diff --git a/src/bin/julialauncher.rs b/src/bin/julialauncher.rs
index 154ed2a3..8e662deb 100644
--- a/src/bin/julialauncher.rs
+++ b/src/bin/julialauncher.rs
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ fn check_channel_uptodate(
         })?
         .version;
 
-    if latest_version != current_version {
+    if latest_version != current_version && is_interactive() {
         eprintln!("The latest version of Julia in the `{}` channel is {}. You currently have `{}` installed. Run:", channel, latest_version, current_version);
         eprintln!();
         eprintln!("  juliaup update");
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ fn get_julia_path_from_installed_channel(
             server_etag,
             version: _,
         } => {
-            if local_etag != server_etag {
+            if local_etag != server_etag && is_interactive() {
                 if channel.starts_with("nightly") {
                     // Nightly is updateable several times per day so this message will show
                     // more often than not unless folks update a couple of times a day.
diff --git a/tests/command_update.rs b/tests/command_update.rs
index 63869dc7..98cec028 100644
--- a/tests/command_update.rs
+++ b/tests/command_update.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+use predicates::boolean::PredicateBooleanExt;
+use predicates::str::contains;
+use serde_json::Value;
+use std::fs;
+
 mod utils;
 use utils::TestEnv;
 
@@ -46,3 +51,174 @@ fn command_update_all_with_alias() {
 
     env.juliaup().arg("update").assert().success();
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn command_update_outdated_channel() {
+    let env = TestEnv::new();
+
+    env.juliaup().arg("add").arg("1.10").assert().success();
+    env.juliaup().arg("add").arg("1.10.9").assert().success();
+
+    let config_path = env.config_path();
+    let config_content = fs::read_to_string(&config_path).expect("Failed to read config file");
+    let mut config: Value = serde_json::from_str(&config_content).expect("Failed to parse config");
+
+    // Find the actual version key for 1.10.9 in InstalledVersions
+    let installed_versions = config["InstalledVersions"]
+        .as_object()
+        .expect("InstalledVersions should be an object");
+
+    let version_1_10_9_key = installed_versions
+        .keys()
+        .find(|k| k.starts_with("1.10.9"))
+        .expect("Should have 1.10.9 version installed")
+        .clone();
+
+    let channels = config["InstalledChannels"]
+        .as_object_mut()
+        .expect("InstalledChannels should be an object");
+
+    if let Some(channel_110) = channels.get_mut("1.10") {
+        if let Some(version) = channel_110.get_mut("Version") {
+            *version = Value::String(version_1_10_9_key);
+        }
+    }
+
+    fs::write(
+        &config_path,
+        serde_json::to_string_pretty(&config).expect("Failed to serialize config"),
+    )
+    .expect("Failed to write config file");
+
+    env.juliaup()
+        .arg("status")
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(contains("1.10").and(contains("Update")));
+
+    // Update hints should not appear when using julia noninteractively.
+    // (ideally we'd test the interactive case too, but that's tricky in CI)
+    env.julia()
+        .arg("+1.10")
+        .arg("--version")
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stderr(
+            contains("latest version")
+                .not()
+                .and(contains("juliaup update").not())
+                .and(contains("You currently have").not()),
+        );
+
+    env.julia()
+        .arg("+1.10")
+        .arg("-e")
+        .arg("1+1")
+        .assert()
+        .success()
+        .stderr(
+            contains("latest version")
+                .not()
+                .and(contains("juliaup update").not())
+                .and(contains("You currently have").not()),
+        );
+
+    env.juliaup().arg("update").arg("1.10").assert().success();
+
+    let updated_config_content =
+        fs::read_to_string(&config_path).expect("Failed to read config file after update");
+    let updated_config: Value =
+        serde_json::from_str(&updated_config_content).expect("Failed to parse updated config");
+
+    let updated_channels = updated_config["InstalledChannels"]
+        .as_object()
+        .expect("InstalledChannels should be an object");
+
+    let new_version = updated_channels
+        .get("1.10")
+        .and_then(|c| c.get("Version"))
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+        .expect("1.10 channel should have a version");
+
+    assert!(
+        new_version.starts_with("1.10.10"),
+        "Channel 1.10 should have been updated to 1.10.10 (was {})",
+        new_version
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn command_update_all_outdated_channels() {
+    let env = TestEnv::new();
+
+    env.juliaup().arg("add").arg("1.10").assert().success();
+    env.juliaup().arg("add").arg("1.10.9").assert().success();
+    env.juliaup().arg("add").arg("1.11").assert().success();
+    env.juliaup().arg("add").arg("1.11.1").assert().success();
+
+    let config_path = env.config_path();
+    let config_content = fs::read_to_string(&config_path).expect("Failed to read config file");
+    let mut config: Value = serde_json::from_str(&config_content).expect("Failed to parse config");
+
+    let channels = config["InstalledChannels"]
+        .as_object_mut()
+        .expect("InstalledChannels should be an object");
+
+    if let Some(channel_110) = channels.get_mut("1.10") {
+        if let Some(version) = channel_110.get_mut("Version") {
+            *version = Value::String("1.10.9".to_string());
+        }
+    }
+
+    if let Some(channel_111) = channels.get_mut("1.11") {
+        if let Some(version) = channel_111.get_mut("Version") {
+            *version = Value::String("1.11.1".to_string());
+        }
+    }
+
+    fs::write(
+        &config_path,
+        serde_json::to_string_pretty(&config).expect("Failed to serialize config"),
+    )
+    .expect("Failed to write config file");
+
+    env.juliaup().arg("update").assert().success();
+
+    let updated_config_content =
+        fs::read_to_string(&config_path).expect("Failed to read config file after update");
+    let updated_config: Value =
+        serde_json::from_str(&updated_config_content).expect("Failed to parse updated config");
+
+    let updated_channels = updated_config["InstalledChannels"]
+        .as_object()
+        .expect("InstalledChannels should be an object");
+
+    let new_version_110 = updated_channels
+        .get("1.10")
+        .and_then(|c| c.get("Version"))
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+        .expect("1.10 channel should have a version");
+
+    let new_version_111 = updated_channels
+        .get("1.11")
+        .and_then(|c| c.get("Version"))
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+        .expect("1.11 channel should have a version");
+
+    assert!(
+        new_version_110.starts_with("1.10.10"),
+        "Channel 1.10 should have been updated to 1.10.10 (was {})",
+        new_version_110
+    );
+
+    assert!(
+        new_version_111.starts_with("1.11."),
+        "Channel 1.11 should have been updated to latest 1.11.x (was {})",
+        new_version_111
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !new_version_111.starts_with("1.11.1"),
+        "Channel 1.11 should have been updated past 1.11.1 (was {})",
+        new_version_111
+    );
+}
diff --git a/tests/utils.rs b/tests/utils.rs
index 811f90ec..f5e2eae1 100644
--- a/tests/utils.rs
+++ b/tests/utils.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use assert_cmd::Command;
 use assert_fs::TempDir;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 /// A test environment that provides convenient methods for running juliaup and julia commands
 /// with isolated depot directories.
@@ -33,4 +34,14 @@ impl TestEnv {
         cmd.env("JULIAUP_DEPOT_PATH", self.depot_dir.path());
         cmd
     }
+
+    /// Get the path to the juliaup config file
+    pub fn config_path(&self) -> PathBuf {
+        self.depot_dir.path().join("juliaup").join("juliaup.json")
+    }
+
+    /// Get the depot directory path
+    pub fn depot_path(&self) -> &Path {
+        self.depot_dir.path()
+    }
 }