.false;
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/ts/updater/auto_update_disabled.ts b/ts/updater/auto_update_disabled.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e724a40c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ts/updater/auto_update_disabled.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+export const DISABLE_UPDATE_PROMPT_ARG = '--disable-update-prompt';
+
+export function autoUpdateDisabled(
+  userSetting: unknown,
+  argv: ReadonlyArray<string> = process.argv,
+  isMacAppStore = process.mas
+): boolean {
+  const autoUpdate = typeof userSetting !== 'boolean' || userSetting;
+
+  return isMacAppStore || argv.includes(DISABLE_UPDATE_PROMPT_ARG) || !autoUpdate;
+}
diff --git a/ts/updater/index.ts b/ts/updater/index.ts
index 8758af871..d65f6e9d3 100644
--- a/ts/updater/index.ts
+++ b/ts/updater/index.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ import type { BrowserWindow } from 'electron';
 import { start as startUpdater, stop as stopUpdater } from './updater';
 import type { UserConfig } from '../node/config/user_config';
 import type { LoggerType } from '../util/logger/Logging';
+import { autoUpdateDisabled } from './auto_update_disabled';
 
 let initialized = false;
-let localUserConfig: UserConfig;
 
 export async function start(
   getMainWindow: () => BrowserWindow | null,
@@ -23,9 +23,8 @@ export async function start(
     throw new Error('[updater] start: Must provide logger!');
   }
   initialized = true;
-  localUserConfig = userConfig; // reused below
 
-  if (autoUpdateDisabled()) {
+  if (autoUpdateDisabled(userConfig.get('autoUpdate'))) {
     logger.info('[updater] start: Updates disabled - not starting new version checks');
 
     return;
@@ -40,13 +39,3 @@ export function stop() {
     initialized = false;
   }
 }
-
-function autoUpdateDisabled() {
-  // We need to ensure that if auto update is not present in the user config then we assume it is on by default
-  const userSetting = localUserConfig.get('autoUpdate');
-  const autoUpdate = typeof userSetting !== 'boolean' || userSetting;
-
-  return (
-    process.mas || !autoUpdate // From Electron: Mac App Store build // User setting
-  );
-}