diff --git a/src/application-delegate.coffee b/src/application-delegate.coffee
index cc1f4c946..a4262965f 100644
--- a/src/application-delegate.coffee
+++ b/src/application-delegate.coffee
@@ -182,6 +182,34 @@ class ApplicationDelegate
     new Disposable ->
       ipcRenderer.removeListener('message', outerCallback)
 
+  onDidBeginCheckingForUpdate: (callback) ->
+    outerCallback = (message, detail) ->
+      if message is 'checking-for-update'
+        callback(detail)
+
+    ipc.on('message', outerCallback)
+    new Disposable ->
+      ipc.removeListener('message', outerCallback)
+
+  onDidCompleteDownloadingUpdate: (callback) ->
+    outerCallback = (message, detail) ->
+      if message is 'update-downloaded'
+        callback(detail)
+
+    ipc.on('message', outerCallback)
+    new Disposable ->
+      ipc.removeListener('message', outerCallback)
+
+  onUpdateNotAvailable: (callback) ->
+    outerCallback = (message, detail) ->
+      if message is 'update-not-available'
+        callback(detail)
+
+    ipc.on('message', outerCallback)
+    new Disposable ->
+      ipc.removeListener('message', outerCallback)
+
+
   onApplicationMenuCommand: (callback) ->
     outerCallback = (event, args...) ->
       callback(args...)
diff --git a/src/atom-environment.coffee b/src/atom-environment.coffee
index 0ee12fe93..e6830ceaa 100644
--- a/src/atom-environment.coffee
+++ b/src/atom-environment.coffee
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ class AtomEnvironment extends Model
   # Public: A {TextEditorRegistry} instance
   textEditors: null
 
+  # Public: An {Update} instance
+  update: null
+
   saveStateDebounceInterval: 1000
 
   ###
diff --git a/src/browser/auto-update-manager.coffee b/src/browser/auto-update-manager.coffee
index 2df338761..c58d317cb 100644
--- a/src/browser/auto-update-manager.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/auto-update-manager.coffee
@@ -39,12 +39,19 @@ class AutoUpdateManager
 
     autoUpdater.on 'checking-for-update', =>
       @setState(CheckingState)
+      @emitWindowEvent('checking-for-update')
 
     autoUpdater.on 'update-not-available', =>
       @setState(NoUpdateAvailableState)
 
     autoUpdater.on 'update-available', =>
       @setState(DownladingState)
+      # We use sendMessage to send an event called 'update-available' below
+      # once the update download is complete. This mismatch between the electron
+      # autoUpdater events is unfortunate but in the interest of not changing the
+      # one existing event handled by applicationDelegate
+      @emitWindowEvent('did-begin-downloading-update')
+      @emit('did-begin-download')
 
     autoUpdater.on 'update-downloaded', (event, releaseNotes, @releaseVersion) =>
       @setState(UpdateAvailableState)
@@ -66,10 +73,16 @@ class AutoUpdateManager
 
   emitUpdateAvailableEvent: (windows...) ->
     return unless @releaseVersion?
+    @emitWindowEvent('update-available', {@releaseVersion})
     for atomWindow in windows
       atomWindow.sendMessage('update-available', {@releaseVersion})
     return
 
+  emitWindowEvent: (eventName, windows, payload) ->
+    for atomWindow in windows
+      atomWindow.sendMessage(eventName, payload)
+    return
+
   setState: (state) ->
     return if @state is state
     @state = state
@@ -93,6 +106,7 @@ class AutoUpdateManager
       @checkForUpdatesIntervalID = null
 
   check: ({hidePopups}={}) ->
+    console.log 'checking for update'
     unless hidePopups
       autoUpdater.once 'update-not-available', @onUpdateNotAvailable
       autoUpdater.once 'error', @onUpdateError
diff --git a/src/update.js b/src/update.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fcadbc21c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/update.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+'use babel'
+
+import {Emitter} from 'event-kit'
+
+export default class Update {
+  constructor () {
+    this.subscriptions = new CompositeDisposable()
+    this.emitter = new Emitter()
+  }
+
+  initialize () {
+    atom.applicationDelegate.onDidBeginDownloadingUpdate(() => {
+      this.emitter.emit('did-begin-downloading-update')
+    })
+    atom.applicationDelegate.onDidBeginCheckingForUpdate(() => {
+      this.emitter.emit('did-begin-checking-for-update')
+    })
+    atom.applicationDelegate.onUpdateAvailable(() => {
+      this.emitter.emit('did-complete-downloading-update')
+    })
+  }
+
+  dispose () {
+    this.subscriptions.dispose()
+  }
+
+  onDidBeginCheckingForUpdate (callback) {
+    this.subscriptions.add(
+      this.emitter.on('did-begin-checking-for-update', callback)
+    )
+  }
+
+  onDidBeginDownload (callback) {
+    this.subscriptions.add(
+      this.emitter.on('did-begin-downloading-update', callback)
+    )
+  }
+
+  onDidCompleteDownload (callback) {
+    this.subscriptions.add(
+      this.emitter.on('did-complete-downloading-update', callback)
+    )
+  }
+
+  onUpdateNotAvailable (callback) {
+    this.subscriptions.add()
+  }
+
+  check () {
+    // TODO
+  }
+
+  getState () {
+    // TODO
+  }
+}