diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ecca9f8..e87a861 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ examples: **[docs/OVERRIDES.md](docs/OVERRIDES.md)**.
 | `nomarchy.keyboard.devices` | `{}` | Per-device layout overrides (Hyprland `device` blocks keyed by `hyprctl devices` name) — e.g. an external keyboard with its own layout/variant |
 | `nomarchy.keyboard.layouts` | `[]` | Extra candidate layouts; when set, a watcher prompts (rofi) for a layout on a newly-connected keyboard and remembers it per-device |
 | `nomarchy.nightlight.enable` | `false` | Scheduled blue-light filter (hyprsunset) — warm at night (`.temperature`, default 4000K) between `.sunset`/`.sunrise`, no shift by day; toggle it on/off from the menu (System › Night light) or the Waybar moon/sun indicator |
+| `nomarchy.updates.enable` | `false` | Passive update awareness: a background check (`.interval`, default daily) that flags when flake inputs (nixpkgs, the Nomarchy input, …) are behind upstream — and, with Flatpak on, when apps have updates (`.flatpak`) — via a Waybar indicator + notification. Never changes anything; click the indicator to run the upgrade flow |
 | `nomarchy.hyprland.enable` | `true` | Nomarchy's Hyprland config |
 | `nomarchy.waybar.enable` | `true` | Nomarchy's Waybar |
 | `nomarchy.rofi.enable` | `true` | Themed rofi launcher + `nomarchy-menu` dispatcher |
diff --git a/docs/ROADMAP.md b/docs/ROADMAP.md
index b1d181e..8335cf4 100644
--- a/docs/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/docs/ROADMAP.md
@@ -491,10 +491,19 @@ how to override it. Items marked ✓ are shipped.
     **Pending an on-machine check of the restore/rollback paths.**
   - Remaining (optional): boot-from-snapshot needs a systemd-boot equivalent
     of grub-btrfs.
-- **Update awareness:** updates are manual today (`sys-update`/`home-update`);
-  add a Waybar indicator / notification when flake inputs are stale or a new
-  nixpkgs rev is available (optionally with a pending-change count). Augments,
-  never replaces, the explicit rebuild flow.
+- ✓ **Update awareness:** `nomarchy.updates.enable` (opt-in, `modules/home/
+  updates.nix`) — a `nomarchy-updates` checker on a systemd user timer
+  (`.interval`, default daily) compares each **direct** branch-tracking flake
+  input (nixpkgs, the Nomarchy input, home-manager, stylix … via `git
+  ls-remote` vs the locked rev; offline → skipped, no false alarm) and, when
+  the `flatpak` CLI is present (`.flatpak`), counts Flatpak updates. A
+  self-gating Waybar `custom/updates` indicator (hidden until something's
+  available; accent `󰚰 N`, signal-refreshed) + a notification that fires only
+  when the count *grows* (so a daily timer never nags). Click → the upgrade
+  flow in a terminal (`sys-update` / `flatpak update`, each confirmed). Purely
+  passive — it never changes anything, augmenting the explicit rebuild flow.
+  Indicator is in the generated bar and both summer whole-swaps. **Pending an
+  on-machine check** (the ls-remote/notify/timer path needs a live session).
 - **"nomarchy" control center:** a single TUI/GUI front-end over the common
   toggles — theme, power profile, opt-in services, display, DND — built on
   the same `nomarchy-theme-sync` / `nomarchy.*` surface the menu already
diff --git a/modules/home/default.nix b/modules/home/default.nix
index e1cd503..6e08691 100644
--- a/modules/home/default.nix
+++ b/modules/home/default.nix
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
     ./yazi.nix      # flagship TUI file manager, themed + plugins
     ./osd.nix       # swayosd volume/brightness OSD, themed
     ./nightlight.nix # scheduled blue-light filter (hyprsunset), opt-in
+    ./updates.nix   # passive update-awareness indicator + notification, opt-in
     ./shell.nix     # zsh + starship + bat/eza/zoxide, themed
     ./keys.nix      # gpg-agent (fronts SSH) + pinentry-qt
     ./fastfetch.nix # system info with the themed Nomarchy logo
diff --git a/modules/home/options.nix b/modules/home/options.nix
index 807ca0c..79f3542 100644
--- a/modules/home/options.nix
+++ b/modules/home/options.nix
@@ -185,6 +185,32 @@ in
       };
     };
 
+    updates = {
+      enable = lib.mkEnableOption ''
+        passive update awareness: a background check (systemd user timer) that
+        compares the flake's locked inputs (nixpkgs, the Nomarchy input, …)
+        against upstream and — when Flatpak is enabled — counts Flatpak
+        updates, surfacing a Waybar indicator + a notification when something
+        is available. It never changes anything; you still run sys-update /
+        home-update / flatpak update yourself'';
+
+      interval = lib.mkOption {
+        type = lib.types.str;
+        default = "daily";
+        example = "6h";
+        description = "How often to check, as a systemd OnCalendar expression.";
+      };
+
+      flatpak = lib.mkOption {
+        type = lib.types.bool;
+        default = true;
+        description = ''
+          Also count available Flatpak updates when the `flatpak` CLI is
+          present (i.e. nomarchy.services.flatpak is on). No effect otherwise.
+        '';
+      };
+    };
+
     monitors = lib.mkOption {
       type = lib.types.listOf monitorType;
       default = [ ];
diff --git a/modules/home/updates.nix b/modules/home/updates.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..976a84c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/home/updates.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+# Update awareness (opt-in, nomarchy.updates.enable) — a passive background
+# check that surfaces a Waybar indicator + a notification when updates are
+# available, without ever changing anything (you still run sys-update /
+# home-update / flatpak update). It counts:
+#   • flake inputs whose locked rev is behind upstream (nixpkgs, the Nomarchy
+#     input, home-manager …) — via `git ls-remote` on each branch-tracking
+#     github/git input in flake.lock; offline → skipped, never a false alarm.
+#   • Flatpak updates, when the `flatpak` CLI is present (services.flatpak on).
+#
+# nomarchy-updates is always on PATH and self-gates (status prints nothing
+# until the timer has found something), so the Waybar module — generated and
+# whole-swap — can exec it by name even when the feature is off.
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+let
+  cfg = config.nomarchy.updates;
+
+  nomarchy-updates = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "nomarchy-updates" ''
+    set -u
+    # System + user profiles, so flatpak / sys-update resolve from a timer-run
+    # service too (build-time tools below use absolute store paths regardless).
+    export PATH="$PATH:/run/current-system/sw/bin:/etc/profiles/per-user/$USER/bin"
+    GIT=${pkgs.git}/bin/git
+    JQ=${pkgs.jq}/bin/jq
+    cache="''${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/nomarchy"
+    state="$cache/updates.json"
+    flake="''${NOMARCHY_PATH:-$HOME/.nomarchy}"
+    mkdir -p "$cache"
+
+    count_nix() {
+      local lock="$flake/flake.lock" n=0 name kind owner repo url ref locked giturl up
+      [ -f "$lock" ] || { echo 0; return; }
+      while IFS=$'\t' read -r name kind owner repo url ref locked; do
+        [ -n "$locked" ] || continue
+        case "$kind" in
+          github) giturl="https://github.com/$owner/$repo" ;;
+          git)    giturl="$url" ;;
+          *)      continue ;;
+        esac
+        up=$("$GIT" ls-remote "$giturl" "$ref" 2>/dev/null | ${pkgs.gawk}/bin/awk 'NR==1{print $1}')
+        [ -n "$up" ] || continue            # offline / unknown → skip (no false alarm)
+        [ "$up" != "$locked" ] && n=$((n + 1))
+      done < <(
+        # Only the flake's DIRECT inputs (root.inputs) — not the transitive
+        # closure — so a deep dependency bump doesn't nag as an "update".
+        "$JQ" -r '
+          .nodes as $nodes
+          | ($nodes.root.inputs | [ .[] | if type == "array" then .[0] else . end ]) as $direct
+          | $nodes | to_entries[]
+          | .key as $k | .value as $v
+          | select($direct | index($k))
+          | select(($v.original.type? == "github") or ($v.original.type? == "git"))
+          | select(($v.original.rev? // "") == "")        # branch-tracking only
+          | [ $k, $v.original.type,
+              ($v.original.owner? // ""), ($v.original.repo? // ""),
+              ($v.original.url? // ""), ($v.original.ref? // "HEAD"),
+              ($v.locked.rev? // "") ] | @tsv
+        ' "$lock"
+      )
+      echo "$n"
+    }
+
+    count_flatpak() {
+      ${lib.optionalString cfg.flatpak ''
+        if command -v flatpak >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          flatpak remote-ls --updates --columns=application 2>/dev/null | ${pkgs.gnugrep}/bin/grep -c . || true
+          return
+        fi
+      ''}
+      echo 0
+    }
+
+    refresh_bar() { ${pkgs.procps}/bin/pkill -RTMIN+9 -x waybar 2>/dev/null || true; }
+
+    case "''${1:-status}" in
+      check)
+        nix=$(count_nix); fp=$(count_flatpak); total=$((nix + fp))
+        prev=$("$JQ" -r '.total // 0' "$state" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+        printf '{"nix":%d,"flatpak":%d,"total":%d,"ts":%d}\n' \
+          "$nix" "$fp" "$total" "$(${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/date +%s)" > "$state"
+        # Notify only when NEW updates appear, so a daily timer doesn't nag.
+        if [ "$total" -gt 0 ] && [ "$total" -gt "$prev" ]; then
+          msg="$nix flake input(s)"
+          [ "$fp" -gt 0 ] && msg="$msg · $fp Flatpak(s)"
+          ${pkgs.libnotify}/bin/notify-send -a Nomarchy "Updates available" \
+            "$msg — click the bar icon, or run sys-update."
+        fi
+        refresh_bar ;;
+      status)
+        total=$("$JQ" -r '.total // 0' "$state" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+        [ "$total" -gt 0 ] 2>/dev/null || exit 0          # up to date / unchecked → hide
+        nix=$("$JQ" -r '.nix // 0' "$state"); fp=$("$JQ" -r '.flatpak // 0' "$state")
+        tip="Updates available"
+        [ "$nix" -gt 0 ] && tip="$tip\n• $nix flake input(s) — sys-update"
+        [ "$fp" -gt 0 ] && tip="$tip\n• $fp Flatpak(s) — flatpak update"
+        printf '{"text":"󰚰 %d","tooltip":"%s","class":"available"}\n' "$total" "$tip" ;;
+      upgrade)
+        echo "Checking…"; "$0" check
+        nix=$("$JQ" -r '.nix // 0' "$state" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+        fp=$("$JQ" -r '.flatpak // 0' "$state" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+        echo "Pending: $nix flake input(s), $fp Flatpak(s)."
+        if [ "$nix" -gt 0 ] && command -v sys-update >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          read -rp "Run sys-update (flake update + system rebuild)? [y/N] " a
+          [ "$a" = y ] && sys-update
+        fi
+        if [ "$fp" -gt 0 ] && command -v flatpak >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          read -rp "Run flatpak update? [y/N] " a
+          [ "$a" = y ] && flatpak update
+        fi
+        "$0" check
+        echo "Done — press enter."; read -r _ || true ;;
+      *) echo "usage: nomarchy-updates [check|status|upgrade]" >&2; exit 64 ;;
+    esac
+  '';
+in
+{
+  config = lib.mkMerge [
+    # Always on PATH so the Waybar module (incl. the static whole-swap themes)
+    # can exec it; it self-gates at runtime.
+    { home.packages = [ nomarchy-updates ]; }
+
+    (lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
+      systemd.user.services.nomarchy-updates = {
+        Unit.Description = "Check for Nomarchy / nixpkgs / Flatpak updates";
+        Service = {
+          Type = "oneshot";
+          ExecStart = "${nomarchy-updates}/bin/nomarchy-updates check";
+        };
+      };
+      systemd.user.timers.nomarchy-updates = {
+        Unit.Description = "Periodic update-awareness check";
+        Timer = {
+          OnStartupSec = "2min";
+          OnCalendar = cfg.interval;
+          Persistent = true;
+        };
+        Install.WantedBy = [ "timers.target" ];
+      };
+    })
+  ];
+}
diff --git a/modules/home/waybar.nix b/modules/home/waybar.nix
index 82e9292..e8b4ebe 100644
--- a/modules/home/waybar.nix
+++ b/modules/home/waybar.nix
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ let
     modules-center = [ "clock" ];
     modules-right = [ "tray" "pulseaudio" "cpu" "memory" "custom/powerprofile" "custom/nightlight" ]
       ++ lib.optional showLanguage "hyprland/language"
-      ++ [ "battery" "custom/notification" ];
+      ++ [ "battery" "custom/updates" "custom/notification" ];
 
     "hyprland/workspaces" = {
       format = "{icon}";
@@ -141,6 +141,18 @@ let
       on-click = "nomarchy-nightlight toggle";
     };
 
+    # Update awareness. Self-gates: hidden unless nomarchy.updates is enabled
+    # AND the periodic check found something (the helper prints nothing then).
+    # signal 9 lets the checker refresh it instantly; click opens the upgrade
+    # flow in a terminal.
+    "custom/updates" = {
+      exec = "nomarchy-updates status";
+      return-type = "json";
+      interval = 1800;
+      signal = 9;
+      on-click = "${config.nomarchy.terminal} -e nomarchy-updates upgrade";
+    };
+
     # swaync notification bell + Do-Not-Disturb state. `-swb` streams JSON
     # (text/tooltip/class) on every change, so it tracks count and DND with
     # no polling. Left-click toggles the panel; right-click toggles DND.
@@ -212,7 +224,7 @@ let
       font-weight: bold;
     }
 
-    #tray, #pulseaudio, #cpu, #memory, #custom-powerprofile, #custom-nightlight, #language, #battery, #custom-notification {
+    #tray, #pulseaudio, #cpu, #memory, #custom-powerprofile, #custom-nightlight, #custom-updates, #language, #battery, #custom-notification {
       color: @subtext;
       padding: 0 10px;
     }
@@ -220,6 +232,9 @@ let
     /* Night-light active → warm tone, matching the filter it represents. */
     #custom-nightlight.on { color: @warn; }
 
+    /* Updates pending → accent, to draw the eye. */
+    #custom-updates.available { color: @accent; }
+
     /* The power-profile speedometer glyph renders small in its em box —
        size it up so it reads at a glance like the other indicators. */
     #custom-powerprofile { font-size: ${toString (t.fonts.size + 3)}pt; }
diff --git a/templates/downstream/home.nix b/templates/downstream/home.nix
index 984820b..49e788a 100644
--- a/templates/downstream/home.nix
+++ b/templates/downstream/home.nix
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@
   #   sunrise = "07:00";
   # };
   #
+  # nomarchy.updates = {                # passive update-awareness indicator + notification
+  #   enable = true;
+  #   interval = "daily";               #   how often to check (systemd OnCalendar)
+  #   flatpak = true;                   #   also count Flatpak updates when flatpak is on
+  # };
+  #
   # nomarchy.monitors = [               # declarative per-output layout, hotplug-applied
   #   { name = "eDP-1"; position = "0x0"; }
   #   { name = "HDMI-A-1"; position = "auto-right"; }
diff --git a/themes/summer-day/waybar.css b/themes/summer-day/waybar.css
index af01c64..b515de0 100755
--- a/themes/summer-day/waybar.css
+++ b/themes/summer-day/waybar.css
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ window#waybar {
 #pulseaudio,
 #custom-powerprofile,
 #custom-nightlight,
+#custom-updates,
 #battery,
 #tray,
 #custom-notification,
diff --git a/themes/summer-day/waybar.jsonc b/themes/summer-day/waybar.jsonc
index 6bce4a2..094ef74 100644
--- a/themes/summer-day/waybar.jsonc
+++ b/themes/summer-day/waybar.jsonc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
   "modules-left": ["custom/launcher", "clock", "clock#date"],
   "modules-center": ["hyprland/workspaces"],
-  "modules-right": ["pulseaudio", "custom/powerprofile", "custom/nightlight", "battery", "tray", "custom/notification", "custom/powermenu"],
+  "modules-right": ["pulseaudio", "custom/powerprofile", "custom/nightlight", "custom/updates", "battery", "tray", "custom/notification", "custom/powermenu"],
 
   "hyprland/workspaces": {
     "disable-scroll": true,
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@
     "on-click": "nomarchy-nightlight toggle"
   },
 
+  "custom/updates": {
+    "return-type": "json",
+    "interval": 1800,
+    "signal": 9,
+    "exec": "nomarchy-updates status",
+    "on-click": "sh -c '$TERMINAL -e nomarchy-updates upgrade'"
+  },
+
   "custom/notification": {
     "format": "{icon}",
     "return-type": "json",
diff --git a/themes/summer-night/waybar.css b/themes/summer-night/waybar.css
index 23e3ffb..6643fc3 100644
--- a/themes/summer-night/waybar.css
+++ b/themes/summer-night/waybar.css
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ window#waybar {
 #pulseaudio,
 #custom-powerprofile,
 #custom-nightlight,
+#custom-updates,
 #idle_inhibitor,
 #battery,
 #custom-notification,
diff --git a/themes/summer-night/waybar.jsonc b/themes/summer-night/waybar.jsonc
index c4996f1..2b2f78f 100644
--- a/themes/summer-night/waybar.jsonc
+++ b/themes/summer-night/waybar.jsonc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
   "modules-left": ["custom/nomarchy", "clock", "clock#date"],
   "modules-center": ["hyprland/workspaces"],
-  "modules-right": ["idle_inhibitor", "pulseaudio", "custom/powerprofile", "custom/nightlight", "battery", "tray", "custom/notification", "custom/powermenu"],
+  "modules-right": ["idle_inhibitor", "pulseaudio", "custom/powerprofile", "custom/nightlight", "custom/updates", "battery", "tray", "custom/notification", "custom/powermenu"],
 
   "hyprland/workspaces": {
     "disable-scroll": true,
@@ -93,6 +93,14 @@
     "on-click": "nomarchy-nightlight toggle"
   },
 
+  "custom/updates": {
+    "return-type": "json",
+    "interval": 1800,
+    "signal": 9,
+    "exec": "nomarchy-updates status",
+    "on-click": "sh -c '$TERMINAL -e nomarchy-updates upgrade'"
+  },
+
   "custom/notification": {
     "format": "{icon}",
     "return-type": "json",