diff --git a/docker/host-updater.py b/docker/host-updater.py
index ff3c8d6..354f8f6 100755
--- a/docker/host-updater.py
+++ b/docker/host-updater.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import signal
 import socketserver
 import subprocess
 import threading
+import time
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from http import HTTPStatus
 from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler
@@ -67,7 +68,10 @@ def is_authorized(headers):
 
 
 def watch_process(process):
+    global current_process
     exit_code = process.wait()
+    with status_lock:
+        current_process = None
     update_status(
         status="success" if exit_code == 0 else "error",
         message="Synapsis update completed." if exit_code == 0 else "Synapsis update failed.",
@@ -78,6 +82,32 @@ def watch_process(process):
     )
 
 
+def start_update_process():
+    global current_process
+
+    # Give the app enough time to return the 202 response before the container restarts.
+    time.sleep(2)
+
+    with status_lock:
+        log_handle = open(LOG_FILE, "a", encoding="utf-8")
+        current_process = subprocess.Popen(
+            [UPDATE_SCRIPT],
+            cwd=INSTALL_DIR,
+            stdout=log_handle,
+            stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+            start_new_session=True,
+            env={
+                **os.environ,
+                "INSTALL_DIR": INSTALL_DIR,
+            },
+        )
+
+        update_status(pid=current_process.pid)
+
+        thread = threading.Thread(target=watch_process, args=(current_process,), daemon=True)
+        thread.start()
+
+
 class ThreadedUnixServer(socketserver.ThreadingMixIn, socketserver.UnixStreamServer):
     daemon_threads = True
 
@@ -133,30 +163,17 @@ class Handler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                 )
                 return
 
-            log_handle = open(LOG_FILE, "a", encoding="utf-8")
-            current_process = subprocess.Popen(
-                [UPDATE_SCRIPT],
-                cwd=INSTALL_DIR,
-                stdout=log_handle,
-                stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-                start_new_session=True,
-                env={
-                    **os.environ,
-                    "INSTALL_DIR": INSTALL_DIR,
-                },
-            )
-
             update_status(
                 status="updating",
-                message="Synapsis update started.",
+                message="Synapsis update scheduled.",
                 lastStartedAt=now_iso(),
                 lastFinishedAt=None,
                 lastExitCode=None,
                 lastError=None,
-                pid=current_process.pid,
+                pid=None,
             )
 
-            thread = threading.Thread(target=watch_process, args=(current_process,), daemon=True)
+            thread = threading.Thread(target=start_update_process, daemon=True)
             thread.start()
 
         self.send_json(
@@ -164,7 +181,7 @@ class Handler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
             {
                 "ok": True,
                 "status": "updating",
-                "message": "Synapsis update started.",
+                "message": "Synapsis update scheduled. The node will restart shortly.",
             },
         )
 
diff --git a/docker/update-local.sh b/docker/update-local.sh
index b91bd2f..d681e47 100755
--- a/docker/update-local.sh
+++ b/docker/update-local.sh
@@ -63,11 +63,19 @@ case "${ACTIVE_PROXY}" in
         ;;
 esac
 
+download_file "docker/host-updater.py" "${INSTALL_DIR}/host-updater.py"
+download_file "docker/update-local.sh" "${INSTALL_DIR}/update-local.sh"
+chmod 755 "${INSTALL_DIR}/host-updater.py" "${INSTALL_DIR}/update-local.sh"
+
 echo "🐳 Pulling latest Synapsis image"
 compose_cmd pull
 
 echo "🚀 Restarting Synapsis"
 compose_cmd up -d --remove-orphans
 
+if command -v systemctl >/dev/null 2>&1 && systemctl list-unit-files synapsis-updater.service >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    systemctl restart synapsis-updater.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+fi
+
 echo ""
 echo "✅ Synapsis has been updated to the latest published image."
diff --git a/src/app/admin/page.tsx b/src/app/admin/page.tsx
index 3635a53..cd186e1 100644
--- a/src/app/admin/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/admin/page.tsx
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ export default function AdminPage() {
     const handleTriggerUpdate = async () => {
         setTriggeringUpdate(true);
         try {
-            const res = await fetch('/api/admin/update', { method: 'POST' });
+            const res = await fetch('/api/admin/update', { method: 'POST', keepalive: true });
             const data = await res.json().catch(() => ({}));
 
             if (!res.ok) {
@@ -241,7 +241,15 @@ export default function AdminPage() {
             showToast(data.message || 'Update started. Synapsis will restart shortly.', 'success');
             await loadUpdateStatus();
         } catch (error) {
-            showToast(error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Failed to start update', 'error');
+            const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Failed to start update';
+            if (message.toLowerCase().includes('fetch') || message.toLowerCase().includes('network')) {
+                showToast('Update likely started. The node is restarting, so this page may disconnect briefly.', 'success');
+                window.setTimeout(() => {
+                    window.location.reload();
+                }, 5000);
+            } else {
+                showToast(message, 'error');
+            }
         } finally {
             setTriggeringUpdate(false);
         }