diff --git a/desktop/main.js b/desktop/main.js
index 7a25730a5da7..820c381a059f 100644
--- a/desktop/main.js
+++ b/desktop/main.js
@@ -71,22 +71,36 @@ for (let i = 0; i < process.argv.length; i++) {
 // Add the listeners and variables required to ensure that auto-updating
 // happens correctly.
 let hasUpdate = false;
+let downloadedVersion;
 
-const quitAndInstallWithUpdate = (version) => {
+const quitAndInstallWithUpdate = () => {
+    if (!downloadedVersion) {
+        return;
+    }
     app.relaunch({
-        args: [`${EXPECTED_UPDATE_VERSION_FLAG}=${version}`],
+        args: [`${EXPECTED_UPDATE_VERSION_FLAG}=${downloadedVersion}`],
     });
     hasUpdate = true;
     autoUpdater.quitAndInstall();
 };
 
+// Defines the system-level menu item for manually triggering an update after
+const updateAppMenuItem = new MenuItem({
+    label: 'Update Expensify.cash',
+    enabled: false,
+    click: quitAndInstallWithUpdate,
+});
+
+// Actual auto-update listeners
 const electronUpdater = browserWindow => ({
     init: () => {
         autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', (info) => {
+            downloadedVersion = info.version;
+            updateAppMenuItem.enabled = true;
             if (browserWindow.isVisible()) {
                 browserWindow.webContents.send('update-downloaded', info.version);
             } else {
-                quitAndInstallWithUpdate(info.version);
+                quitAndInstallWithUpdate();
             }
         });
 
@@ -134,6 +148,9 @@ const mainWindow = (() => {
                 }],
             }));
 
+            const appMenu = systemMenu.items.find(item => item.role === 'appmenu');
+            appMenu.submenu.insert(1, updateAppMenuItem);
+
             // On mac, pressing cmd++ actually sends a cmd+=. cmd++ is generally the zoom in shortcut, but this is
             // not properly listened for by electron. Adding in an invisible cmd+= listener fixes this.
             const viewWindow = systemMenu.items.find(item => item.role === 'viewmenu');
diff --git a/src/Expensify.js b/src/Expensify.js
index 053d9dc09af2..27a2c6c45467 100644
--- a/src/Expensify.js
+++ b/src/Expensify.js
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ const propTypes = {
         accountID: PropTypes.number,
     }),
 
-    // Version of newly downloaded update.
-    version: PropTypes.string,
+    // Whether a new update is available and ready to install.
+    updateAvailable: PropTypes.bool,
 };
 
 const defaultProps = {
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ const defaultProps = {
         authToken: null,
         accountID: null,
     },
-    version: '',
+    updateAvailable: false,
 };
 
 class Expensify extends PureComponent {
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class Expensify extends PureComponent {
         return (
             <>
                 {/* We include the modal for showing a new update at the top level so the option is always present. */}
-                {this.props.version ? <UpdateAppModal updateVersion={this.props.version} /> : null}
+                {this.props.updateAvailable ? <UpdateAppModal /> : null}
                 <NavigationRoot authenticated={Boolean(authToken)} />
             </>
         );
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ export default withOnyx({
     session: {
         key: ONYXKEYS.SESSION,
     },
-    version: {
-        key: ONYXKEYS.UPDATE_VERSION,
+    updateAvailable: {
+        key: ONYXKEYS.UPDATE_AVAILABLE,
         initWithStoredValues: false,
     },
 })(Expensify);
diff --git a/src/ONYXKEYS.js b/src/ONYXKEYS.js
index b9057c941645..8edd302fb8c6 100644
--- a/src/ONYXKEYS.js
+++ b/src/ONYXKEYS.js
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ export default {
     // Contains the user preference for the LHN priority mode
     PRIORITY_MODE: 'priorityMode',
 
-    // Contains the version of the update that has newly been downloaded.
-    UPDATE_VERSION: 'updateVersion',
+    // Indicates whether an update is available and ready to beinstalled.
+    UPDATE_AVAILABLE: 'updateAvailable',
 
     // Saves the current country code which is displayed when the user types a phone number without
     // an international code
diff --git a/src/components/UpdateAppModal/UpdateAppModalPropTypes.js b/src/components/UpdateAppModal/UpdateAppModalPropTypes.js
index 476cfb15a104..c55209dfc1a2 100644
--- a/src/components/UpdateAppModal/UpdateAppModalPropTypes.js
+++ b/src/components/UpdateAppModal/UpdateAppModalPropTypes.js
@@ -3,15 +3,10 @@ import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 const propTypes = {
     // Callback to fire when we want to trigger the update.
     onSubmit: PropTypes.func,
-
-    // Version string for the app to update to.
-    // eslint-disable-next-line react/no-unused-prop-types
-    version: PropTypes.string,
 };
 
 const defaultProps = {
     onSubmit: null,
-    version: '',
 };
 
 export {propTypes, defaultProps};
diff --git a/src/components/UpdateAppModal/index.desktop.js b/src/components/UpdateAppModal/index.desktop.js
index 3bb08fc5ff58..2b7de124e406 100644
--- a/src/components/UpdateAppModal/index.desktop.js
+++ b/src/components/UpdateAppModal/index.desktop.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const UpdateAppModal = (props) => {
         if (props.onSubmit) {
             props.onSubmit();
         }
-        ipcRenderer.sendSync('start-update', props.version);
+        ipcRenderer.sendSync('start-update');
     };
     return <BaseUpdateAppModal onSubmit={updateApp} />;
 };
diff --git a/src/libs/Notification/LocalNotification/BrowserNotifications.js b/src/libs/Notification/LocalNotification/BrowserNotifications.js
index 2fb6932e8232..bb29b96e41f8 100644
--- a/src/libs/Notification/LocalNotification/BrowserNotifications.js
+++ b/src/libs/Notification/LocalNotification/BrowserNotifications.js
@@ -122,17 +122,14 @@ export default {
 
     /**
      * Create a notification to indicate that an update is available.
-     *
-     * @param {Object} params
-     * @param {String} params.version
      */
-    pushUpdateAvailableNotification({version}) {
+    pushUpdateAvailableNotification() {
         push({
             title: 'Update available',
             body: 'A new version of Expensify.cash is available!',
             delay: 0,
             onClick: () => {
-                Onyx.merge(ONYXKEYS.UPDATE_VERSION, version);
+                Onyx.merge(ONYXKEYS.UPDATE_AVAILABLE, true);
             },
         });
     },
diff --git a/src/libs/Notification/LocalNotification/index.js b/src/libs/Notification/LocalNotification/index.js
index 9dfdd62b3b86..9564b0ef7f26 100644
--- a/src/libs/Notification/LocalNotification/index.js
+++ b/src/libs/Notification/LocalNotification/index.js
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ function showCommentNotification({reportAction, onClick}) {
     BrowserNotifications.pushReportCommentNotification({reportAction, onClick});
 }
 
-function showUpdateAvailableNotification({version}) {
-    BrowserNotifications.pushUpdateAvailableNotification({version});
+function showUpdateAvailableNotification() {
+    BrowserNotifications.pushUpdateAvailableNotification();
 }
 
 export default {
diff --git a/src/setup/index.desktop.js b/src/setup/index.desktop.js
index 8864e3c6b396..f1c9364e7ab3 100644
--- a/src/setup/index.desktop.js
+++ b/src/setup/index.desktop.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export default function () {
         rootTag: document.getElementById('root'),
     });
 
-    ipcRenderer.on('update-downloaded', (_, version) => {
-        LocalNotification.showUpdateAvailableNotification({version});
+    ipcRenderer.on('update-downloaded', () => {
+        LocalNotification.showUpdateAvailableNotification();
     });
 }