diff --git a/src/cli/update-notifier.test.ts b/src/cli/update-notifier.test.ts
index 7c13fdd..70d0fdd 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-notifier.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-notifier.test.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ describe("runUpdateNotifier", () => {
 		await runUpdateNotifier(makeBombContainer(), "1.0.0");
 	});
 
+	test("skips when argv contains self-update command", async () => {
+		process.argv = ["bun", "wt", "self-update"];
+		await runUpdateNotifier(makeBombContainer(), "1.0.0");
+	});
+
 	test("calls checkForUpdates on normal TTY invocation", async () => {
 		let readFileCalled = false;
 
diff --git a/src/cli/update-notifier.ts b/src/cli/update-notifier.ts
index e2cd00c..7554c58 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-notifier.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-notifier.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,14 @@ import { getCacheDir } from "../shared/xdg-paths.ts";
 export const UPDATE_CHECK_FILENAME = "update-check.json";
 
 const SKIP_FLAGS = new Set(["--help", "-h", "--version", "-v"]);
+// Commands for which the "update available" notice would be redundant or misleading.
+// `self-update` mutates the binary mid-process; the exit-time notice captured a stale
+// version in its closure and would print after a successful upgrade.
+const SKIP_COMMANDS = new Set(["self-update"]);
 
 export async function runUpdateNotifier(container: Container, currentVersion: string): Promise<void> {
 	if (!process.stdout.isTTY) return;
-	if (process.argv.some((arg) => SKIP_FLAGS.has(arg))) return;
+	if (process.argv.some((arg) => SKIP_FLAGS.has(arg) || SKIP_COMMANDS.has(arg))) return;
 
 	const cachePath = join(getCacheDir(), UPDATE_CHECK_FILENAME);