diff --git a/apps/app-frontend/src/App.vue b/apps/app-frontend/src/App.vue
index 8fe93c3bc..1939fa878 100644
--- a/apps/app-frontend/src/App.vue
+++ b/apps/app-frontend/src/App.vue
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ import {
 	getUpdateSize,
 	isDev,
 	isNetworkMetered,
+	setRestartAfterPendingUpdate,
 } from '@/helpers/utils.js'
 import i18n from '@/i18n.config'
 import { createContentInstall, provideContentInstall } from '@/providers/content-install'
@@ -1025,6 +1026,13 @@ async function downloadUpdate(versionToDownload) {
 
 async function installUpdate() {
 	restarting.value = true
+	try {
+		await setRestartAfterPendingUpdate(true)
+	} catch (e) {
+		restarting.value = false
+		handleError(e)
+		return
+	}
 	setTimeout(async () => {
 		await handleClose()
 	}, 250)
diff --git a/apps/app-frontend/src/helpers/utils.js b/apps/app-frontend/src/helpers/utils.js
index c9873b3e0..d0dd6797c 100644
--- a/apps/app-frontend/src/helpers/utils.js
+++ b/apps/app-frontend/src/helpers/utils.js
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ export async function removeEnqueuedUpdate() {
 	return await invoke('remove_enqueued_update')
 }
 
+export async function setRestartAfterPendingUpdate(should_restart) {
+	return await invoke('set_restart_after_pending_update', { shouldRestart: should_restart })
+}
+
 // One of 'Windows', 'Linux', 'MacOS'
 export async function getOS() {
 	return await invoke('plugin:utils|get_os')
diff --git a/apps/app/src/main.rs b/apps/app/src/main.rs
index a78c26010..c77a1ac73 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/app/src/main.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 use native_dialog::{DialogBuilder, MessageLevel};
 use std::env;
+use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use tauri::{Listener, Manager};
 use tauri_plugin_fs::FsExt;
 use theseus::prelude::*;
@@ -96,6 +97,17 @@ fn restart_app(app: tauri::AppHandle) {
     app.restart();
 }
 
+#[tauri::command]
+async fn set_restart_after_pending_update(
+    should_restart: bool,
+) -> api::Result<()> {
+    let state = State::get().await?;
+    state
+        .restart_after_pending_update
+        .store(should_restart, Ordering::Relaxed);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 // if Tauri app is called with arguments, then those arguments will be treated as commands
 // ie: deep links or filepaths for .mrpacks
 fn main() {
@@ -245,6 +257,7 @@ fn main() {
             get_update_size,
             enqueue_update_for_installation,
             remove_enqueued_update,
+            set_restart_after_pending_update,
             toggle_decorations,
             show_window,
             restart_app,
@@ -262,7 +275,13 @@ fn main() {
                 #[cfg(feature = "updater")]
                 if matches!(event, tauri::RunEvent::Exit) {
                     let update_data = app.state::<PendingUpdateData>().inner();
-                    if let Some((update, data)) = &*update_data.0.lock().unwrap() {
+                    let should_restart = State::get_if_initialized()
+                        .map(|s| {
+                            s.restart_after_pending_update.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
+                        })
+                        .unwrap_or(false);
+                    if let Some((update, data)) = &*update_data.0.lock().unwrap()
+                    {
                         fn set_changelog_toast(version: Option<String>) {
                             let toast_result: theseus::Result<()> = tauri::async_runtime::block_on(async move {
                                 let mut settings = settings::get().await?;
@@ -271,27 +290,46 @@ fn main() {
                                 Ok(())
                             });
                             if let Err(e) = toast_result {
-                                tracing::warn!("Failed to set pending_update_toast: {e}")
+                                tracing::warn!(
+                                    "Failed to set pending_update_toast: {e}"
+                                )
                             }
                         }
 
                         set_changelog_toast(Some(update.version.clone()));
-                        if let Err(e) = update.install(data) {
-                            tracing::error!("Error while updating: {e}");
-                            set_changelog_toast(None);
+                        match update.install(data) {
+                            Ok(()) => {
+                                if should_restart {
+                                    tracing::info!(
+                                        "Pending update installed successfully (version {}); restarting because user requested reload",
+                                        update.version
+                                    );
+                                    app.restart();
+                                } else {
+                                    tracing::info!(
+                                        "Pending update installed successfully (version {}); exiting without relaunch (user did not request reload)",
+                                        update.version
+                                    );
+                                }
+                            }
+                            Err(e) => {
+                                tracing::error!(
+                                    "Pending update install failed (version {}): {e}",
+                                    update.version
+                                );
+                                set_changelog_toast(None);
 
-                            DialogBuilder::message()
-                                .set_level(MessageLevel::Error)
-                                .set_title("Update error")
-                                .set_text(format!("Failed to install update due to an error:\n{e}"))
-                                .alert()
-                                .show()
-                                .unwrap();
+                                DialogBuilder::message()
+                                    .set_level(MessageLevel::Error)
+                                    .set_title("Update error")
+                                    .set_text(format!("Failed to install update due to an error:\n{e}"))
+                                    .alert()
+                                    .show()
+                                    .unwrap();
+                            }
                         }
-                        app.restart();
                     }
                 }
-
                 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
                 if let tauri::RunEvent::Opened { urls } = event {
                     tracing::info!("Handling webview open {urls:?}");
diff --git a/packages/app-lib/src/state/mod.rs b/packages/app-lib/src/state/mod.rs
index 6249d8746..2b8ddf73a 100644
--- a/packages/app-lib/src/state/mod.rs
+++ b/packages/app-lib/src/state/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 //! Theseus state management system
 use crate::util::fetch::{FetchSemaphore, IoSemaphore};
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
 use tokio::sync::{OnceCell, Semaphore};
 
 use crate::state::fs_watcher::FileWatcher;
@@ -83,6 +84,8 @@ pub struct State {
     /// Friends socket
     pub friends_socket: FriendsSocket,
 
+    pub restart_after_pending_update: AtomicBool,
+
     pub(crate) pool: SqlitePool,
 
     pub(crate) file_watcher: FileWatcher,
@@ -146,6 +149,10 @@ impl State {
         LAUNCHER_STATE.initialized()
     }
 
+    pub fn get_if_initialized() -> Option<Arc<Self>> {
+        LAUNCHER_STATE.get().map(Arc::clone)
+    }
+
     #[tracing::instrument]
     async fn initialize_state(
         app_identifier: String,
@@ -194,6 +201,7 @@ impl State {
             discord_rpc,
             process_manager,
             friends_socket,
+            restart_after_pending_update: AtomicBool::new(false),
             pool,
             file_watcher,
             // app_identifier,