diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
index 96ca4bd89e..9725c24f5b 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
@@ -700,12 +700,15 @@ function dispatchMenuAction(action: string): void {
 }
 
 function handleCheckForUpdatesMenuClick(): void {
+  const hasUpdateFeedConfig =
+    readAppUpdateYml() !== null || Boolean(process.env.T3CODE_DESKTOP_MOCK_UPDATES);
   const disabledReason = getAutoUpdateDisabledReason({
     isDevelopment,
     isPackaged: app.isPackaged,
     platform: process.platform,
     appImage: process.env.APPIMAGE,
     disabledByEnv: process.env.T3CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_UPDATE === "1",
+    hasUpdateFeedConfig,
   });
   if (disabledReason) {
     console.info("[desktop-updater] Manual update check requested, but updates are disabled.");
@@ -942,6 +945,8 @@ function setUpdateState(patch: Partial<DesktopUpdateState>): void {
 }
 
 function shouldEnableAutoUpdates(): boolean {
+  const hasUpdateFeedConfig =
+    readAppUpdateYml() !== null || Boolean(process.env.T3CODE_DESKTOP_MOCK_UPDATES);
   return (
     getAutoUpdateDisabledReason({
       isDevelopment,
@@ -949,6 +954,7 @@ function shouldEnableAutoUpdates(): boolean {
       platform: process.platform,
       appImage: process.env.APPIMAGE,
       disabledByEnv: process.env.T3CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_UPDATE === "1",
+      hasUpdateFeedConfig,
     }) === null
   );
 }
@@ -1032,17 +1038,6 @@ async function installDownloadedUpdate(): Promise<{ accepted: boolean; completed
 }
 
 function configureAutoUpdater(): void {
-  const enabled = shouldEnableAutoUpdates();
-  setUpdateState({
-    ...createInitialDesktopUpdateState(app.getVersion(), desktopRuntimeInfo),
-    enabled,
-    status: enabled ? "idle" : "disabled",
-  });
-  if (!enabled) {
-    return;
-  }
-  updaterConfigured = true;
-
   const githubToken =
     process.env.T3CODE_DESKTOP_UPDATE_GITHUB_TOKEN?.trim() || process.env.GH_TOKEN?.trim() || "";
   if (githubToken) {
@@ -1067,6 +1062,17 @@ function configureAutoUpdater(): void {
     });
   }
 
+  const enabled = shouldEnableAutoUpdates();
+  setUpdateState({
+    ...createInitialDesktopUpdateState(app.getVersion(), desktopRuntimeInfo),
+    enabled,
+    status: enabled ? "idle" : "disabled",
+  });
+  if (!enabled) {
+    return;
+  }
+  updaterConfigured = true;
+
   autoUpdater.autoDownload = false;
   autoUpdater.autoInstallOnAppQuit = false;
   // Keep alpha branding, but force all installs onto the stable update track.
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/updateState.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/updateState.test.ts
index 43b718bd00..8db92e1915 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/updateState.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/updateState.test.ts
@@ -71,10 +71,37 @@ describe("getAutoUpdateDisabledReason", () => {
         platform: "darwin",
         appImage: undefined,
         disabledByEnv: false,
+        hasUpdateFeedConfig: true,
       }),
     ).toContain("packaged production builds");
   });
 
+  it("reports packaged local builds without an update feed as disabled", () => {
+    expect(
+      getAutoUpdateDisabledReason({
+        isDevelopment: false,
+        isPackaged: true,
+        platform: "darwin",
+        appImage: undefined,
+        disabledByEnv: false,
+        hasUpdateFeedConfig: false,
+      }),
+    ).toContain("no update feed");
+  });
+
+  it("allows packaged builds with an update feed", () => {
+    expect(
+      getAutoUpdateDisabledReason({
+        isDevelopment: false,
+        isPackaged: true,
+        platform: "darwin",
+        appImage: undefined,
+        disabledByEnv: false,
+        hasUpdateFeedConfig: true,
+      }),
+    ).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it("reports env-disabled auto updates", () => {
     expect(
       getAutoUpdateDisabledReason({
@@ -83,6 +110,7 @@ describe("getAutoUpdateDisabledReason", () => {
         platform: "darwin",
         appImage: undefined,
         disabledByEnv: true,
+        hasUpdateFeedConfig: true,
       }),
     ).toContain("T3CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_UPDATE");
   });
@@ -95,6 +123,7 @@ describe("getAutoUpdateDisabledReason", () => {
         platform: "linux",
         appImage: undefined,
         disabledByEnv: false,
+        hasUpdateFeedConfig: true,
       }),
     ).toContain("AppImage");
   });
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/updateState.ts b/apps/desktop/src/updateState.ts
index 8c8ef1ddc9..928bb40886 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/updateState.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/updateState.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ export function getAutoUpdateDisabledReason(args: {
   platform: NodeJS.Platform;
   appImage?: string | undefined;
   disabledByEnv: boolean;
+  hasUpdateFeedConfig: boolean;
 }): string | null {
+  if (!args.hasUpdateFeedConfig) {
+    return "Automatic updates are not available because no update feed is configured.";
+  }
   if (args.isDevelopment || !args.isPackaged) {
     return "Automatic updates are only available in packaged production builds.";
   }