diff --git a/install.go b/install.go
index 11cfe86cd..d456cec10 100644
--- a/install.go
+++ b/install.go
@@ -461,7 +461,9 @@ func earlyPacmanCall(ctx context.Context, cfg *settings.Configuration,
 
 func earlyRefresh(ctx context.Context, cfg *settings.Configuration, cmdBuilder exe.ICmdBuilder, cmdArgs *parser.Arguments) error {
 	arguments := cmdArgs.Copy()
-	arguments.DelArg("u", "sysupgrade")
+	if cfg.CombinedUpgrade {
+		arguments.DelArg("u", "sysupgrade")
+	}
 	arguments.DelArg("s", "search")
 	arguments.DelArg("i", "info")
 	arguments.DelArg("l", "list")
diff --git a/pkg/settings/config.go b/pkg/settings/config.go
index 944881f3c..8384d9630 100644
--- a/pkg/settings/config.go
+++ b/pkg/settings/config.go
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func DefaultConfig(version string) *Configuration {
 		DiffMenu:               true,
 		EditMenu:               false,
 		UseAsk:                 false,
-		CombinedUpgrade:        false,
+		CombinedUpgrade:        true,
 		SeparateSources:        true,
 		NewInstallEngine:       true,
 		Version:                version,
diff --git a/pkg/upgrade/service.go b/pkg/upgrade/service.go
index efb8dd14b..54f4426b1 100644
--- a/pkg/upgrade/service.go
+++ b/pkg/upgrade/service.go
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ func (u *UpgradeService) UserExcludeUpgrades(graph *topo.Graph[string, *dep.Inst
 
 	allUp := UpSlice{Up: append(repoUp.Up, aurUp.Up...), Repos: append(repoUp.Repos, aurUp.Repos...)}
 
-	u.log.Printf("%s"+text.Bold(" %d ")+"%s\n", text.Bold(text.Cyan("::")), allUpLen, text.Bold(gotext.Get("Packages to upgrade.")))
+	u.log.Printf("%s"+text.Bold(" %d ")+"%s\n", text.Bold(text.Cyan("::")), allUpLen, text.Bold(gotext.Get("Packages to upgrade/install.")))
 	allUp.Print(u.log)
 
 	u.log.Infoln(gotext.Get("Packages to exclude: (eg: \"1 2 3\", \"1-3\", \"^4\" or repo name)"))
diff --git a/po/en.po b/po/en.po
index 7ba2d746f..dba329895 100644
--- a/po/en.po
+++ b/po/en.po
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ msgid "%s [A]ll [Ab]ort [I]nstalled [No]tInstalled or (1 2 3, 1-3, ^4)"
 msgstr ""
 
 #: aur_install.go:274
-#: install.go:739
+#: install.go:741
 msgid "%s already made -- skipping build"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -51,13 +51,13 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "%s is present."
 msgstr ""
 
-#: aur_install.go:271
-#: install.go:725
 #: pkg/dep/dep_graph.go:385
+#: aur_install.go:271
+#: install.go:727
 msgid "%s is up to date -- skipping"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: install.go:640
+#: install.go:642
 msgid "%s not satisfied, flushing install queue"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Check Deps"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: upgrade.go:95
 #: pkg/upgrade/service.go:78
+#: upgrade.go:95
 msgid "Checking development packages..."
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -381,8 +381,8 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Packages to cleanBuild?"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: upgrade.go:213
 #: pkg/dep/dep_graph.go:215
+#: upgrade.go:213
 msgid "Packages to exclude"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -395,10 +395,13 @@ msgid "Packages to install (eg: 1 2 3, 1-3 or ^4)"
 msgstr ""
 
 #: upgrade.go:210
-#: pkg/upgrade/service.go:252
 msgid "Packages to upgrade."
 msgstr ""
 
+#: pkg/upgrade/service.go:252
+msgid "Packages to upgrade/install."
+msgstr ""
+
 #: print.go:42
 msgid "Popularity"
 msgstr ""
@@ -428,8 +431,8 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Repository AUR"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: print.go:25
 #: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:191
+#: print.go:25
 msgid "Repository"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -437,13 +440,13 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "SRCINFO"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: upgrade.go:73
 #: pkg/upgrade/service.go:63
+#: upgrade.go:73
 msgid "Searching AUR for updates..."
 msgstr ""
 
-#: upgrade.go:62
 #: pkg/upgrade/service.go:142
+#: upgrade.go:62
 msgid "Searching databases for updates..."
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -471,14 +474,14 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Ten biggest packages:"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: install.go:493
+#: install.go:495
 #: sync.go:183
 msgid "The following packages are not compatible with your architecture:"
 msgstr ""
 
+#: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:179
 #: pkg/dep/depPool.go:499
 #: pkg/dep/dep_graph.go:627
-#: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:179
 msgid "There are %d providers available for %s:"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -494,7 +497,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Total installed packages: %s"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: install.go:501
+#: install.go:503
 #: sync.go:191
 msgid "Try to build them anyway?"
 msgstr ""
@@ -542,9 +545,9 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "\nBuild directory:"
 msgstr ""
 
+#: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:201
 #: pkg/dep/depPool.go:513
 #: pkg/dep/dep_graph.go:641
-#: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:201
 msgid "\nEnter a number (default=1): "
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -560,7 +563,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "cannot find PKGBUILD and .SRCINFO in directory"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: install.go:530
+#: install.go:532
 msgid "cannot find package name: %v"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -580,7 +583,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "could not find any package archives listed in %s"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: install.go:786
+#: install.go:788
 msgid "could not find srcinfo for: %s"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -618,14 +621,14 @@ msgstr ""
 
 #: aur_install.go:204
 #: aur_install.go:208
-#: install.go:681
-#: install.go:722
-#: install.go:736
-#: install.go:750
+#: install.go:683
+#: install.go:724
+#: install.go:738
+#: install.go:752
 msgid "error making: %s"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: install.go:586
+#: install.go:588
 msgid "error merging %s: %s"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -639,7 +642,7 @@ msgid "error refreshing databases"
 msgstr ""
 
 #: clean.go:220
-#: install.go:579
+#: install.go:581
 msgid "error resetting %s: %s"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -687,9 +690,9 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "input too long"
 msgstr ""
 
+#: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:222
 #: pkg/dep/depPool.go:533
 #: pkg/dep/dep_graph.go:662
-#: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:222
 msgid "invalid number: %s"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -705,9 +708,9 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "invalid repository"
 msgstr ""
 
+#: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:227
 #: pkg/dep/depPool.go:538
 #: pkg/dep/dep_graph.go:668
-#: pkg/db/ialpm/alpm.go:227
 msgid "invalid value: %d is not between %d and %d"
 msgstr ""
 
diff --git a/sync_test.go b/sync_test.go
index 8272b8189..808e011e1 100644
--- a/sync_test.go
+++ b/sync_test.go
@@ -610,3 +610,121 @@ func sanitizeCall(s, tmpDir, makepkg, pacman, git string) string {
 
 	return s
 }
+
+func TestSyncUpgrade_NoCombinedUpgrade(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name            string
+		combinedUpgrade bool
+		want            []string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:            "combined upgrade",
+			combinedUpgrade: true,
+			want:            []string{"pacman -S -y -u --config /etc/pacman.conf --"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "no combined upgrade",
+			combinedUpgrade: false,
+			want:            []string{"pacman -S -y --config /etc/pacman.conf --"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			makepkgBin := t.TempDir() + "/makepkg"
+			pacmanBin := t.TempDir() + "/pacman"
+			gitBin := t.TempDir() + "/git"
+			f, err := os.OpenFile(makepkgBin, os.O_RDONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0o755)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, f.Close())
+
+			f, err = os.OpenFile(pacmanBin, os.O_RDONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0o755)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, f.Close())
+
+			f, err = os.OpenFile(gitBin, os.O_RDONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0o755)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, f.Close())
+
+			captureOverride := func(cmd *exec.Cmd) (stdout string, stderr string, err error) {
+				return "", "", nil
+			}
+
+			showOverride := func(cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			mockRunner := &exe.MockRunner{CaptureFn: captureOverride, ShowFn: showOverride}
+			cmdBuilder := &exe.CmdBuilder{
+				MakepkgBin:       makepkgBin,
+				SudoBin:          "su",
+				PacmanBin:        pacmanBin,
+				PacmanConfigPath: "/etc/pacman.conf",
+				GitBin:           "git",
+				Runner:           mockRunner,
+				SudoLoopEnabled:  false,
+			}
+
+			cmdArgs := parser.MakeArguments()
+			cmdArgs.AddArg("S")
+			cmdArgs.AddArg("y")
+			cmdArgs.AddArg("u")
+
+			db := &mock.DBExecutor{
+				AlpmArchitecturesFn: func() ([]string, error) {
+					return []string{"x86_64"}, nil
+				},
+				RefreshHandleFn: func() error {
+					return nil
+				},
+				ReposFn: func() []string {
+					return []string{"core"}
+				},
+				InstalledRemotePackagesFn: func() map[string]alpm.IPackage {
+					return map[string]alpm.IPackage{}
+				},
+				InstalledRemotePackageNamesFn: func() []string {
+					return []string{}
+				},
+				SyncUpgradesFn: func(
+					bool,
+				) (map[string]db.SyncUpgrade, error) {
+					return map[string]db.SyncUpgrade{}, nil
+				},
+			}
+
+			cfg := &settings.Configuration{
+				NewInstallEngine: true,
+				RemoveMake:       "no",
+				CombinedUpgrade:  false,
+				Runtime: &settings.Runtime{
+					Logger:     text.NewLogger(io.Discard, strings.NewReader("1\n"), true, "test"),
+					CmdBuilder: cmdBuilder,
+					VCSStore:   &vcs.Mock{},
+					AURCache: &mockaur.MockAUR{
+						GetFn: func(ctx context.Context, query *aur.Query) ([]aur.Pkg, error) {
+							return []aur.Pkg{}, nil
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			}
+
+			err = handleCmd(context.Background(), cfg, cmdArgs, db)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			require.Len(t, mockRunner.ShowCalls, len(tc.want))
+			require.Len(t, mockRunner.CaptureCalls, 0)
+
+			for i, call := range mockRunner.ShowCalls {
+				show := call.Args[0].(*exec.Cmd).String()
+				show = strings.ReplaceAll(show, pacmanBin, "pacman")
+
+				// options are in a different order on different systems and on CI root user is used
+				assert.Subset(t, strings.Split(show, " "), strings.Split(tc.want[i], " "), fmt.Sprintf("%d - %s", i, show))
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}