diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3bdad9ba8f..675be5c874 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Added
+* self-update command `gitui update` (or `gitui -U`) to update gitui via CLI before opening TUI [[@shuppel](https://github.com/shuppel)]
+  * supports updating via multiple package managers: cargo, dnf, apt, pacman, homebrew, scoop, chocolatey
+  * automatically detects installation method by examining binary path and querying system package managers
+  * `--nightly` / `-n` flag to include pre-release versions (nightly, rc, beta) in update checks
+  * filters stable vs pre-release versions so users can choose update stability
+
 ### Changed
 * use [tombi](https://github.com/tombi-toml/tombi) for all toml file formatting
 * open the external editor from the status diff view [[@WaterWhisperer](https://github.com/WaterWhisperer)] ([#2805](https://github.com/gitui-org/gitui/issues/2805))
diff --git a/src/args.rs b/src/args.rs
index 22c6cc8d92..dd7c17afd9 100644
--- a/src/args.rs
+++ b/src/args.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use crate::bug_report;
-use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
+use crate::update::self_update;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use asyncgit::sync::RepoPath;
 use clap::{
 	builder::ArgPredicate, crate_authors, crate_description,
@@ -36,14 +37,23 @@ pub struct CliArgs {
 }
 
 pub fn process_cmdline() -> Result<CliArgs> {
-	let app = app();
-
-	let arg_matches = app.get_matches();
+	let arg_matches = app().get_matches();
 
 	if arg_matches.get_flag(BUG_REPORT_FLAG_ID) {
 		bug_report::generate_bugreport();
 		std::process::exit(0);
 	}
+
+	if let Some(update_cmd) = arg_matches.subcommand_matches("update")
+	{
+		let include_prerelease = update_cmd.get_flag("nightly");
+		if let Err(e) = self_update(include_prerelease) {
+			eprintln!("Update failed: {}", e);
+			std::process::exit(1);
+		}
+		std::process::exit(0);
+	}
+
 	if arg_matches.get_flag(LOGGING_FLAG_ID) {
 		let logfile = arg_matches.get_one::<String>(LOG_FILE_FLAG_ID);
 		setup_logging(logfile.map(PathBuf::from))?;
@@ -81,7 +91,7 @@ pub fn process_cmdline() -> Result<CliArgs> {
 	})?;
 	let theme = confpath.join(arg_theme);
 
-	let notify_watcher: bool =
+	let notify_watcher =
 		*arg_matches.get_one(WATCHER_FLAG_ID).unwrap_or(&false);
 
 	let key_bindings_path = arg_matches
@@ -118,7 +128,7 @@ fn app() -> ClapApp {
 {all-args}{after-help}
 		",
 		)
-			.arg(
+		.arg(
 			Arg::new(KEY_BINDINGS_FLAG_ID)
 				.help("Use a custom keybindings file")
 				.short('k')
@@ -126,7 +136,7 @@ fn app() -> ClapApp {
 				.value_name("KEY_LIST_FILENAME")
 				.num_args(1),
 		)
-			.arg(
+		.arg(
 			Arg::new(KEY_SYMBOLS_FLAG_ID)
 				.help("Use a custom symbols file")
 				.short('s')
@@ -145,19 +155,21 @@ fn app() -> ClapApp {
 		)
 		.arg(
 			Arg::new(LOGGING_FLAG_ID)
-				.help("Store logging output into a file (in the cache directory by default)")
+				.help("Store logging output into a file")
 				.short('l')
 				.long("logging")
-                .default_value_if("logfile", ArgPredicate::IsPresent, "true")
+				.default_value_if(LOG_FILE_FLAG_ID, ArgPredicate::IsPresent, "true")
 				.action(clap::ArgAction::SetTrue),
 		)
-        .arg(Arg::new(LOG_FILE_FLAG_ID)
-            .help("Store logging output into the specified file (implies --logging)")
-            .long("logfile")
-            .value_name("LOG_FILE"))
+		.arg(
+			Arg::new(LOG_FILE_FLAG_ID)
+				.help("Store logging output into the specified file")
+				.long("logfile")
+				.value_name("LOG_FILE"),
+		)
 		.arg(
 			Arg::new(WATCHER_FLAG_ID)
-				.help("Use notify-based file system watcher instead of tick-based update. This is more performant, but can cause issues on some platforms. See https://github.com/gitui-org/gitui/blob/master/FAQ.md#watcher for details.")
+				.help("Use notify-based file system watcher")
 				.long("watcher")
 				.action(clap::ArgAction::SetTrue),
 		)
@@ -190,49 +202,46 @@ fn app() -> ClapApp {
 				.env("GIT_WORK_TREE")
 				.num_args(1),
 		)
+		.subcommand(
+			ClapApp::new("update")
+				.about("Update gitui to the latest version")
+				.visible_short_flag_alias('U')
+				.arg(
+					Arg::new("nightly")
+						.help("Include pre-release versions")
+						.short('n')
+						.long("nightly")
+						.action(clap::ArgAction::SetTrue),
+				),
+		)
 }
 
 fn setup_logging(path_override: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<()> {
-	let path = if let Some(path) = path_override {
-		path
-	} else {
-		let mut path = get_app_cache_path()?;
-		path.push("gitui.log");
-		path
-	};
+	let path = path_override.unwrap_or_else(|| {
+		let mut p = dirs::cache_dir().expect("cache dir");
+		p.push("gitui");
+		p.push("gitui.log");
+		p
+	});
 
 	println!("Logging enabled. Log written to: {}", path.display());
-
 	WriteLogger::init(
 		LevelFilter::Trace,
 		Config::default(),
 		File::create(path)?,
 	)?;
-
 	Ok(())
 }
 
-fn get_app_cache_path() -> Result<PathBuf> {
-	let mut path = dirs::cache_dir()
-		.ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("failed to find os cache dir."))?;
-
-	path.push("gitui");
-	fs::create_dir_all(&path).with_context(|| {
-		format!(
-			"failed to create cache directory: {}",
-			path.display()
-		)
-	})?;
-	Ok(path)
-}
-
 pub fn get_app_config_path() -> Result<PathBuf> {
 	let mut path = if cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
 		dirs::home_dir().map(|h| h.join(".config"))
 	} else {
 		dirs::config_dir()
 	}
-	.ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("failed to find os config dir."))?;
+	.ok_or_else(|| {
+		anyhow::anyhow!("failed to find os config dir.")
+	})?;
 
 	path.push("gitui");
 	Ok(path)
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index fd662950a2..2656936e7c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ mod string_utils;
 mod strings;
 mod tabs;
 mod ui;
+mod update;
 mod watcher;
 
 use crate::{
diff --git a/src/update/commands.rs b/src/update/commands.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0ad2e15f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/update/commands.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+//! Executes update commands for supported package managers (cargo, dnf, apt,
+//! etc.) using a macro to generate consistent command patterns.
+
+use std::process::Command;
+
+/// Generates an update function for a specific package manager.
+///
+/// The generated function:
+/// - Executes the specified command with given arguments
+/// - Checks for success or "already installed" states
+/// - Returns descriptive error messages on failure
+///
+/// # Macro Parameters
+///
+/// - `$name` - Function name (e.g., `update_via_dnf`)
+/// - `$cmd` - Command to execute (e.g., `"sudo"`)
+/// - `$args` - Arguments array (e.g., `["dnf", "upgrade", "gitui", "-y"]`)
+/// - `$success_msg` - Message printed on successful update
+macro_rules! update_via {
+	($name:ident, $cmd:expr, $args:expr, $success_msg:literal) => {
+		pub fn $name() -> Result<(), String> {
+			let output =
+				Command::new($cmd).args($args).output().map_err(
+					|e| format!("Failed to run {}: {}", $cmd, e),
+				)?;
+
+			if output.status.success() {
+				println!($success_msg);
+				Ok(())
+			} else {
+				let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+				if stderr.contains("already installed")
+					|| stderr.contains("already up-to-date")
+				{
+					println!("Already up to date!");
+					Ok(())
+				} else {
+					Err(format!("{} failed:\n{}", $cmd, stderr))
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	};
+}
+
+update_via!(
+	update_via_cargo,
+	"cargo",
+	["install", "gitui", "--force"],
+	"Successfully updated via cargo!"
+);
+
+update_via!(
+	update_via_dnf,
+	"sudo",
+	["dnf", "upgrade", "gitui", "-y"],
+	"Successfully updated via dnf!"
+);
+
+update_via!(
+	update_via_apt,
+	"sudo",
+	["apt", "upgrade", "gitui", "-y"],
+	"Successfully updated via apt!"
+);
+
+update_via!(
+	update_via_pacman,
+	"sudo",
+	["pacman", "-Syu", "gitui", "--noconfirm"],
+	"Successfully updated via pacman!"
+);
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+update_via!(
+	update_via_homebrew,
+	"brew",
+	["upgrade", "gitui"],
+	"Successfully updated via homebrew!"
+);
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+pub fn update_via_homebrew() -> Result<(), String> {
+	Err("Homebrew is only supported on macOS".to_string())
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+update_via!(
+	update_via_scoop,
+	"scoop",
+	["update", "gitui"],
+	"Successfully updated via scoop!"
+);
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "windows"))]
+pub fn update_via_scoop() -> Result<(), String> {
+	Err("Scoop is only supported on Windows".to_string())
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+update_via!(
+	update_via_scoop_bucket,
+	"scoop",
+	["update", "gitui"],
+	"Successfully updated via scoop bucket!"
+);
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "windows"))]
+pub fn update_via_scoop_bucket() -> Result<(), String> {
+	Err("Scoop is only supported on Windows".to_string())
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+update_via!(
+	update_via_chocolatey,
+	"choco",
+	["upgrade", "gitui", "-y"],
+	"Successfully updated via chocolatey!"
+);
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "windows"))]
+pub fn update_via_chocolatey() -> Result<(), String> {
+	Err("Chocolatey is only supported on Windows".to_string())
+}
+
+pub fn update_via_windows() -> Result<(), String> {
+	Err("Windows binary update not supported. Please download the latest release from GitHub.".to_string())
+}
diff --git a/src/update/detector.rs b/src/update/detector.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e5b924727e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/update/detector.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+//! Detects how gitui was installed by examining the executable path and
+//! querying system package managers (dnf, apt, pacman, etc.).
+
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::Command;
+
+/// Installation methods supported by the self-update system.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub enum InstallMethod {
+	Cargo,
+	Homebrew,
+	Apt,
+	Dnf,
+	Pacman,
+	Windows,
+	Scoop,
+	Chocolatey,
+	ScoopBucket,
+	Unknown,
+}
+
+impl std::fmt::Display for InstallMethod {
+	fn fmt(
+		&self,
+		f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>,
+	) -> std::fmt::Result {
+		match self {
+			InstallMethod::Cargo => write!(f, "cargo"),
+			InstallMethod::Homebrew => write!(f, "homebrew"),
+			InstallMethod::Apt => write!(f, "apt"),
+			InstallMethod::Dnf => write!(f, "dnf"),
+			InstallMethod::Pacman => write!(f, "pacman"),
+			InstallMethod::Windows => write!(f, "windows"),
+			InstallMethod::Scoop => write!(f, "scoop"),
+			InstallMethod::Chocolatey => write!(f, "chocolatey"),
+			InstallMethod::ScoopBucket => write!(f, "scoop-bucket"),
+			InstallMethod::Unknown => write!(f, "unknown"),
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+pub fn detect_install_method() -> InstallMethod {
+	let current_exe = std::env::current_exe().ok();
+	let exe_path = current_exe.as_ref().map(|p| p.as_path());
+
+	let is_cargo_build = exe_path.map_or(false, |p| {
+		let s = p.to_string_lossy();
+		s.contains(".cargo/bin")
+			|| s.contains("cargo/registry")
+			|| s.contains("target/release")
+			|| s.contains("target/debug")
+	});
+
+	if is_cargo_build {
+		if has_dnf_installation() {
+			return InstallMethod::Dnf;
+		}
+		if has_apt_installation() {
+			return InstallMethod::Apt;
+		}
+		if has_pacman_installation() {
+			return InstallMethod::Pacman;
+		}
+		return InstallMethod::Cargo;
+	}
+
+	exe_path.map_or(InstallMethod::Unknown, |p| {
+		let s = p.to_string_lossy();
+
+		if s.contains("homebrew") || s.contains("Cellar") {
+			return InstallMethod::Homebrew;
+		}
+
+		if s.contains("scoop") {
+			return if s.contains("scoop-bucket") {
+				InstallMethod::ScoopBucket
+			} else {
+				InstallMethod::Scoop
+			};
+		}
+
+		if s.contains("chocolatey") {
+			return InstallMethod::Chocolatey;
+		}
+
+		if cfg!(target_os = "windows") {
+			return InstallMethod::Windows;
+		}
+
+		if s.contains("/usr/bin") || s.contains("/usr/local/bin") {
+			if has_dnf_installation() {
+				return InstallMethod::Dnf;
+			}
+			if has_apt_installation() {
+				return InstallMethod::Apt;
+			}
+			if has_pacman_installation() {
+				return InstallMethod::Pacman;
+			}
+		}
+
+		InstallMethod::Unknown
+	})
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn has_dnf_installation() -> bool {
+	Path::new("/usr/bin/rpm").exists()
+		&& Command::new("rpm")
+			.args(["-q", "gitui"])
+			.output()
+			.map(|o| o.status.success())
+			.unwrap_or(false)
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+fn has_dnf_installation() -> bool {
+	false
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn has_apt_installation() -> bool {
+	Path::new("/usr/bin/dpkg").exists()
+		&& Command::new("dpkg")
+			.args(["-l", "gitui"])
+			.output()
+			.map(|o| o.status.success())
+			.unwrap_or(false)
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+fn has_apt_installation() -> bool {
+	false
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn has_pacman_installation() -> bool {
+	Path::new("/usr/bin/pacman").exists()
+		&& Command::new("pacman")
+			.args(["-Q", "gitui"])
+			.output()
+			.map(|o| o.status.success())
+			.unwrap_or(false)
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+fn has_pacman_installation() -> bool {
+	false
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+	use super::*;
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_install_method_display() {
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Cargo.to_string(), "cargo");
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Homebrew.to_string(), "homebrew");
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Apt.to_string(), "apt");
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Dnf.to_string(), "dnf");
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Pacman.to_string(), "pacman");
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Windows.to_string(), "windows");
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Scoop.to_string(), "scoop");
+		assert_eq!(
+			InstallMethod::Chocolatey.to_string(),
+			"chocolatey"
+		);
+		assert_eq!(
+			InstallMethod::ScoopBucket.to_string(),
+			"scoop-bucket"
+		);
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Unknown.to_string(), "unknown");
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_install_method_equality() {
+		assert_eq!(InstallMethod::Cargo, InstallMethod::Cargo);
+		assert_ne!(InstallMethod::Cargo, InstallMethod::Dnf);
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_install_method_clone() {
+		let method = InstallMethod::Dnf;
+		let cloned = method.clone();
+		assert_eq!(method, cloned);
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_install_method_debug() {
+		let debug_str = format!("{:?}", InstallMethod::Cargo);
+		assert!(debug_str.contains("Cargo"));
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/update/mod.rs b/src/update/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2077eff4a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/update/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+//! Self-update functionality for gitui. Orchestrates version checking,
+//! installation method detection, and update execution.
+
+mod commands;
+mod detector;
+
+use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
+use commands::*;
+use detector::{detect_install_method, InstallMethod};
+use std::io::{self, Write};
+use std::process::Command;
+
+pub fn self_update(include_prerelease: bool) -> Result<()> {
+	let current = get_current_version();
+	let method = detect_install_method();
+
+	println!("gitui version: {}", current);
+
+	if is_prerelease(&current) {
+		println!("⚠️  Pre-release version detected.");
+		if !include_prerelease {
+			println!(
+				"   Use 'gitui update -n' to include pre-releases."
+			);
+		}
+	}
+
+	println!("Installation method: {}", method);
+	println!("Checking for updates...");
+
+	let latest = if include_prerelease {
+		fetch_latest_version()
+	} else {
+		fetch_latest_stable()
+	};
+
+	match latest {
+		Some(v) if v == current => {
+			println!("Already up to date ({})", current);
+			return Ok(());
+		}
+		Some(v) => {
+			let kind = if is_prerelease(&v) {
+				"Pre-release"
+			} else {
+				"Stable"
+			};
+			println!(
+				"{} update available: {} -> {}",
+				kind, current, v
+			);
+		}
+		None => println!("Could not determine latest version."),
+	}
+
+	if !confirm("Do you want to update gitui?")? {
+		println!("Update cancelled.");
+		return Ok(());
+	}
+
+	println!("Updating via {}...", method);
+
+	let result = match method {
+		InstallMethod::Cargo => update_via_cargo(),
+		InstallMethod::Homebrew => update_via_homebrew(),
+		InstallMethod::Dnf => update_via_dnf(),
+		InstallMethod::Apt => update_via_apt(),
+		InstallMethod::Pacman => update_via_pacman(),
+		InstallMethod::Scoop => update_via_scoop(),
+		InstallMethod::Chocolatey => update_via_chocolatey(),
+		InstallMethod::ScoopBucket => update_via_scoop_bucket(),
+		InstallMethod::Windows => update_via_windows(),
+		InstallMethod::Unknown => {
+			Err("Unknown installation method".to_string())
+		}
+	};
+
+	match result {
+		Ok(_) => {
+			println!("Update complete! Please restart gitui.");
+			Ok(())
+		}
+		Err(e) => Err(anyhow!("Update failed: {}", e)),
+	}
+}
+
+fn get_current_version() -> String {
+	let build = env!("GITUI_BUILD_NAME");
+	build.split_whitespace().next().unwrap_or(build).to_string()
+}
+
+fn is_prerelease(v: &str) -> bool {
+	let lower = v.to_lowercase();
+	[
+		"nightly", "-rc", "-beta", "-alpha", "-dev", "preview",
+		"snapshot",
+	]
+	.iter()
+	.any(|&s| lower.contains(s))
+}
+
+fn fetch_latest_version() -> Option<String> {
+	let output = Command::new("git")
+		.args([
+			"ls-remote",
+			"--tags",
+			"--sort=-v:refname",
+			"https://github.com/extrawurst/gitui.git",
+		])
+		.output()
+		.ok()?;
+
+	if !output.status.success() {
+		return None;
+	}
+
+	String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout)
+		.lines()
+		.filter_map(|line| {
+			line.split('\t')
+				.nth(1)?
+				.strip_prefix("refs/tags/")?
+				.strip_prefix('v')
+		})
+		.next()
+		.map(String::from)
+}
+
+fn fetch_latest_stable() -> Option<String> {
+	let output = Command::new("git")
+		.args([
+			"ls-remote",
+			"--tags",
+			"--sort=-v:refname",
+			"https://github.com/extrawurst/gitui.git",
+		])
+		.output()
+		.ok()?;
+
+	if !output.status.success() {
+		return None;
+	}
+
+	let version = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout)
+		.lines()
+		.filter_map(|line| {
+			line.split('\t')
+				.nth(1)?
+				.strip_prefix("refs/tags/")?
+				.strip_prefix('v')
+		})
+		.find(|&v| !is_prerelease(v))
+		.map(String::from);
+
+	if version.is_none() {
+		println!("Warning: No stable release found. Use -n for pre-releases.");
+	}
+
+	version
+}
+
+fn confirm(prompt: &str) -> Result<bool> {
+	print!("{} [y/N]: ", prompt);
+	io::stdout().flush()?;
+
+	let mut input = String::new();
+	io::stdin().read_line(&mut input)?;
+
+	Ok(input.trim().eq_ignore_ascii_case("y"))
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+	use super::*;
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_prerelease_nightly() {
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-nightly"));
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-NIGHTLY"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_prerelease_rc() {
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-rc.1"));
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-RC.1"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_prerelease_beta() {
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-beta"));
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.0-beta.2"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_prerelease_alpha() {
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-alpha"));
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.0-alpha.1"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_prerelease_dev() {
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-dev"));
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.0-dev.20240101"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_prerelease_preview() {
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-preview"));
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.0-preview.3"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_prerelease_snapshot() {
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-snapshot"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_not_prerelease_stable() {
+		assert!(!is_prerelease("0.28.1"));
+		assert!(!is_prerelease("0.28.0"));
+		assert!(!is_prerelease("1.0.0"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn test_is_not_prerelease_version_with_prerelease_substring() {
+		// Ensure we don't false-positive on versions that contain prerelease keywords
+		// but aren't actually prereleases (e.g., "0.28.1-nightly-feature" wouldn't be valid anyway)
+		assert!(is_prerelease("0.28.1-nightly"));
+		assert!(!is_prerelease("0.28.1"));
+	}
+}