diff --git a/app/main.js b/app/main.js
index 88a67c2..8affb20 100644
--- a/app/main.js
+++ b/app/main.js
@@ -5,15 +5,14 @@ var app = electron.app;
 var ipcMain = electron.ipcMain;
 var dialog = electron.dialog;
 
-var autoUpdater = require('electron-updater').autoUpdater;
-var autoUpdateMsg = "";
-
 var BrowserWindow = electron.BrowserWindow;
 var Menu = electron.Menu;
 var crashReporter = electron.crashReporter;
 
 var path = require('path');
 
+var updater = require('./updater');
+
 var mainWindow = null;
 
 // If someone tried to run a second instance, we should focus our window.
@@ -110,7 +109,7 @@ var openAboutWindow = function () {
     aboutWindow.webContents.on('will-navigate', function(e,url) { handleUrl(e,url); } );
 
   // aboutWindow.loadURL('data:text/html,' + info);
-  aboutWindow.loadURL( 'file://' + __dirname + '/about.html#'+autoUpdateMsg );
+  aboutWindow.loadURL( 'file://' + __dirname + '/about.html') //+autoUpdateMsg );
   return aboutWindow;
 };
 
@@ -145,31 +144,32 @@ var openHelpWindow = function() {
   helpWindow.loadURL( 'file://' + __dirname + '/help/index.html' );
 };
 
-autoUpdater.on('checking-for-update', () => {
-  console.log('Checking for update...');
-});
-autoUpdater.on('update-available', (info) => {
-  console.log('Update available.');
-});
-autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', (info) => {
-  console.log('Update not available.');
-});
-autoUpdater.on('error', (err) => {
-  console.log('Error in auto-updater.');
-});
+// autoUpdater.on('checking-for-update', () => {
+//   console.log('Checking for update...');
+// });
+// autoUpdater.on('update-available', (info) => {
+//   console.log('Update available.');
+// });
+// autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', (info) => {
+//   console.log('Update not available.');
+// });
+// autoUpdater.on('error', (err) => {
+//   console.log('Error in auto-updater.');
+// });
 
 //
 // the main deal
 //
 app.on('ready', function () {
 
-    autoUpdater.autoDownload = false;
+    // autoUpdater.autoDownload = false;
     // autoUpdater.checkForUpdates();
 
-    var hideDockIcon = config.readSettings('startup:hideDockIcon');
-    if( hideDockIcon && process.platform === 'darwin' ) {
-        app.dock.hide();
-    }
+  var hideDockIcon = config.readSettings('startup:hideDockIcon');
+  if( hideDockIcon && process.platform === 'darwin' ) {
+    app.dock.hide();
+  }
+
   var startMinimized = config.readSettings('startup:startMinimized');
   if( !startMinimized ) {
     var splash = openAboutWindow();
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ app.on('ready', function () {
       mainWindow.show();
     }, 3000 );
   }
-    var showDebug = config.readSettings('logger.showDebug') || false;
+  var showDebug = config.readSettings('logger.showDebug') || false;
 
   // Install global shortcut key (see also MenuMaker)
   var globalShortcut = electron.globalShortcut;
@@ -289,5 +289,8 @@ app.on('ready', function () {
   ipcMain.on('quitnow', function() {
     quit();
   });
+  ipcMain.on('checkForUpdates', function() {
+    updater.checkForUpdates();
+  })
 
 });
diff --git a/app/menuMaker.js b/app/menuMaker.js
index c132b88..61952f8 100644
--- a/app/menuMaker.js
+++ b/app/menuMaker.js
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ var MenuMaker = {
 
     setupTrayMenu: function() {
         // var self = this;
-        console.log("resourcesPath:",process.resourcesPath, "appPath:",app.getAppPath());
+        // console.log("resourcesPath:",process.resourcesPath, "appPath:",app.getAppPath());
         if( process.platform === 'win32' ) {  // FIXME: make this icon better for Windows
             tray = new Tray( app.getAppPath() + '/images/icons/blink1mk2-icon2-128px.ico' );
         }
@@ -160,6 +160,12 @@ var MenuMaker = {
                             ipcRenderer.send('openAboutWindow');
                         }
                     },
+                    { label: 'Check for Updates...',
+                      click: function(menuItem) {
+                        // console.log("MENUITEM:", menuItem);
+                        ipcRenderer.send('checkForUpdates');
+                      }
+                    },
                     { type: 'separator' },
                     { label: 'Preferences...', accelerator: "CommandOrControl+,",
                         click: function() {
@@ -204,6 +210,11 @@ var MenuMaker = {
                             ipcRenderer.send('openAboutWindow');
                         }
                     },
+                    { label: 'Check for updates',
+                      click: function() {
+                        ipcRenderer.send('checkForUpdates');
+                      }
+                    },
                     { type: 'separator' },
                     { label: 'Preferences...', accelerator: "CommandOrControl+,",
                         click: function() {
diff --git a/app/package.json b/app/package.json
index 461ef07..6d65d1d 100644
--- a/app/package.json
+++ b/app/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "Blink1Control2",
-  "version": "2.1.0",
+  "version": "2.1.1",
   "author": "ThingM <blink1@thingm.com> (https://blink1.thingm.com/)",
   "description": "Blink1Control2 GUI app for blink(1) devices",
   "productName": "Blink1Control2",
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     "events": "^1.1.1",
     "express": "^4.13.4",
     "imap": "^0.8.19",
-    "is-electron-renderer": "^2.0.0",
+    "is-electron-renderer": "^2.0.1",
     "moment": "^2.17.1",
     "nconf": "^0.10.0",
     "needle": "^1.5.1",
diff --git a/app/updater.js b/app/updater.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c521f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/updater.js
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/**
+ * updater.js
+ *
+ * Please use manual update only when it is really required, otherwise please use recommended non-intrusive auto update.
+ *
+ * Import steps:
+ * 1. create `updater.js` for the code snippet
+ * 2. require `updater.js` for menu implementation, and set `checkForUpdates` callback from `updater` for the click property of `Check Updates...` MenuItem.
+ */
+const { dialog } = require('electron')
+const { autoUpdater } = require('electron-updater')
+
+let updater = {}
+autoUpdater.autoDownload = false
+
+autoUpdater.on('error', (error) => {
+  dialog.showErrorBox('Error: ', error == null ? "unknown" : (error.stack || error).toString())
+})
+
+autoUpdater.on('update-available', () => {
+  dialog.showMessageBox({
+    type: 'info',
+    title: 'Found Updates',
+    message: 'Found updates, do you want update now?',
+    buttons: ['Sure', 'No']
+  }, (buttonIndex) => {
+    if (buttonIndex === 0) {
+      autoUpdater.downloadUpdate()
+    }
+    else {
+      updater.enabled = true
+      // updater = null
+    }
+  })
+})
+
+autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', () => {
+  dialog.showMessageBox({
+    title: 'No Updates',
+    message: 'Current version is up-to-date.'
+  })
+  updater.enabled = true
+  // updater = null
+})
+
+autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', () => {
+  dialog.showMessageBox({
+    title: 'Install Updates',
+    message: 'Updates downloaded, application will be quit for update...'
+  }, () => {
+    setImmediate(() => autoUpdater.quitAndInstall())
+  })
+})
+
+// export this to MenuItem click callback
+// function checkForUpdates (menuItem, focusedWindow, event) {
+function checkForUpdates() {
+  // updater = menuItem
+  updater.enabled = false
+  autoUpdater.checkForUpdates()
+}
+module.exports.checkForUpdates = checkForUpdates
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 04e009b..ad6096f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "Blink1Control2",
-  "version": "2.1.0",
+  "version": "2.1.1",
   "author": "ThingM <blink1@thingm.com> (https://blink1.thingm.com/)",
   "description": "Blink1Control2 GUI app for blink(1) devices",
   "keywords": [
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     "dist:test": "electron-builder --dir",
     "dist:draft": "electron-builder --publish=never",
     "dist": "electron-builder",
+    "release": "electron-builder",
     "dist:win32bit": "electron-builder --ia32 --win --publish=never",
     "clean": "rimraf app/node_modules node_modules package-lock.json app/package-lock.json",
     "env": "env",