diff --git a/menus/darwin.cson b/menus/darwin.cson
index 44e88dead..346523299 100644
--- a/menus/darwin.cson
+++ b/menus/darwin.cson
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
     submenu: [
       { label: 'About Atom', command: 'application:about' }
       { label: "VERSION", enabled: false }
-      { label: "Install update", command: 'application:install-update', visible: false }
+      { label: "Restart and Install Update", command: 'application:install-update', visible: false}
+      { label: "Check for Update", command: 'application:check-for-update'}
       { type: 'separator' }
       { label: 'Preferences...', command: 'application:show-settings' }
       { label: 'Open Your Config', command: 'application:open-your-config' }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 423761f4c..8e2d3c78d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
       "url": "http://github.com/atom/atom/raw/master/LICENSE.md"
     }
   ],
-  "atomShellVersion": "0.8.7",
+  "atomShellVersion": "0.9.0",
   "dependencies": {
     "async": "0.2.6",
     "bootstrap": "git://github.com/atom/bootstrap.git#6af81906189f1747fd6c93479e3d998ebe041372",
diff --git a/src/browser/application-menu.coffee b/src/browser/application-menu.coffee
index 7de362838..d87b44c20 100644
--- a/src/browser/application-menu.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/application-menu.coffee
@@ -69,19 +69,15 @@ class ApplicationMenu
     if (item = _.find(@flattenMenuTemplate(template), (i) -> i.label == 'VERSION'))
       item.label = "Version #{@version}"
 
-  # Public: Makes the download menu item visible if available.
-  #
-  # Note: The update menu item's must match 'Install update' exactly otherwise
-  # this function will fail to work.
-  #
-  # * newVersion:
-  #   FIXME: Unused.
-  # * quitAndUpdateCallback:
-  #   Function to call when the install menu item has been clicked.
-  showDownloadUpdateItem: (newVersion, quitAndUpdateCallback) ->
-    if (item = _.find(@flattenMenuItems(@menu), (i) -> i.label == 'Install update'))
-      item.visible = true
-      item.click = quitAndUpdateCallback
+  # Toggles Install Update Item
+  showInstallUpdateItem: (visible=true) ->
+    if (item = _.find(@flattenMenuItems(@menu), (i) -> i.label == 'Restart and Install Update'))
+      item.visible = visible
+
+  # Toggles Check For Update Item
+  showCheckForUpdateItem: (visible=true) ->
+    if (item = _.find(@flattenMenuItems(@menu), (i) -> i.label == 'Check for Update'))
+      item.visible = visible
 
   # Private: Default list of menu items.
   #
diff --git a/src/browser/atom-application.coffee b/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
index 881036b69..4a528fdaf 100644
--- a/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class AtomApplication
     @listenForArgumentsFromNewProcess()
     @setupJavaScriptArguments()
     @handleEvents()
-    @checkForUpdates()
+    @setupAutoUpdater()
 
     @openWithOptions(options)
 
@@ -118,16 +118,52 @@ class AtomApplication
     app.commandLine.appendSwitch 'js-flags', '--harmony_collections --harmony-proxies'
 
   # Private: Enable updates unless running from a local build of Atom.
-  checkForUpdates: ->
-    versionIsSha = /\w{7}/.test @version
+  setupAutoUpdater: ->
+    autoUpdater.setFeedUrl "https://atom.io/api/updates?version=#{@version}"
 
-    if versionIsSha
-      autoUpdater.setAutomaticallyDownloadsUpdates false
-      autoUpdater.setAutomaticallyChecksForUpdates false
-    else
-      autoUpdater.setAutomaticallyDownloadsUpdates true
-      autoUpdater.setAutomaticallyChecksForUpdates true
-      autoUpdater.checkForUpdatesInBackground()
+    autoUpdater.on 'checking-for-update', =>
+      @applicationMenu.showInstallUpdateItem(false)
+      @applicationMenu.showCheckForUpdateItem(false)
+
+    autoUpdater.on 'update-not-available', =>
+      @applicationMenu.showInstallUpdateItem(false)
+      @applicationMenu.showCheckForUpdateItem(true)
+
+    autoUpdater.on 'update-downloaded', (event, releaseNotes, releaseName, releaseDate, releaseURL) =>
+      atomWindow.sendCommand('window:update-available', releaseName) for atomWindow in @windows
+      @applicationMenu.showInstallUpdateItem(true)
+      @applicationMenu.showCheckForUpdateItem(false)
+      @updateVersion = releaseName
+
+    autoUpdater.on 'error', (event, message) =>
+      @applicationMenu.showInstallUpdateItem(false)
+      @applicationMenu.showCheckForUpdateItem(true)
+
+    autoUpdater.checkForUpdates()
+
+  checkForUpdate: ->
+    autoUpdater.once 'update-available', ->
+      dialog.showMessageBox
+        type: 'info'
+        buttons: ['OK']
+        message: 'Update available.'
+        detail: 'A new update is being downloading.'
+
+    autoUpdater.once 'update-not-available', =>
+      dialog.showMessageBox
+        type: 'info'
+        buttons: ['OK']
+        message: 'No update available.'
+        detail: "Version #{@version} is the latest version."
+
+    autoUpdater.once 'error', (event, message)->
+      dialog.showMessageBox
+        type: 'warning'
+        buttons: ['OK']
+        message: 'There was an error checking for updates.'
+        detail: message
+
+    autoUpdater.checkForUpdates()
 
   # Private: Registers basic application commands, non-idempotent.
   handleEvents: ->
@@ -148,6 +184,8 @@ class AtomApplication
     @on 'application:inspect', ({x,y}) -> @focusedWindow().browserWindow.inspectElement(x, y)
     @on 'application:open-documentation', -> shell.openExternal('https://www.atom.io/docs/latest/?app')
     @on 'application:report-issue', -> shell.openExternal('https://github.com/atom/atom/issues/new')
+    @on 'application:install-update', -> autoUpdater.quitAndInstall()
+    @on 'application:check-for-update', => @checkForUpdate()
 
     @openPathOnEvent('application:show-settings', 'atom://config')
     @openPathOnEvent('application:open-your-config', 'atom://.atom/config')
@@ -171,12 +209,6 @@ class AtomApplication
       event.preventDefault()
       @openUrl({urlToOpen, @devMode})
 
-    autoUpdater.on 'ready-for-update-on-quit', (event, version, quitAndUpdateCallback) =>
-      event.preventDefault()
-      @updateVersion = version
-      @applicationMenu.showDownloadUpdateItem(version, quitAndUpdateCallback)
-      atomWindow.sendCommand('window:update-available', version) for atomWindow in @windows
-
     # A request from the associated render process to open a new render process.
     ipc.on 'open', (processId, routingId, options) =>
       if options?
diff --git a/src/browser/main.coffee b/src/browser/main.coffee
index 5d4a66224..c72081cd7 100644
--- a/src/browser/main.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/main.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 global.shellStartTime = Date.now()
 
-autoUpdater = require 'auto-updater'
 crashReporter = require 'crash-reporter'
 app = require 'app'
 fs = require 'fs'
@@ -42,7 +41,6 @@ start = ->
 
   app.on 'will-finish-launching', ->
     setupCrashReporter()
-    setupAutoUpdater()
 
   app.on 'finish-launching', ->
     app.removeListener 'open-file', addPathToOpen
@@ -66,9 +64,6 @@ global.devResourcePath = path.join(app.getHomeDir(), 'github', 'atom')
 setupCrashReporter = ->
   crashReporter.start(productName: 'Atom', companyName: 'GitHub')
 
-setupAutoUpdater = ->
-  autoUpdater.setFeedUrl 'https://speakeasy.githubapp.com/apps/27/appcast.xml'
-
 parseCommandLine = ->
   version = app.getVersion()
   options = optimist(process.argv[1..])