diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-statusbar-items.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-statusbar-items.tsx
index 3d1f27eb205..eb0fe8bee25 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-statusbar-items.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-statusbar-items.tsx
@@ -241,10 +241,12 @@ export function useStatusbarItems({
 
     const backendVersion = statusSnapshot?.version
     const behind = backendUpdateStatus?.behind ?? 0
+    const updateAvailable = backendUpdateStatus?.updateAvailable || behind > 0
     const applying = backendUpdateApply.applying || backendUpdateApply.stage === 'restart'
 
     const base = copy.backendLabel(backendVersion ?? copy.unknown)
-    const behindHint = !applying && behind > 0 ? ` (+${behind})` : ''
+    const behindHint =
+      !applying && behind > 0 ? ` (+${behind})` : !applying && updateAvailable ? ` (${copy.update})` : ''
 
     const label = applying
       ? `${base} · ${backendUpdateApply.stage === 'restart' ? copy.restart : copy.update}`
@@ -253,13 +255,14 @@ export function useStatusbarItems({
     const tooltip = [
       applying ? backendUpdateApply.message || copy.updateInProgress : null,
       !applying && behind > 0 && copy.commitsBehind(behind, 'main'),
+      !applying && behind <= 0 && updateAvailable && copy.update,
       backendVersion && copy.backendVersion(backendVersion)
     ]
       .filter(Boolean)
       .join(' · ')
 
     return {
-      className: !applying && behind > 0 ? 'text-primary hover:text-primary' : undefined,
+      className: !applying && updateAvailable ? 'text-primary hover:text-primary' : undefined,
       hidden: !backendVersion,
       icon: applying ? <Loader2 className="size-3 animate-spin" /> : <Hash className="size-3" />,
       id: 'version-backend',
@@ -272,6 +275,7 @@ export function useStatusbarItems({
     connection?.mode,
     statusSnapshot?.version,
     backendUpdateStatus?.behind,
+    backendUpdateStatus?.updateAvailable,
     backendUpdateApply.applying,
     backendUpdateApply.message,
     backendUpdateApply.stage,
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx
index b4c0f30cebc..6ec059ded1a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ export function UpdatesOverlay() {
   }, [check, checking, open, status])
 
   const behind = status?.behind ?? 0
+  const updateAvailable = status?.updateAvailable || behind > 0
 
   const phase: 'idle' | 'applying' | 'manual' | 'guiSkew' | 'error' =
     apply.stage === 'manual'
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ export function UpdatesOverlay() {
             onRetryCheck={() => void check()}
             status={status}
             target={target}
+            updateAvailable={updateAvailable}
           />
         )}
       </DialogContent>
@@ -139,7 +141,8 @@ function IdleView({
   onLater,
   onRetryCheck,
   status,
-  target
+  target,
+  updateAvailable
 }: {
   behind: number
   checking: boolean
@@ -149,6 +152,7 @@ function IdleView({
   onRetryCheck: () => void
   status: DesktopUpdateStatus | null
   target: UpdateTarget
+  updateAvailable: boolean
 }) {
   const { t } = useI18n()
   const u = t.updates
@@ -198,7 +202,7 @@ function IdleView({
     )
   }
 
-  if (behind === 0) {
+  if (!updateAvailable) {
     return (
       <CenteredStatus
         body={target === 'backend' ? u.latestBodyBackend : u.latestBody}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts b/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
index e0c3226d3fa..b5cc04267e1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ export interface DesktopUpdateCommit {
 
 export interface DesktopUpdateStatus {
   supported: boolean
+  updateAvailable?: boolean
   branch?: string
   currentBranch?: string
   reason?: string
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
index 09f89daa0da..61de700e8a5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
@@ -199,11 +199,31 @@ describe('checkBackendUpdates', () => {
 
     expect(checkHermesUpdateSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(result?.behind).toBe(2)
+    expect(result?.updateAvailable).toBe(true)
     expect(result?.commits?.[0]?.sha).toBe('abc1234')
     expect(result?.supported).toBe(true)
     expect($backendUpdateStatus.get()?.commits?.[0]?.summary).toBe('feat: x')
   })
 
+  it('preserves backend update_available when the backend cannot count commits', async () => {
+    setRemote(true)
+    checkHermesUpdateSpy.mockResolvedValue({
+      install_method: 'nixos',
+      current_version: '0.16.0',
+      behind: -1,
+      update_available: true,
+      can_apply: false,
+      update_command: 'managed outside dashboard',
+      message: 'Update available.'
+    })
+
+    const result = await checkBackendUpdates()
+
+    expect(result?.behind).toBe(0)
+    expect(result?.updateAvailable).toBe(true)
+    expect(result?.targetSha).toBe('backend:0.16.0')
+  })
+
   it('honours can_apply=false (docker/nix): not supported, carries message', async () => {
     setRemote(true)
     checkHermesUpdateSpy.mockResolvedValue({
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
index 86cf75b4a9b..6591c81bb72 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ function mapBackendCheck(res: BackendUpdateCheckResponse): DesktopUpdateStatus {
   return {
     supported: res.can_apply,
     message: res.message ?? undefined,
+    updateAvailable: res.update_available,
     behind: behind > 0 ? behind : 0,
     targetSha: res.update_available ? `backend:${res.current_version}` : undefined,
     commits: res.commits,
diff --git a/hermes_cli/banner.py b/hermes_cli/banner.py
index 68d33e43fdb..df127c54b8a 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/banner.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/banner.py
@@ -197,7 +197,10 @@ def _check_via_local_git(repo_dir: Path) -> Optional[int]:
     origin_url = _git_stdout(["remote", "get-url", "origin"], cwd=repo_dir)
     if _is_official_ssh_remote(origin_url):
         head_rev = _git_stdout(["rev-parse", "HEAD"], cwd=repo_dir)
-        return _check_via_rev(head_rev) if head_rev else None
+        checked = _check_via_rev(head_rev) if head_rev else None
+        if checked == UPDATE_AVAILABLE_NO_COUNT:
+            return 1
+        return checked
 
     # Installer checkouts are shallow (`git clone --depth 1`). On a shallow
     # clone the history stops at a single commit, so a plain `git fetch` would
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_check.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_check.py
index 66c40a5ab17..84b9e3a6c99 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_check.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_check.py
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def test_check_for_updates_official_ssh_origin_uses_https_probe(tmp_path):
     with patch("hermes_cli.banner.subprocess.run", side_effect=fake_run):
         result = banner._check_via_local_git(repo_dir)
 
-    assert result == banner.UPDATE_AVAILABLE_NO_COUNT
+    assert result == 1
     assert ["git", "fetch", "origin", "--quiet"] not in calls