diff --git a/build/set_build_version.ts b/build/set_build_version.ts
index ca43876a42..0b1d5724a8 100644
--- a/build/set_build_version.ts
+++ b/build/set_build_version.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ function getBuildChannel(): string {
     case "rc":
       return preRelease;
     case undefined:
+    case "latest":
       return "latest"; // needed because electron-updater does not take build information into account when resolving if update is available
     default:
       throw new Error(`invalid pre-release ${preRelease}`);
diff --git a/src/common/ipc/update-available.ipc.ts b/src/common/ipc/update-available.ipc.ts
index 87ec740f44..de6342ae54 100644
--- a/src/common/ipc/update-available.ipc.ts
+++ b/src/common/ipc/update-available.ipc.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 import type { UpdateInfo } from "electron-updater";
 
 export const UpdateAvailableChannel = "update-available";
+export const AutoUpdateChecking = "auto-update:checking";
+export const AutoUpdateNoUpdateAvailable = "auto-update:no-update";
 export const AutoUpdateLogPrefix = "[UPDATE-CHECKER]";
 
 export type UpdateAvailableFromMain = [backChannel: string, updateInfo: UpdateInfo];
diff --git a/src/main/app-updater.ts b/src/main/app-updater.ts
index a767a44d4f..3c358acde6 100644
--- a/src/main/app-updater.ts
+++ b/src/main/app-updater.ts
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@
 
 import { autoUpdater, UpdateInfo } from "electron-updater";
 import logger from "./logger";
-import { isDevelopment, isLinux, isMac, isPublishConfigured, isTestEnv } from "../common/vars";
+import { isLinux, isMac, isPublishConfigured, isTestEnv } from "../common/vars";
 import { delay } from "../common/utils";
-import { areArgsUpdateAvailableToBackchannel, AutoUpdateLogPrefix, broadcastMessage, onceCorrect, UpdateAvailableChannel, UpdateAvailableToBackchannel } from "../common/ipc";
+import { areArgsUpdateAvailableToBackchannel, AutoUpdateChecking, AutoUpdateLogPrefix, AutoUpdateNoUpdateAvailable, broadcastMessage, onceCorrect, UpdateAvailableChannel, UpdateAvailableToBackchannel } from "../common/ipc";
 import { once } from "lodash";
 import { ipcMain } from "electron";
 import { nextUpdateChannel } from "./utils/update-channel";
@@ -68,23 +68,24 @@ function handleAutoUpdateBackChannel(event: Electron.IpcMainEvent, ...[arg]: Upd
   }
 }
 
+autoUpdater.logger = {
+  info: message => logger.info(`[AUTO-UPDATE]: electron-updater:`, message),
+  warn: message => logger.warn(`[AUTO-UPDATE]: electron-updater:`, message),
+  error: message => logger.error(`[AUTO-UPDATE]: electron-updater:`, message),
+  debug: message => logger.debug(`[AUTO-UPDATE]: electron-updater:`, message),
+};
+
 /**
  * starts the automatic update checking
  * @param interval milliseconds between interval to check on, defaults to 24h
  */
 export const startUpdateChecking = once(function (interval = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24): void {
-  if (isDevelopment || isTestEnv) {
+  if (!isAutoUpdateEnabled() || isTestEnv) {
     return;
   }
 
   const userStore = UserStore.getInstance();
 
-  autoUpdater.logger = {
-    info: message => logger.info(`[AUTO-UPDATE]: electron-updater: ${message}`),
-    warn: message => logger.warn(`[AUTO-UPDATE]: electron-updater: ${message}`),
-    error: message => logger.error(`[AUTO-UPDATE]: electron-updater: ${message}`),
-    debug: message =>  logger.debug(`[AUTO-UPDATE]: electron-updater: ${message}`),
-  };
   autoUpdater.autoDownload = false;
   autoUpdater.autoInstallOnAppQuit = false;
   autoUpdater.channel = userStore.updateChannel;
@@ -136,7 +137,13 @@ export const startUpdateChecking = once(function (interval = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24
 
       logger.info(`${AutoUpdateLogPrefix}: update not available from ${autoUpdater.channel}, will check ${nextChannel} channel next`);
 
-      autoUpdater.channel = nextChannel;
+      if (nextChannel !== autoUpdater.channel) {
+        autoUpdater.channel = nextChannel;
+        autoUpdater.checkForUpdates()
+          .catch(error => logger.error(`${AutoUpdateLogPrefix}: failed with an error`, error));
+      } else {
+        broadcastMessage(AutoUpdateNoUpdateAvailable);
+      }
     });
 
   async function helper() {
@@ -157,8 +164,9 @@ export async function checkForUpdates(): Promise<void> {
 
     autoUpdater.channel = userStore.updateChannel;
     autoUpdater.allowDowngrade = userStore.isAllowedToDowngrade;
+    broadcastMessage(AutoUpdateChecking);
     await autoUpdater.checkForUpdates();
   } catch (error) {
-    logger.error(`${AutoUpdateLogPrefix}: failed with an error`, { error: String(error) });
+    logger.error(`${AutoUpdateLogPrefix}: failed with an error`, error);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/menu.ts b/src/main/menu.ts
index 6718cf0003..08012cee23 100644
--- a/src/main/menu.ts
+++ b/src/main/menu.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { exitApp } from "./exit-app";
 import { broadcastMessage } from "../common/ipc";
 import * as packageJson from "../../package.json";
 import { preferencesURL, extensionsURL, addClusterURL, catalogURL, welcomeURL } from "../common/routes";
+import { checkForUpdates, isAutoUpdateEnabled } from "./app-updater";
 
 export type MenuTopId = "mac" | "file" | "edit" | "view" | "help";
 
@@ -61,10 +62,8 @@ export function showAbout(browserWindow: BrowserWindow) {
 }
 
 export function buildMenu(windowManager: WindowManager) {
-  function ignoreOnMac(menuItems: MenuItemConstructorOptions[]) {
-    if (isMac) return [];
-
-    return menuItems;
+  function ignoreIf(check: boolean, menuItems: MenuItemConstructorOptions[]) {
+    return check ? [] : menuItems;
   }
 
   async function navigate(url: string) {
@@ -72,6 +71,10 @@ export function buildMenu(windowManager: WindowManager) {
     await windowManager.navigate(url);
   }
 
+  const autoUpdateDisabled = !isAutoUpdateEnabled();
+
+  logger.info(`[MENU]: autoUpdateDisabled=${autoUpdateDisabled}`);
+
   const macAppMenu: MenuItemsOpts = {
     label: app.getName(),
     id: "root",
@@ -83,6 +86,13 @@ export function buildMenu(windowManager: WindowManager) {
           showAbout(browserWindow);
         },
       },
+      ...ignoreIf(autoUpdateDisabled, [{
+        label: "Check for updates",
+        click() {
+          checkForUpdates()
+            .then(() => windowManager.ensureMainWindow());
+        },
+      }]),
       { type: "separator" },
       {
         label: "Preferences",
@@ -129,7 +139,7 @@ export function buildMenu(windowManager: WindowManager) {
           navigate(addClusterURL());
         },
       },
-      ...ignoreOnMac([
+      ...ignoreIf(isMac, [
         { type: "separator" },
         {
           label: "Preferences",
@@ -158,7 +168,7 @@ export function buildMenu(windowManager: WindowManager) {
         },
       ] as MenuItemConstructorOptions[] : []),
 
-      ...ignoreOnMac([
+      ...ignoreIf(isMac, [
         {
           label: "Exit",
           accelerator: "Alt+F4",
@@ -264,7 +274,7 @@ export function buildMenu(windowManager: WindowManager) {
           shell.openExternal(supportUrl);
         },
       },
-      ...ignoreOnMac([
+      ...ignoreIf(isMac, [
         {
           label: `About ${productName}`,
           id: "about",
@@ -272,6 +282,13 @@ export function buildMenu(windowManager: WindowManager) {
             showAbout(browserWindow);
           },
         },
+        ...ignoreIf(autoUpdateDisabled, [{
+          label: "Check for updates",
+          click() {
+            checkForUpdates()
+              .then(() => windowManager.ensureMainWindow());
+          },
+        }]),
       ]),
     ],
   };
diff --git a/src/renderer/ipc/index.tsx b/src/renderer/ipc/index.tsx
index 4a1c250a6a..211dfbc8f2 100644
--- a/src/renderer/ipc/index.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/ipc/index.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 import React from "react";
 import { ipcRenderer, IpcRendererEvent } from "electron";
-import { areArgsUpdateAvailableFromMain, UpdateAvailableChannel, onCorrect, UpdateAvailableFromMain, BackchannelArg, ClusterListNamespaceForbiddenChannel, isListNamespaceForbiddenArgs, ListNamespaceForbiddenArgs, HotbarTooManyItems } from "../../common/ipc";
+import { areArgsUpdateAvailableFromMain, UpdateAvailableChannel, onCorrect, UpdateAvailableFromMain, BackchannelArg, ClusterListNamespaceForbiddenChannel, isListNamespaceForbiddenArgs, ListNamespaceForbiddenArgs, HotbarTooManyItems, ipcRendererOn, AutoUpdateChecking, AutoUpdateNoUpdateAvailable } from "../../common/ipc";
 import { Notifications, notificationsStore } from "../components/notifications";
 import { Button } from "../components/button";
 import { isMac } from "../../common/vars";
@@ -153,4 +153,10 @@ export function registerIpcListeners() {
     listener: HotbarTooManyItemsHandler,
     verifier: (args: unknown[]): args is [] => args.length === 0,
   });
+  ipcRendererOn(AutoUpdateChecking, () => {
+    Notifications.shortInfo("Checking for updates");
+  });
+  ipcRendererOn(AutoUpdateNoUpdateAvailable, () => {
+    Notifications.shortInfo("No update is currently available");
+  });
 }