diff --git a/_locales/en/messages.json b/_locales/en/messages.json
index eae029a62..f409716c3 100644
--- a/_locales/en/messages.json
+++ b/_locales/en/messages.json
@@ -1965,7 +1965,7 @@
     "message": "There is a new version of Session available."
   },
   "autoUpdateNewVersionInstructions": {
-    "message": "Press Restart Session to apply the updates."
+    "message": "Would you like to download the update?"
   },
   "autoUpdateRestartButtonLabel": {
     "message": "Restart Session"
@@ -1973,6 +1973,15 @@
   "autoUpdateLaterButtonLabel": {
     "message": "Later"
   },
+  "autoUpdateDownloadButtonLabel": {
+    "message": "Download"
+  },
+  "autoUpdateDownloadedMessage": {
+    "message": "The new update has been downloaded."
+  },
+  "autoUpdateRestartInstructions": {
+    "message": "Press Restart Session to apply the updates."
+  },
   "leftTheGroup": {
     "message": "$name$ left the group",
     "description":
diff --git a/ts/updater/common.ts b/ts/updater/common.ts
index 1bb73decc..547f01b1f 100644
--- a/ts/updater/common.ts
+++ b/ts/updater/common.ts
@@ -18,37 +18,57 @@ export type LoggerType = {
   trace: LogFunction;
 };
 
-export async function showUpdateDialog(
+export async function showDownloadUpdateDialog(
   mainWindow: BrowserWindow,
   messages: MessagesType
 ): Promise<boolean> {
-  const RESTART_BUTTON = 0;
+  const DOWNLOAD_BUTTON = 0;
   const LATER_BUTTON = 1;
   const options = {
     type: 'info',
     buttons: [
-      messages.autoUpdateRestartButtonLabel.message,
+      messages.autoUpdateDownloadButtonLabel.message,
       messages.autoUpdateLaterButtonLabel.message,
     ],
     title: messages.autoUpdateNewVersionTitle.message,
     message: messages.autoUpdateNewVersionMessage.message,
     detail: messages.autoUpdateNewVersionInstructions.message,
     defaultId: LATER_BUTTON,
-    cancelId: RESTART_BUTTON,
+    cancelId: DOWNLOAD_BUTTON,
   };
 
   return new Promise(resolve => {
     dialog.showMessageBox(mainWindow, options, response => {
-      if (response === RESTART_BUTTON) {
-        // It's key to delay any install calls here because they don't seem to work inside this
-        //   callback - but only if the message box has a parent window.
-        // Fixes this: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Desktop/issues/1864
-        resolve(true);
+      resolve(response === DOWNLOAD_BUTTON);
+    });
+  });
+}
 
-        return;
-      }
+export async function showUpdateDialog(
+  mainWindow: BrowserWindow,
+  messages: MessagesType
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  const RESTART_BUTTON = 0;
+  const LATER_BUTTON = 1;
+  const options = {
+    type: 'info',
+    buttons: [
+      messages.autoUpdateRestartButtonLabel.message,
+      messages.autoUpdateLaterButtonLabel.message,
+    ],
+    title: messages.autoUpdateNewVersionTitle.message,
+    message: messages.autoUpdateDownloadedMessage.message,
+    detail: messages.autoUpdateRestartInstructions.message,
+    defaultId: LATER_BUTTON,
+    cancelId: RESTART_BUTTON,
+  };
 
-      resolve(false);
+  return new Promise(resolve => {
+    dialog.showMessageBox(mainWindow, options, response => {
+      // It's key to delay any install calls here because they don't seem to work inside this
+      //   callback - but only if the message box has a parent window.
+      // Fixes this: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Desktop/issues/1864
+      resolve(response === RESTART_BUTTON);
     });
   });
 }
diff --git a/ts/updater/updater.ts b/ts/updater/updater.ts
index cd2547d31..abde36b06 100644
--- a/ts/updater/updater.ts
+++ b/ts/updater/updater.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import * as path from 'path';
 import * as fs from 'fs-extra';
-import { autoUpdater } from 'electron-updater';
+import { autoUpdater, UpdateInfo } from 'electron-updater';
 import { app, BrowserWindow } from 'electron';
 import { markShouldQuit } from '../../app/window_state';
 import {
@@ -8,10 +8,13 @@ import {
   LoggerType,
   MessagesType,
   showCannotUpdateDialog,
+  showDownloadUpdateDialog,
   showUpdateDialog,
 } from './common';
+import { gt as isVersionGreaterThan, parse as parseVersion } from 'semver';
 
 let isUpdating = false;
+let downloadIgnored = false;
 
 const SECOND = 1000;
 const MINUTE = SECOND * 60;
@@ -25,6 +28,7 @@ export async function start(
   logger.info('auto-update: starting checks...');
 
   autoUpdater.logger = logger;
+  autoUpdater.autoDownload = false;
 
   setInterval(async () => {
     try {
@@ -42,7 +46,7 @@ async function checkForUpdates(
   messages: MessagesType,
   logger: LoggerType
 ) {
-  if (isUpdating) {
+  if (isUpdating || downloadIgnored) {
     return;
   }
 
@@ -51,20 +55,39 @@ async function checkForUpdates(
     return;
   }
 
-  isUpdating = true;
-
   logger.info('auto-update: checking for update...');
 
+  isUpdating = true;
+
   try {
     // Get the update using electron-updater
+    const result = await autoUpdater.checkForUpdates();
+    if (!result.updateInfo) {
+      logger.info('auto-update: no update info received');
+
+      return;
+    }
+
     try {
-      const info = await autoUpdater.checkForUpdates();
-      if (!info.downloadPromise) {
-        logger.info('auto-update: no update to download');
+      const hasUpdate = isUpdateAvailable(result.updateInfo);
+      if (!hasUpdate) {
+        logger.info('auto-update: no update available');
 
         return;
       }
-      await info.downloadPromise;
+
+      logger.info('auto-update: showing download dialog...');
+      const shouldDownload = await showDownloadUpdateDialog(
+        getMainWindow(),
+        messages
+      );
+      if (!shouldDownload) {
+        downloadIgnored = true;
+
+        return;
+      }
+
+      await autoUpdater.downloadUpdate();
     } catch (error) {
       await showCannotUpdateDialog(getMainWindow(), messages);
       throw error;
@@ -85,6 +108,18 @@ async function checkForUpdates(
   }
 }
 
+function isUpdateAvailable(updateInfo: UpdateInfo): boolean {
+  const latestVersion = parseVersion(updateInfo.version);
+  if (!latestVersion) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // We need to convert this to string because typescript won't let us use types across submodules ....
+  const currentVersion = autoUpdater.currentVersion.toString();
+
+  return isVersionGreaterThan(latestVersion, currentVersion);
+}
+
 /*
   Check if we have the required files to auto update.
   These files won't exist inside certain formats such as a linux deb file.