diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/features/auto-updater.test.ts b/packages/desktop/src/features/auto-updater.test.ts
index 3c28e61c1..d4c42c032 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/features/auto-updater.test.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/features/auto-updater.test.ts
@@ -4,24 +4,99 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { UUID } from "builder-util-runtime";
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
+const { autoUpdaterMock } = vi.hoisted(() => {
+  const handlers = new Map<string, (value: unknown) => void>();
+  return {
+    autoUpdaterMock: {
+      handlers,
+      logger: {
+        debug: vi.fn(),
+        error: vi.fn((message: unknown) => console.error(message)),
+        info: vi.fn(),
+        warn: vi.fn(),
+      },
+      checkForUpdates: vi.fn(),
+      downloadUpdate: vi.fn(),
+      on: vi.fn((event: string, handler: (value: unknown) => void) => {
+        handlers.set(event, handler);
+      }),
+      quitAndInstall: vi.fn(),
+    },
+  };
+});
+
 vi.mock("electron", () => ({
   app: {
     getPath: vi.fn(),
+    isPackaged: true,
   },
 }));
 
 vi.mock("electron-updater", () => ({
-  autoUpdater: {},
+  autoUpdater: autoUpdaterMock,
 }));
 
 import {
   bucketFromStagingUserId,
+  checkForAppUpdate,
   resolveStagingUserId,
   rolloutManifestSchema,
   shouldAdmitToRollout,
   shouldInstallAppUpdateOnQuit,
 } from "./auto-updater";
 
+describe("checkForAppUpdate", () => {
+  it("treats an unpublished channel manifest as an unavailable update", async () => {
+    const error = Object.assign(new Error("Cannot find latest-mac.yml"), {
+      code: "ERR_UPDATER_CHANNEL_FILE_NOT_FOUND",
+    });
+    const consoleError = vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+    autoUpdaterMock.checkForUpdates.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
+      autoUpdaterMock.logger.error(error);
+      autoUpdaterMock.handlers.get("error")?.(error);
+      throw error;
+    });
+
+    const result = await checkForAppUpdate({
+      currentVersion: "1.2.3",
+      releaseChannel: "stable",
+      intent: "manual",
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      hasUpdate: false,
+      readyToInstall: false,
+      currentVersion: "1.2.3",
+      latestVersion: "1.2.3",
+      body: null,
+      date: null,
+      errorMessage: null,
+    });
+    expect(consoleError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    consoleError.mockRestore();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps genuine updater failures visible", async () => {
+    const error = new Error("network down");
+    const consoleError = vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+    autoUpdaterMock.checkForUpdates.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
+      autoUpdaterMock.logger.error(error);
+      autoUpdaterMock.handlers.get("error")?.(error);
+      throw error;
+    });
+
+    const result = await checkForAppUpdate({
+      currentVersion: "1.2.3",
+      releaseChannel: "stable",
+      intent: "manual",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.errorMessage).toBe("network down");
+    expect(consoleError).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    consoleError.mockRestore();
+  });
+});
+
 describe("shouldInstallAppUpdateOnQuit", () => {
   it("keeps Linux AppImage updates on the manual install path", () => {
     expect(shouldInstallAppUpdateOnQuit({ platform: "linux", isAppImage: true })).toBe(false);
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/features/auto-updater.ts b/packages/desktop/src/features/auto-updater.ts
index c9b9a983b..d0e5f432d 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/features/auto-updater.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/features/auto-updater.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@ export {
 
 let cachedStagingUserIdPromise: Promise<string> | null = null;
 
+const UPDATE_CHANNEL_NOT_PUBLISHED_CODE = "ERR_UPDATER_CHANNEL_FILE_NOT_FOUND";
+
+function isUpdateChannelNotPublished(error: unknown): boolean {
+  return (
+    typeof error === "object" &&
+    error !== null &&
+    "code" in error &&
+    error.code === UPDATE_CHANNEL_NOT_PUBLISHED_CODE
+  );
+}
+
 export function shouldAdmitToRollout(args: {
   channel: AppReleaseChannel;
   rolloutHours: number | undefined;
@@ -109,6 +120,18 @@ class ElectronAppUpdateRuntime implements AppUpdateRuntime {
     if (this.configured) return;
     this.configured = true;
 
+    // electron-updater logs every emitted error before consumers can classify it.
+    // Paseo reports genuine check, runtime, and install failures through the
+    // callbacks below, so leave internal error logging disabled to avoid both
+    // duplicate logs and expected missing-channel noise.
+    const updaterLogger = autoUpdater.logger;
+    autoUpdater.logger = {
+      debug: updaterLogger?.debug ? (message) => updaterLogger.debug?.(message) : undefined,
+      error: () => undefined,
+      info: (message) => updaterLogger?.info(message),
+      warn: (message) => updaterLogger?.warn(message),
+    };
+
     autoUpdater.on("update-available", (info) => {
       input.onUpdateAvailable(info as RuntimeUpdateInfo);
     });
@@ -119,17 +142,23 @@ class ElectronAppUpdateRuntime implements AppUpdateRuntime {
       input.onUpdateNotAvailable();
     });
     autoUpdater.on("error", (error) => {
+      if (isUpdateChannelNotPublished(error)) return;
       input.onError(error);
     });
   }
 
   async checkForUpdates(): Promise<RuntimeUpdateCheckResult | null> {
-    const result = await autoUpdater.checkForUpdates();
-    if (!result) return null;
-    return {
-      isUpdateAvailable: result.isUpdateAvailable,
-      updateInfo: result.updateInfo as RuntimeUpdateInfo,
-    };
+    try {
+      const result = await autoUpdater.checkForUpdates();
+      if (!result) return null;
+      return {
+        isUpdateAvailable: result.isUpdateAvailable,
+        updateInfo: result.updateInfo as RuntimeUpdateInfo,
+      };
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (isUpdateChannelNotPublished(error)) return null;
+      throw error;
+    }
   }
 
   downloadUpdate(): Promise<unknown> {