diff --git a/chrome.html b/chrome.html
index 056870a..4912165 100644
--- a/chrome.html
+++ b/chrome.html
@@ -440,14 +440,30 @@
     const chip = $("upchip"); if (!chip) return;
     if (!d) { chip.hidden = true; return; }
     chip.hidden = false;
-    // Prefer the installer URL when both are available — that's the flow
-    // that upgrades in place. Users on the portable can right-click the
-    // chip and choose the portable URL from the shell menu (future).
     const url = d.setupUrl || d.portableUrl || "";
     const core = $("upDownload");
-    core.textContent = `↓ Update to ${d.version}`;
-    core.title = url ? `Open ${url}` : "Download the new version";
-    core.onclick = () => { if (url) T.openUpdateDownload(url); };
+    // State machine: idle (nothing yet) -> downloading (silent fetch running,
+    // show percent) -> ready (chip becomes "Install & restart, one click") ->
+    // failed (fall back to explicit user-triggered download).
+    const state = d.downloadState || "idle";
+    if (state === "downloading") {
+      const pct = d.downloadTotal ? Math.floor((d.downloadReceived / d.downloadTotal) * 100) : null;
+      core.textContent = pct != null ? `↓ ${pct}% — ${d.version}` : `↓ Downloading ${d.version}…`;
+      core.title = "Downloading update in the background";
+      core.onclick = () => {};
+    } else if (state === "ready") {
+      core.textContent = `✓ Install ${d.version} & restart`;
+      core.title = "One-click install: launches the installer silently and restarts Theseus";
+      core.onclick = () => T.installUpdateNow && T.installUpdateNow();
+    } else if (state === "failed") {
+      core.textContent = `↓ Update to ${d.version}`;
+      core.title = url ? `Retry download — ${url}` : "Retry download";
+      core.onclick = () => { if (url) T.openUpdateDownload(url); };
+    } else {
+      core.textContent = `↓ Update to ${d.version}`;
+      core.title = url ? `Download ${url}` : "Download the new version";
+      core.onclick = () => { if (url) T.openUpdateDownload(url); };
+    }
   });
   $("upDismiss") && ($("upDismiss").onclick = () => T.dismissUpdate());
 
diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index b3af882..a9fcb87 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -299,13 +299,13 @@ async function checkForUpdate() {
     if (!versionIsNewer(rel.version, app.getVersion())) {
       // Same version or older — nothing to offer. Clear any stale state so the
       // chip disappears after the user has updated + relaunched.
-      if (updateAvailable) { updateAvailable = null; emitUpdateAvailable(); }
+      if (updateAvailable) { updateAvailable = null; updateDownloadState = "idle"; updateDownloadPath = null; emitUpdateAvailable(); }
       return;
     }
     const files = rel.files || {};
     const setupFile    = Object.keys(files).find((k) => /Setup/i.test(k));
     const portableFile = Object.keys(files).find((k) => /portable/i.test(k));
-    updateAvailable = {
+    const nextAvailable = {
       version: rel.version,
       date: rel.date || "",
       setupUrl:    setupFile    ? UPDATE_DOWNLOAD_BASE + setupFile    : null,
@@ -313,11 +313,48 @@ async function checkForUpdate() {
       setupHash:    setupFile    ? files[setupFile]    : null,
       portableHash: portableFile ? files[portableFile] : null,
     };
+    const versionChanged = !updateAvailable || updateAvailable.version !== nextAvailable.version;
+    updateAvailable = nextAvailable;
+    if (versionChanged) {
+      // New candidate — reset any prior download state and kick off a fresh
+      // silent background fetch so the chip lands as "ready to install".
+      updateDownloadState = "idle";
+      updateDownloadPath = null;
+      autoDownloadUpdate();
+    }
     emitUpdateAvailable();
   } catch { /* offline / manifest unreachable — silent */ }
 }
+// Silent background pre-download of the update installer. The user never
+// has to click Download — clicking the chip goes straight to Install.
+// State machine: idle -> downloading -> ready | failed.
+let updateDownloadState = "idle";
+let updateDownloadPath = null;   // path on disk once "ready"
+let updateDownloadReceived = 0;  // bytes so far
+let updateDownloadTotal = 0;     // total bytes
+function autoDownloadUpdate() {
+  if (!updateAvailable || !updateAvailable.setupUrl) return;
+  if (updateDownloadState !== "idle") return;
+  updateDownloadState = "downloading";
+  updateDownloadReceived = 0;
+  updateDownloadTotal = 0;
+  try {
+    session.defaultSession.downloadURL(updateAvailable.setupUrl);
+    console.log(`[update] silent fetch started: ${updateAvailable.setupUrl}`);
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.warn("update prefetch failed:", e?.message);
+    updateDownloadState = "failed";
+  }
+  emitUpdateAvailable();
+}
 function emitUpdateAvailable() {
-  const payload = (updateDismissedThisSession || !updateAvailable) ? null : updateAvailable;
+  const base = (updateDismissedThisSession || !updateAvailable) ? null : updateAvailable;
+  const payload = base ? {
+    ...base,
+    downloadState: updateDownloadState,   // idle | downloading | ready | failed
+    downloadReceived: updateDownloadReceived,
+    downloadTotal: updateDownloadTotal,
+  } : null;
   try { chrome?.webContents.send("update-available", payload); } catch {}
 }
 
@@ -1557,6 +1594,34 @@ function emitDownloads() {
 // attachments, and manual save-as gestures).
 function installDownloadTracker() {
   session.defaultSession.on("will-download", (_e, item /*, wc */) => {
+    const url = item.getURL();
+    // Update installer? Route it to a fixed temp path, keep it out of the
+    // visible downloads list, drive updateDownloadState instead so the chip
+    // can show "ready to install" and one-click install-and-restart.
+    const isUpdate = updateAvailable && (url === updateAvailable.setupUrl || url === updateAvailable.portableUrl);
+    if (isUpdate) {
+      const dst = path.join(app.getPath("temp"), item.getFilename());
+      try { item.setSavePath(dst); } catch {}
+      updateDownloadTotal = item.getTotalBytes() || 0;
+      updateDownloadReceived = 0;
+      item.on("updated", () => {
+        updateDownloadReceived = item.getReceivedBytes();
+        updateDownloadTotal = item.getTotalBytes() || updateDownloadTotal;
+        emitUpdateAvailable();
+      });
+      item.once("done", (_ev, state) => {
+        if (state === "completed") {
+          updateDownloadPath = item.getSavePath() || dst;
+          updateDownloadState = "ready";
+          console.log(`[update] silent fetch complete: ${updateDownloadPath}`);
+        } else {
+          updateDownloadState = "failed";
+          console.warn(`[update] silent fetch ${state}`);
+        }
+        emitUpdateAvailable();
+      });
+      return;
+    }
     const id = nextDlId++;
     const rec = {
       id,
@@ -2205,6 +2270,22 @@ ipcMain.handle("open-update-download", (_e, url) => {
 });
 ipcMain.handle("dismiss-update", () => { updateDismissedThisSession = true; emitUpdateAvailable(); return true; });
 ipcMain.handle("recheck-update", async () => { await checkForUpdate(); return updateAvailable; });
+// One-click "Install & restart". Requires the silent pre-fetch to have
+// finished (updateDownloadState === "ready"). Launches the setup with /S
+// (skips the wizard; our nsis/installer.nsh's Ariadne prompt is bypassed
+// too on upgrades because the Ariadne registry key is already present),
+// then quits Theseus so the installer can overwrite it. When the installer
+// finishes, the user re-launches Theseus and lands on the new version.
+ipcMain.handle("install-update-now", () => {
+  if (updateDownloadState !== "ready" || !updateDownloadPath) return false;
+  try {
+    const p = spawn(updateDownloadPath, ["/S"], { detached: true, stdio: "ignore" });
+    p.unref();
+  } catch (e) { console.warn("update spawn failed:", e?.message); return false; }
+  // Give the child a moment to inherit our arguments before we exit.
+  setTimeout(() => app.quit(), 400);
+  return true;
+});
 // Home page editable cards. Origin-gated to home.html — random pages that
 // snoop the preload can't act on the local file.
 ipcMain.handle("home-cards-get",   (e) => isHomePageSender(e.sender) ? loadHomeCards() : []);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7af2074..77482fd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "theseus-navigator",
-  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "version": "0.3.1",
   "description": "Theseus Navigator — a browser that follows the thread. By Silent Mode, a Deviant project.",
   "author": "Silent Mode",
   "main": "main.js",
diff --git a/preload.js b/preload.js
index 770af42..47eeb00 100644
--- a/preload.js
+++ b/preload.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("theseus", {
   // the current session.
   onUpdateAvailable: (cb) => ipcRenderer.on("update-available", (_e, d) => cb(d)),
   openUpdateDownload: (url) => ipcRenderer.invoke("open-update-download", url),
+  installUpdateNow:   () => ipcRenderer.invoke("install-update-now"),
   dismissUpdate: () => ipcRenderer.invoke("dismiss-update"),
   goHome: () => ipcRenderer.invoke("go-home"),
   back: () => ipcRenderer.invoke("go-back"),