diff --git a/internal/tools/code_search.go b/internal/tools/code_search.go
index 052b0006b..7c5a5b3bd 100644
--- a/internal/tools/code_search.go
+++ b/internal/tools/code_search.go
@@ -111,9 +111,10 @@ func (s *Server) handleSearchCode(_ context.Context, req *mcp.CallToolRequest) (
 		"files_count": len(filePaths),
 	}
 	s.addIndexStatus(responseData)
-	s.addUpdateNotice(responseData)
 
-	return jsonResult(responseData), nil
+	result := jsonResult(responseData)
+	s.addUpdateNotice(result)
+	return result, nil
 }
 
 // collectSearchFilePaths gathers indexed file paths, optionally filtered by a glob pattern.
diff --git a/internal/tools/query.go b/internal/tools/query.go
index 55641b046..3ed58de16 100644
--- a/internal/tools/query.go
+++ b/internal/tools/query.go
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ func (s *Server) handleQueryGraph(_ context.Context, req *mcp.CallToolRequest) (
 		"total":   len(result.Rows),
 	}
 	s.addIndexStatus(responseData)
-	s.addUpdateNotice(responseData)
 
-	return jsonResult(responseData), nil
+	res := jsonResult(responseData)
+	s.addUpdateNotice(res)
+	return res, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/tools/search.go b/internal/tools/search.go
index 52e62d09a..458d6bf1f 100644
--- a/internal/tools/search.go
+++ b/internal/tools/search.go
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ func (s *Server) handleSearchGraph(_ context.Context, req *mcp.CallToolRequest)
 		"results":  results,
 	}
 	s.addIndexStatus(responseData)
-	s.addUpdateNotice(responseData)
 
-	return jsonResult(responseData), nil
+	result := jsonResult(responseData)
+	s.addUpdateNotice(result)
+	return result, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/tools/tools.go b/internal/tools/tools.go
index 93ac91f2f..f3c366c46 100644
--- a/internal/tools/tools.go
+++ b/internal/tools/tools.go
@@ -108,19 +108,20 @@ func (s *Server) SessionProject() string {
 
 // SetSessionRoot sets the session root path directly (for CLI mode).
 func (s *Server) SetSessionRoot(rootPath string) {
+	go s.checkForUpdate()
 	s.sessionOnce.Do(func() {
 		s.sessionRoot = rootPath
 		if rootPath != "" {
 			s.sessionProject = filepath.Base(rootPath)
 		}
 	})
-	go s.checkForUpdate()
 }
 
 // --- Session detection ---
 
 // onInitialized is called when the client sends notifications/initialized.
 func (s *Server) onInitialized(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.InitializedRequest) {
+	go s.checkForUpdate()
 	s.sessionOnce.Do(func() {
 		s.sessionRoot = s.detectSessionRoot(ctx, req.Session)
 		if s.sessionRoot != "" {
@@ -128,11 +129,11 @@ func (s *Server) onInitialized(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.InitializedRequest)
 			s.startAutoIndex()
 		}
 	})
-	go s.checkForUpdate()
 }
 
 // onRootsChanged re-detects session root if not yet set.
 func (s *Server) onRootsChanged(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.RootsListChangedRequest) {
+	go s.checkForUpdate()
 	s.sessionOnce.Do(func() {
 		s.sessionRoot = s.detectSessionRoot(ctx, req.Session)
 		if s.sessionRoot != "" {
@@ -140,7 +141,6 @@ func (s *Server) onRootsChanged(ctx context.Context, req *mcp.RootsListChangedRe
 			s.startAutoIndex()
 		}
 	})
-	go s.checkForUpdate()
 }
 
 // detectSessionRoot tries multiple fallback strategies to find the project root.
@@ -255,10 +255,10 @@ func (s *Server) addIndexStatus(data map[string]any) {
 	}
 }
 
-// addUpdateNotice injects update_available into the first tool response, then clears itself.
-func (s *Server) addUpdateNotice(data map[string]any) {
+// addUpdateNotice prepends an update notice to the first tool response, then clears itself.
+func (s *Server) addUpdateNotice(result *mcp.CallToolResult) {
 	if notice, ok := s.updateNotice.Load().(string); ok && notice != "" {
-		data["update_available"] = notice
+		result.Content = append([]mcp.Content{&mcp.TextContent{Text: notice}}, result.Content...)
 		s.updateNotice.Store("")
 	}
 }
@@ -270,22 +270,26 @@ func (s *Server) checkForUpdate() {
 
 	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, "GET", releaseURL, http.NoBody)
 	if err != nil {
+		slog.Warn("update check: request create failed", "err", err)
 		return
 	}
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/vnd.github+json")
 
 	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
+		slog.Warn("update check: http failed", "err", err)
 		return
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
 	if resp.StatusCode != 200 {
+		slog.Warn("update check: bad status", "status", resp.StatusCode)
 		return
 	}
 
-	body, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(resp.Body, 4096))
+	body, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(resp.Body, 1<<16))
 	if err != nil {
+		slog.Warn("update check: body read failed", "err", err)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -293,17 +297,21 @@ func (s *Server) checkForUpdate() {
 		TagName string `json:"tag_name"`
 	}
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &release); err != nil {
+		slog.Warn("update check: json parse failed", "err", err)
 		return
 	}
 
 	latest := strings.TrimPrefix(release.TagName, "v")
 	if latest == "" || latest == Version {
+		slog.Debug("update check: current", "version", Version, "latest", latest)
 		return
 	}
 	if compareVersions(latest, Version) > 0 {
-		s.updateNotice.Store(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"v%s → v%s available. Update: go install github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/cmd/codebase-memory-mcp@v%s",
-			Version, latest, latest))
+		notice := fmt.Sprintf(
+			"⚡ Update available: v%s → v%s — download at https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/releases/tag/v%s",
+			Version, latest, latest)
+		s.updateNotice.Store(notice)
+		slog.Info("update available", "current", Version, "latest", latest)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/tools/trace.go b/internal/tools/trace.go
index b7cc7bbf3..8f67f6fda 100644
--- a/internal/tools/trace.go
+++ b/internal/tools/trace.go
@@ -122,9 +122,10 @@ func (s *Server) handleTraceCallPath(_ context.Context, req *mcp.CallToolRequest
 		"total_results": len(allVisited),
 	}
 	s.addIndexStatus(responseData)
-	s.addUpdateNotice(responseData)
 
-	return jsonResult(responseData), nil
+	result := jsonResult(responseData)
+	s.addUpdateNotice(result)
+	return result, nil
 }
 
 func buildNodeInfo(n *store.Node) map[string]any {
diff --git a/internal/tools/update_test.go b/internal/tools/update_test.go
index 16115e8c1..ec3ab0b5f 100644
--- a/internal/tools/update_test.go
+++ b/internal/tools/update_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
 )
 
 func TestCompareVersions(t *testing.T) {
@@ -55,8 +57,8 @@ func TestCheckForUpdate_NewerAvailable(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(notice, "v99.0.0") {
 		t.Fatalf("notice should mention v99.0.0, got: %s", notice)
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(notice, "go install") {
-		t.Fatalf("notice should contain install command, got: %s", notice)
+	if !strings.Contains(notice, "github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/releases/tag/v99.0.0") {
+		t.Fatalf("notice should contain releases link, got: %s", notice)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -140,15 +142,19 @@ func TestAddUpdateNotice_ShowsOnce(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := &Server{}
 	srv.updateNotice.Store("v0.2.0 → v0.3.0 available")
 
-	first := map[string]any{}
+	first := &mcp.CallToolResult{Content: []mcp.Content{&mcp.TextContent{Text: "{}"}}}
 	srv.addUpdateNotice(first)
-	if _, ok := first["update_available"]; !ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected update_available in first map")
+	if len(first.Content) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 content blocks, got %d", len(first.Content))
+	}
+	tc, ok := first.Content[0].(*mcp.TextContent)
+	if !ok || tc.Text != "v0.2.0 → v0.3.0 available" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected notice as first content block, got %v", first.Content[0])
 	}
 
-	second := map[string]any{}
+	second := &mcp.CallToolResult{Content: []mcp.Content{&mcp.TextContent{Text: "{}"}}}
 	srv.addUpdateNotice(second)
-	if _, ok := second["update_available"]; ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected update_available to be absent in second map (show-once)")
+	if len(second.Content) != 1 {
+		t.Fatal("expected update notice to be absent in second call (show-once)")
 	}
 }