diff --git a/app/cmd/app/app.go b/app/cmd/app/app.go
index 904807fd7..724c81619 100644
--- a/app/cmd/app/app.go
+++ b/app/cmd/app/app.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	wv           = &Webview{}
 	uiServerPort int
+	appStore     *store.Store
 )
 
 var debug = strings.EqualFold(os.Getenv("OLLAMA_DEBUG"), "true") || os.Getenv("OLLAMA_DEBUG") == "1"
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ func main() {
 	uiServerPort = port
 
 	st := &store.Store{}
+	appStore = st
 
 	// Enable CORS in development mode
 	if devMode {
@@ -360,8 +362,7 @@ func startHiddenTasks() {
 			slog.Info("deferring pending update for fast startup")
 		} else {
 			// Check if auto-update is enabled before automatically upgrading
-			st := &store.Store{}
-			settings, err := st.Settings()
+			settings, err := appStore.Settings()
 			if err != nil {
 				slog.Warn("failed to load settings for upgrade check", "error", err)
 			} else if !settings.AutoUpdateEnabled {
diff --git a/app/updater/updater.go b/app/updater/updater.go
index 29b6dbd3c..d2929d8a1 100644
--- a/app/updater/updater.go
+++ b/app/updater/updater.go
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ func (u *Updater) TriggerImmediateCheck() {
 
 func (u *Updater) StartBackgroundUpdaterChecker(ctx context.Context, cb func(string) error) {
 	u.checkNow = make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	u.checkNow <- struct{}{} // Trigger first check after initial delay
 	go func() {
 		// Don't blast an update message immediately after startup
 		time.Sleep(UpdateCheckInitialDelay)
@@ -333,7 +334,7 @@ func (u *Updater) StartBackgroundUpdaterChecker(ctx context.Context, cb func(str
 				continue
 			}
 
-			// Download successful - show tray notification (regardless of toggle state)
+			// Download successful - show tray notification
 			err = cb(resp.UpdateVersion)
 			if err != nil {
 				slog.Warn("failed to register update available with tray", "error", err)
diff --git a/app/updater/updater_test.go b/app/updater/updater_test.go
index c6857edbe..ae8292ebf 100644
--- a/app/updater/updater_test.go
+++ b/app/updater/updater_test.go
@@ -351,10 +351,13 @@ func TestTriggerImmediateCheck(t *testing.T) {
 
 	updater.StartBackgroundUpdaterChecker(ctx, cb)
 
-	// Wait for goroutine to start and pass initial delay
-	time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+	// Wait for the initial check that fires after the initial delay
+	select {
+	case <-checkDone:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("initial check did not happen")
+	}
 
-	// With 1 hour interval, no check should have happened yet
 	initialCount := checkCount.Load()
 
 	// Trigger immediate check