diff --git a/macos/Sources/App/macOS/AppDelegate.swift b/macos/Sources/App/macOS/AppDelegate.swift
index 62c5c0316..216373e7e 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/App/macOS/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/App/macOS/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -99,11 +99,10 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
     )
 
     /// Manages updates
-    let updaterController: SPUStandardUpdaterController
-    let updaterDelegate: UpdaterDelegate = UpdaterDelegate()
-    
-    /// Update view model for UI display
-    @Published private(set) var updateViewModel = UpdateViewModel()
+    let updateController = UpdateController()
+    var updateViewModel: UpdateViewModel {
+        updateController.viewModel
+    }
 
     /// The elapsed time since the process was started
     var timeSinceLaunch: TimeInterval {
@@ -130,15 +129,6 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
     }
 
     override init() {
-        updaterController = SPUStandardUpdaterController(
-            // Important: we must not start the updater here because we need to read our configuration
-            // first to determine whether we're automatically checking, downloading, etc. The updater
-            // is started later in applicationDidFinishLaunching
-            startingUpdater: false,
-            updaterDelegate: updaterDelegate,
-            userDriverDelegate: nil
-        )
-
         super.init()
 
         ghostty.delegate = self
@@ -183,7 +173,7 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
         ghosttyConfigDidChange(config: ghostty.config)
 
         // Start our update checker.
-        updaterController.startUpdater()
+        updateController.startUpdater()
 
         // Register our service provider. This must happen after everything is initialized.
         NSApp.servicesProvider = ServiceProvider()
@@ -810,12 +800,12 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
         // defined by our "auto-update" configuration (if set) or fall back to Sparkle
         // user-based defaults.
         if Bundle.main.infoDictionary?["SUEnableAutomaticChecks"] as? Bool == false {
-            updaterController.updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates = false
-            updaterController.updater.automaticallyDownloadsUpdates = false
+            updateController.updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates = false
+            updateController.updater.automaticallyDownloadsUpdates = false
         } else if let autoUpdate = config.autoUpdate {
-            updaterController.updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates =
+            updateController.updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates =
                 autoUpdate == .check || autoUpdate == .download
-            updaterController.updater.automaticallyDownloadsUpdates =
+            updateController.updater.automaticallyDownloadsUpdates =
                 autoUpdate == .download
         }
 
@@ -1008,7 +998,8 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
     }
 
     @IBAction func checkForUpdates(_ sender: Any?) {
-        UpdateSimulator.permissionRequest.simulate(with: updateViewModel)
+        updateController.checkForUpdates()
+        //UpdateSimulator.permissionRequest.simulate(with: updateViewModel)
     }
 
 
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/Update/UpdateController.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/Update/UpdateController.swift
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..47e6c8def
--- /dev/null
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/Update/UpdateController.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import Sparkle
+import Cocoa
+
+/// Standard controller for managing Sparkle updates in Ghostty.
+///
+/// This controller wraps SPUStandardUpdaterController to provide a simpler interface
+/// for managing updates with Ghostty's custom driver and delegate. It handles
+/// initialization, starting the updater, and provides the check for updates action.
+class UpdateController {
+    private(set) var updater: SPUUpdater
+    private let userDriver: UpdateDriver
+    private let updaterDelegate = UpdaterDelegate()
+    
+    var viewModel: UpdateViewModel {
+        userDriver.viewModel
+    }
+    
+    /// Initialize a new update controller.
+    init() {
+        let hostBundle = Bundle.main
+        self.userDriver = UpdateDriver(viewModel: .init())
+        self.updater = SPUUpdater(
+            hostBundle: hostBundle,
+            applicationBundle: hostBundle,
+            userDriver: userDriver,
+            delegate: updaterDelegate
+        )
+    }
+    
+    /// Start the updater.
+    ///
+    /// This must be called before the updater can check for updates. If starting fails,
+    /// an error alert will be shown after a short delay.
+    func startUpdater() {
+        try? updater.start()
+    }
+    
+    /// Check for updates.
+    ///
+    /// This is typically connected to a menu item action.
+    @objc func checkForUpdates() {
+        updater.checkForUpdates()
+    }
+    
+    /// Validate the check for updates menu item.
+    ///
+    /// - Parameter item: The menu item to validate
+    /// - Returns: Whether the menu item should be enabled
+    func validateMenuItem(_ item: NSMenuItem) -> Bool {
+        if item.action == #selector(checkForUpdates) {
+            return updater.canCheckForUpdates
+        }
+        return true
+    }
+}
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/Update/UpdateDriver.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/Update/UpdateDriver.swift
index 6627559e8..70f9341a6 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/Update/UpdateDriver.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/Update/UpdateDriver.swift
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
+import Cocoa
 import Sparkle
 
 /// Implement the SPUUserDriver to modify our UpdateViewModel for custom presentation.
 class UpdateDriver: NSObject, SPUUserDriver {
     let viewModel: UpdateViewModel
-    let retryHandler: () -> Void
     
-    init(viewModel: UpdateViewModel, retryHandler: @escaping () -> Void) {
+    init(viewModel: UpdateViewModel) {
         self.viewModel = viewModel
-        self.retryHandler = retryHandler
         super.init()
     }
     
@@ -38,9 +37,18 @@ class UpdateDriver: NSObject, SPUUserDriver {
     }
     
     func showUpdaterError(_ error: any Error, acknowledgement: @escaping () -> Void) {
-        viewModel.state = .error(.init(error: error, retry: retryHandler, dismiss: { [weak viewModel] in
-            viewModel?.state = .idle
-        }))
+        viewModel.state = .error(.init(
+            error: error,
+            retry: {
+                guard let delegate = NSApp.delegate as? AppDelegate else {
+                    return
+                }
+                
+                // TODO fill this in
+            },
+            dismiss: { [weak viewModel] in
+                viewModel?.state = .idle
+            }))
     }
     
     func showDownloadInitiated(cancellation: @escaping () -> Void) {