diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
index b3df9eb4d..1cd75a47f 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ import { getCwdRelativePath } from "../../utils/paths.js";
 import { getPiUserAgent } from "../../utils/pi-user-agent.js";
 import { killTrackedDetachedChildren } from "../../utils/shell.js";
 import { ensureTool } from "../../utils/tools-manager.js";
-import { checkForNewPiVersion } from "../../utils/version-check.js";
+import { checkForNewPiVersion, type LatestPiRelease } from "../../utils/version-check.js";
 import { ArminComponent } from "./components/armin.js";
 import { AssistantMessageComponent } from "./components/assistant-message.js";
 import { BashExecutionComponent } from "./components/bash-execution.js";
@@ -711,9 +711,9 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		await this.init();
 
 		// Start version check asynchronously
-		checkForNewPiVersion(this.version).then((newVersion) => {
-			if (newVersion) {
-				this.showNewVersionNotification(newVersion);
+		checkForNewPiVersion(this.version).then((newRelease) => {
+			if (newRelease) {
+				this.showNewVersionNotification(newRelease);
 			}
 		});
 
@@ -3575,24 +3575,31 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		this.ui.requestRender();
 	}
 
-	showNewVersionNotification(newVersion: string): void {
+	showNewVersionNotification(release: LatestPiRelease): void {
 		const action = theme.fg("accent", `${APP_NAME} update`);
-		const updateInstruction = theme.fg("muted", `New version ${newVersion} is available. Run `) + action;
-		const changelogUrl = "https://github.com/earendil-works/pi-mono/blob/main/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md";
+		const updateInstruction = theme.fg("muted", `New version ${release.version} is available. Run `) + action;
+		const changelogUrl = "https://pi.dev/changelog";
 		const changelogLink = getCapabilities().hyperlinks
 			? hyperlink(theme.fg("accent", "open changelog"), changelogUrl)
 			: theme.fg("accent", changelogUrl);
 		const changelogLine = theme.fg("muted", "Changelog: ") + changelogLink;
+		const note = release.note?.trim();
 
 		this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
 		this.chatContainer.addChild(new DynamicBorder((text) => theme.fg("warning", text)));
 		this.chatContainer.addChild(
-			new Text(
-				`${theme.bold(theme.fg("warning", "Update Available"))}\n${updateInstruction}\n${changelogLine}`,
-				1,
-				0,
-			),
+			new Text(`${theme.bold(theme.fg("warning", "Update Available"))}\n${updateInstruction}`, 1, 0),
 		);
+		if (note) {
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(
+				new Markdown(note, 1, 0, this.getMarkdownThemeWithSettings(), {
+					color: (text) => theme.fg("muted", text),
+				}),
+			);
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
+		}
+		this.chatContainer.addChild(new Text(changelogLine, 1, 0));
 		this.chatContainer.addChild(new DynamicBorder((text) => theme.fg("warning", text)));
 		this.ui.requestRender();
 	}
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/package-manager-cli.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/package-manager-cli.ts
index a55a37509..8fd5d6d45 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/package-manager-cli.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/package-manager-cli.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { Markdown, type MarkdownTheme } from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
 import chalk from "chalk";
 import { selectConfig } from "./cli/config-selector.js";
 import {
@@ -24,6 +25,23 @@ export type PackageCommand = "install" | "remove" | "update" | "list";
 
 type UpdateTarget = { type: "all" } | { type: "self" } | { type: "extensions"; source?: string };
 
+const SELF_UPDATE_NOTE_MARKDOWN_THEME: MarkdownTheme = {
+	heading: (text) => chalk.bold(chalk.yellow(text)),
+	link: (text) => chalk.cyan(text),
+	linkUrl: (text) => chalk.dim(text),
+	code: (text) => chalk.yellow(text),
+	codeBlock: (text) => chalk.dim(text),
+	codeBlockBorder: (text) => chalk.dim(text),
+	quote: (text) => chalk.dim(text),
+	quoteBorder: (text) => chalk.dim(text),
+	hr: (text) => chalk.dim(text),
+	listBullet: (text) => chalk.yellow(text),
+	bold: (text) => chalk.bold(text),
+	italic: (text) => chalk.italic(text),
+	strikethrough: (text) => chalk.strikethrough(text),
+	underline: (text) => chalk.underline(text),
+};
+
 interface PackageCommandOptions {
 	command: PackageCommand;
 	source?: string;
@@ -293,9 +311,30 @@ function printSelfUpdateFallback(command: SelfUpdateCommand): void {
 	console.error(chalk.dim(`If this keeps failing, run this command yourself: ${command.display}`));
 }
 
+function printSelfUpdateNote(note: string): void {
+	const trimmedNote = note.trim();
+	if (!trimmedNote) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	console.log();
+	console.log(chalk.bold(chalk.yellow("Update note")));
+	try {
+		const width = Math.max(20, process.stdout.columns ?? 80);
+		const renderedLines = new Markdown(trimmedNote, 0, 0, SELF_UPDATE_NOTE_MARKDOWN_THEME)
+			.render(width)
+			.map((line) => line.trimEnd());
+		console.log(renderedLines.join("\n"));
+	} catch {
+		console.log(trimmedNote);
+	}
+	console.log();
+}
+
 interface SelfUpdatePlan {
 	packageName: string;
 	shouldRun: boolean;
+	note?: string;
 }
 
 async function getSelfUpdatePlan(force: boolean): Promise<SelfUpdatePlan> {
@@ -307,7 +346,7 @@ async function getSelfUpdatePlan(force: boolean): Promise<SelfUpdatePlan> {
 		const latestRelease = await getLatestPiRelease(VERSION);
 		const packageName = latestRelease?.packageName ?? PACKAGE_NAME;
 		if (!latestRelease || packageName !== PACKAGE_NAME || isNewerPackageVersion(latestRelease.version, VERSION)) {
-			return { packageName, shouldRun: true };
+			return { packageName, shouldRun: true, ...(latestRelease?.note ? { note: latestRelease.note } : {}) };
 		}
 	} catch {
 		return { packageName: PACKAGE_NAME, shouldRun: true };
@@ -522,6 +561,9 @@ export async function handlePackageCommand(args: string[]): Promise<boolean> {
 						process.exitCode = 1;
 						return true;
 					}
+					if (selfUpdatePlan.note) {
+						printSelfUpdateNote(selfUpdatePlan.note);
+					}
 					try {
 						if (installMethod === "npm") {
 							prepareWindowsNpmSelfUpdate();
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/version-check.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/version-check.ts
index ec9694693..27f3390c1 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/version-check.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/version-check.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const DEFAULT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMEOUT_MS = 10000;
 export interface LatestPiRelease {
 	version: string;
 	packageName?: string;
+	note?: string;
 }
 
 interface ParsedVersion {
@@ -67,13 +68,22 @@ export async function getLatestPiRelease(
 	});
 	if (!response.ok) return undefined;
 
-	const data = (await response.json()) as { packageName?: unknown; version?: unknown };
+	const data = (await response.json()) as {
+		packageName?: unknown;
+		version?: unknown;
+		note?: unknown;
+	};
 	if (typeof data.version !== "string" || !data.version.trim()) {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 	const packageName =
 		typeof data.packageName === "string" && data.packageName.trim() ? data.packageName.trim() : undefined;
-	return { version: data.version.trim(), packageName };
+	const note = typeof data.note === "string" && data.note.trim() ? data.note.trim() : undefined;
+	return {
+		version: data.version.trim(),
+		packageName,
+		...(note ? { note } : {}),
+	};
 }
 
 export async function getLatestPiVersion(
@@ -83,11 +93,11 @@ export async function getLatestPiVersion(
 	return (await getLatestPiRelease(currentVersion, options))?.version;
 }
 
-export async function checkForNewPiVersion(currentVersion: string): Promise<string | undefined> {
+export async function checkForNewPiVersion(currentVersion: string): Promise<LatestPiRelease | undefined> {
 	try {
-		const latestVersion = await getLatestPiVersion(currentVersion);
-		if (latestVersion && isNewerPackageVersion(latestVersion, currentVersion)) {
-			return latestVersion;
+		const latestRelease = await getLatestPiRelease(currentVersion);
+		if (latestRelease && isNewerPackageVersion(latestRelease.version, currentVersion)) {
+			return latestRelease;
 		}
 		return undefined;
 	} catch {
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/version-check.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/version-check.test.ts
index c871718f5..f05bfd2e8 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/version-check.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/version-check.test.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe("version checks", () => {
 		vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchMock);
 
 		await expect(checkForNewPiVersion("1.2.3")).resolves.toBeUndefined();
-		await expect(checkForNewPiVersion("1.2.2")).resolves.toBe("1.2.3");
+		await expect(checkForNewPiVersion("1.2.2")).resolves.toEqual({ version: "1.2.3" });
 	});
 
 	it("uses the pi.dev version check api with a pi user agent", async () => {
@@ -57,11 +57,26 @@ describe("version checks", () => {
 		);
 	});
 
-	it("returns the active package name from the version check api", async () => {
-		const fetchMock = vi.fn(async () => Response.json({ packageName: "@new-scope/pi", version: "1.2.4" }));
+	it("returns the active package metadata from the version check api", async () => {
+		const fetchMock = vi.fn(async () =>
+			Response.json({
+				packageName: "@new-scope/pi",
+				version: "1.2.4",
+			}),
+		);
 		vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchMock);
 
-		await expect(getLatestPiRelease("1.2.3")).resolves.toEqual({ packageName: "@new-scope/pi", version: "1.2.4" });
+		await expect(getLatestPiRelease("1.2.3")).resolves.toEqual({
+			packageName: "@new-scope/pi",
+			version: "1.2.4",
+		});
+	});
+
+	it("returns update notes from the version check api", async () => {
+		const fetchMock = vi.fn(async () => Response.json({ note: " **Read this** ", version: "1.2.4" }));
+		vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchMock);
+
+		await expect(getLatestPiRelease("1.2.3")).resolves.toEqual({ note: "**Read this**", version: "1.2.4" });
 	});
 
 	it("skips api calls when version checks are disabled", async () => {