diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts b/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
index 336f95b54ae2..a53965a63b59 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
@@ -373,6 +373,8 @@ export interface DesktopUpdateStatus {
   error?: string
   behind?: number
   currentSha?: string
+  /** Backend only: the version string the backend reports for itself. */
+  currentVersion?: string
   targetSha?: string
   commits?: DesktopUpdateCommit[]
   dirty?: boolean
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
index 7b19ba15f459..9dd1cbed6a38 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ const {
   applyUpdates,
   $updateApply,
   $updateOverlayOpen,
+  $updateOverlayTarget,
+  requestActiveUpdate,
   resetUpdateApplyState,
   startUpdatePoller,
   stopUpdatePoller,
@@ -69,6 +71,18 @@ const status = (over: Partial<DesktopUpdateStatus> = {}): DesktopUpdateStatus =>
 
 const lastToast = () => notifySpy.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0] as { onDismiss: () => void }
 
+const setRemote = (on: boolean) =>
+  setConnection({
+    baseUrl: 'http://box:9119',
+    isFullscreen: false,
+    mode: on ? 'remote' : 'local',
+    nativeOverlayWidth: 0,
+    token: 't',
+    wsUrl: 'ws://box:9119',
+    logs: [],
+    windowButtonPosition: null
+  })
+
 describe('maybeNotifyUpdateAvailable', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     storage.clear()
@@ -175,18 +189,6 @@ describe('checkBackendUpdates', () => {
     vi.useRealTimers()
   })
 
-  const setRemote = (on: boolean) =>
-    setConnection({
-      baseUrl: 'http://box:9119',
-      isFullscreen: false,
-      mode: on ? 'remote' : 'local',
-      nativeOverlayWidth: 0,
-      token: 't',
-      wsUrl: 'ws://box:9119',
-      logs: [],
-      windowButtonPosition: null
-    })
-
   it('maps the backend /update/check onto the backend status, including commits', async () => {
     setRemote(true)
     checkHermesUpdateSpy.mockResolvedValue({
@@ -254,6 +256,96 @@ describe('checkBackendUpdates', () => {
   })
 })
 
+// The ⌘K "Update Hermes" row. It used to call applyBackendUpdate() flat, which
+// in local mode aimed at the backend checkout instead of the client and, with
+// no overlay open, showed nothing at all.
+describe('requestActiveUpdate', () => {
+  const applyClientMock = vi.fn()
+  const checkClientMock = vi.fn()
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    storage.clear()
+    notifySpy.mockClear()
+    dismissSpy.mockClear()
+    applyClientMock.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, handedOff: true })
+    checkClientMock.mockReset().mockResolvedValue(status({ behind: 0 }))
+    updateHermesSpy.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, name: 'update' })
+    checkHermesUpdateSpy.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({
+      install_method: 'git',
+      current_version: '0.4.2',
+      behind: 0,
+      update_available: false,
+      can_apply: true,
+      update_command: null,
+      message: null
+    })
+    getActionStatusSpy.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ lines: [], running: false, exit_code: 0 })
+    resetUpdateApplyState()
+    $updateStatus.set(null)
+    $backendUpdateStatus.set(null)
+    $updateOverlayOpen.set(false)
+    ;(globalThis as unknown as { window: unknown }).window = {
+      hermesDesktop: { updates: { apply: applyClientMock, check: checkClientMock } }
+    }
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    setRemote(false)
+    delete (globalThis as unknown as { window?: unknown }).window
+  })
+
+  it('applies the CLIENT update in local mode, never the backend', async () => {
+    setRemote(false)
+    $updateStatus.set(status({ behind: 3 }))
+
+    requestActiveUpdate()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(applyClientMock).toHaveBeenCalled())
+
+    expect(updateHermesSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect($updateOverlayTarget.get()).toBe('client')
+  })
+
+  it('applies the BACKEND update in remote mode', async () => {
+    setRemote(true)
+    $backendUpdateStatus.set(status({ behind: 3 }))
+
+    requestActiveUpdate()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(updateHermesSpy).toHaveBeenCalled())
+
+    expect(applyClientMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect($updateOverlayTarget.get()).toBe('backend')
+  })
+
+  it('always opens the overlay, so selecting the row is never a silent no-op', () => {
+    setRemote(false)
+    $updateStatus.set(status({ behind: 3 }))
+
+    requestActiveUpdate()
+
+    expect($updateOverlayOpen.get()).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('opens the overlay to re-check instead of applying when already current', () => {
+    setRemote(false)
+    $updateStatus.set(status({ behind: 0, updateAvailable: false }))
+
+    requestActiveUpdate()
+
+    expect($updateOverlayOpen.get()).toBe(true)
+    expect(applyClientMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(updateHermesSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('applies on a backend that reports an update it cannot count commits for', async () => {
+    setRemote(true)
+    $backendUpdateStatus.set(status({ behind: 0, updateAvailable: true }))
+
+    requestActiveUpdate()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(updateHermesSpy).toHaveBeenCalled())
+  })
+})
+
 describe('applyUpdates terminal state', () => {
   const applyMock = vi.fn()
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
index 1f0998a5e069..0b46920e30d2 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
@@ -254,6 +254,25 @@ export function startActiveUpdate(): void {
   void (target === 'backend' ? applyBackendUpdate() : applyUpdates())
 }
 
+/**
+ * Command-palette entry point. The About panel's "Update now" only renders once
+ * we know an update is waiting; this row is always listed, so it also has to
+ * handle "already current" — open the overlay for the active target and let its
+ * check answer, and only apply when there's something to install.
+ */
+export function requestActiveUpdate(): void {
+  const target: UpdateTarget = isRemoteMode() ? 'backend' : 'client'
+  const status = target === 'backend' ? $backendUpdateStatus.get() : $updateStatus.get()
+
+  if ((status?.behind ?? 0) > 0 || status?.updateAvailable) {
+    startActiveUpdate()
+
+    return
+  }
+
+  openUpdateOverlayFor(target)
+}
+
 /** Re-read the running app's version from the Electron main process and
  *  publish it on `$desktopVersion`. Called when the About panel mounts, the
  *  update flow finishes, and the window regains focus, so the About text
@@ -294,6 +313,7 @@ function mapBackendCheck(res: BackendUpdateCheckResponse): DesktopUpdateStatus {
     message: res.message ?? undefined,
     updateAvailable: res.update_available,
     behind: behind > 0 ? behind : 0,
+    currentVersion: res.current_version,
     targetSha: res.update_available ? `backend:${res.current_version}` : undefined,
     commits: res.commits,
     fetchedAt: Date.now()