diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f28b12d..c591d9a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ checksum = "b05b61dc5112cbb17e4b6cd61790d9845d13888356391624cbe7e41efeac1e75"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "coman"
-version = "0.8.7"
+version = "0.8.8"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "aws-sdk-s3",
diff --git a/coman/.config/config.toml b/coman/.config/config.toml
index 098257d..775f594 100644
--- a/coman/.config/config.toml
+++ b/coman/.config/config.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+update_check_interval_hours = 24
+
 [cscs]
 # check https://docs.cscs.ch/access/firecrest/#firecrest-deployment-on-alps for possible system and platform combinations
 current_system = "daint" # what system/cluster to execute commands on
diff --git a/coman/Cargo.toml b/coman/Cargo.toml
index 46063d2..9639be2 100644
--- a/coman/Cargo.toml
+++ b/coman/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "coman"
-version = "0.8.7"
+version = "0.8.8"
 edition = "2024"
 description = "Compute Manager for managing HPC compute"
 authors = ["Ralf Grubenmann <ralf.grubenmann@sdsc.ethz.ch>"]
diff --git a/coman/src/cli/app.rs b/coman/src/cli/app.rs
index 6d94e92..e3573e1 100644
--- a/coman/src/cli/app.rs
+++ b/coman/src/cli/app.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 use std::{error::Error, path::PathBuf, str::FromStr, thread};
 
+use chrono::{DateTime, Local, TimeDelta};
 use clap::{Args, Command, Parser, Subcommand, ValueHint, builder::TypedValueParser};
 use clap_complete::{ArgValueCompleter, CompletionCandidate, Generator, Shell, generate};
 use color_eyre::{Report, Result};
 use itertools::Itertools;
+use self_update::cargo_crate_version;
 use strum::VariantNames;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 
@@ -568,3 +570,42 @@ fn is_bare_string(value_str: &str) -> bool {
 pub fn print_completions<G: Generator>(generator: G, cmd: &mut Command) {
     generate(generator, cmd, cmd.get_name().to_string(), &mut std::io::stdout());
 }
+
+pub fn update() -> Result<()> {
+    let status = self_update::backends::github::Update::configure()
+        .repo_owner("SwissDataScienceCenter")
+        .repo_name("coman")
+        .bin_name("coman")
+        .bin_path_in_archive("coman")
+        .show_download_progress(true)
+        .current_version(cargo_crate_version!())
+        .build()?
+        .update()?;
+    if status.updated() {
+        println!("Successfully updated to version: `{}`", status.version());
+    } else {
+        println!("Already up to date at version: `{}`", status.version());
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub async fn check_update() -> Result<()> {
+    let config = Config::new()?;
+    let data_dir = get_data_dir();
+    let stamp_path = data_dir.join("selfupdate.stamp");
+    let Ok(update_stamp) = std::fs::read_to_string(&stamp_path) else {
+        std::fs::write(&stamp_path, Local::now().to_rfc3339()).unwrap();
+        return Ok(());
+    };
+    let update_stamp = DateTime::parse_from_rfc3339(&update_stamp)?;
+
+    let now = Local::now();
+    if now.naive_local() - update_stamp.naive_local()
+        > TimeDelta::hours(config.values.update_check_interval_hours as i64)
+    {
+        println!("checking for updates");
+        update()?;
+        std::fs::write(&stamp_path, Local::now().to_rfc3339())?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/coman/src/config.rs b/coman/src/config.rs
index 48689eb..e4b1147 100644
--- a/coman/src/config.rs
+++ b/coman/src/config.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ pub struct ComanConfig {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub coman_squash_path: Option<PathBuf>,
     #[serde(default)]
+    pub update_check_interval_hours: u64,
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub cscs: CscsConfig,
 }
 
diff --git a/coman/src/main.rs b/coman/src/main.rs
index 0aecf6f..0759cc9 100644
--- a/coman/src/main.rs
+++ b/coman/src/main.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ use clap::{CommandFactory, Parser};
 use clap_complete::CompleteEnv;
 use color_eyre::Result;
 use keyring::set_global_service_name;
-use self_update::cargo_crate_version;
 use tokio::{runtime::Handle, sync::mpsc};
 use tuirealm::{
     Application, EventListenerCfg, PollStrategy, Sub, SubClause, SubEventClause, Update,
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ use crate::{
     cli::{
         app::{
             Cli, CliCommands, ConfigCommands, CscsCommands, CscsFileCommands, CscsJobCommands, CscsSystemCommands,
-            get_config, print_completions, set_config, version,
+            check_update, get_config, print_completions, set_config, update, version,
         },
         exec::cli_exec_command,
         proxy::cli_proxy_command,
@@ -64,6 +63,12 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
     set_global_service_name(env!("CARGO_PKG_NAME"));
     crate::logging::init()?;
     CompleteEnv::with_factory(Cli::command).complete();
+
+    // check self-update
+    if let Err(e) = check_update().await {
+        println!("Couldn't check for updates: {}", e);
+    }
+
     let args = Cli::parse();
     match args.command {
         Some(command) => match command {
@@ -379,21 +384,3 @@ fn popup_exclusion_clause() -> SubClause<Id> {
         SubClause::IsMounted(Id::SystemSelectPopup),
     ])))
 }
-
-fn update() -> Result<()> {
-    let status = self_update::backends::github::Update::configure()
-        .repo_owner("SwissDataScienceCenter")
-        .repo_name("coman")
-        .bin_name("coman")
-        .bin_path_in_archive("coman")
-        .show_download_progress(true)
-        .current_version(cargo_crate_version!())
-        .build()?
-        .update()?;
-    if status.updated() {
-        println!("Successfully updated to version: `{}`", status.version());
-    } else {
-        println!("Already up to date at version: `{}`", status.version());
-    }
-    Ok(())
-}