diff --git a/src/components/views/globals/NewVersionBar.js b/src/components/views/globals/NewVersionBar.js
index 90b30f727b6..36d6bc71bde 100644
--- a/src/components/views/globals/NewVersionBar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/globals/NewVersionBar.js
@@ -16,9 +16,10 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 'use strict';
 
-var React = require('react');
-var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk');
+import React from 'react';
+import sdk from 'matrix-react-sdk';
 import Modal from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/Modal';
+import PlatformPeg from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/PlatformPeg';
 
 /**
  * Check a version string is compatible with the Changelog
@@ -29,37 +30,65 @@ function checkVersion(ver) {
     return parts[0] == 'vector' && parts[2] == 'react' && parts[4] == 'js';
 }
 
-export default function NewVersionBar(props) {
-    const onChangelogClicked = () => {
-        const ChangelogDialog = sdk.getComponent('dialogs.ChangelogDialog');
+export default React.createClass({
+    propTypes: {
+        version: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+        newVersion: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+        releaseNotes: React.PropTypes.string,
+    },
+
+    displayReleaseNotes: function(releaseNotes) {
+        const QuestionDialog = sdk.getComponent('dialogs.QuestionDialog');
+        Modal.createDialog(QuestionDialog, {
+            title: "What's New",
+            description: <pre className="changelog_text">{releaseNotes}</pre>,
+            button: "Update",
+            onFinished: (update) => {
+                if(update && PlatformPeg.get()) {
+                    PlatformPeg.get().installUpdate();
+                }
+            }
+        });
+    },
 
+    displayChangelog: function() {
+        const ChangelogDialog = sdk.getComponent('dialogs.ChangelogDialog');
         Modal.createDialog(ChangelogDialog, {
-            version: props.version,
-            newVersion: props.newVersion,
+            version: this.props.version,
+            newVersion: this.props.newVersion,
             onFinished: (update) => {
-                if(update) {
-                    window.location.reload();
+                if(update && PlatformPeg.get()) {
+                    PlatformPeg.get().installUpdate();
                 }
             }
         });
-    };
+    },
 
-    let changelog_button;
-    if (checkVersion(props.version) && checkVersion(props.newVersion)) {
-        changelog_button = <button className="mx_MatrixToolbar_action" onClick={onChangelogClicked}>Changelog</button>;
-    }
-    return (
-        <div className="mx_MatrixToolbar">
-            <img className="mx_MatrixToolbar_warning" src="img/warning.svg" width="24" height="23" alt="/!\"/>
-            <div className="mx_MatrixToolbar_content">
-                A new version of Riot is available. Refresh your browser.
-            </div>
-            {changelog_button}
-        </div>
-    );
-}
+    onUpdateClicked: function() {
+        PlatformPeg.get().installUpdate();
+    },
 
-NewVersionBar.propTypes = {
-    version: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-    newVersion: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-};
+    render: function() {
+        let action_button;
+        // If we have release notes to display, we display them. Otherwise,
+        // we display the Changelog Dialog which takes two versions and
+        // automatically tells you what's changed (provided the versions
+        // are in the right format)
+        if (this.props.releaseNotes) {
+            action_button = <button className="mx_MatrixToolbar_action" onClick={this.displayReleaseNotes}>What's new?</button>;
+        } else if (checkVersion(this.props.version) && checkVersion(this.props.newVersion)) {
+            action_button = <button className="mx_MatrixToolbar_action" onClick={this.displayChangelog}>What's new?</button>;
+        } else if (PlatformPeg.get()) {
+            action_button = <button className="mx_MatrixToolbar_action" onClick={this.onUpdateClicked}>Update</button>;
+        }
+        return (
+            <div className="mx_MatrixToolbar">
+                <img className="mx_MatrixToolbar_warning" src="img/warning.svg" width="24" height="23" alt="/!\"/>
+                <div className="mx_MatrixToolbar_content">
+                    A new version of Riot is available.
+                </div>
+                {action_button}
+            </div>
+        );
+    }
+});
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/common.css b/src/skins/vector/css/common.css
index 5165e9c57c0..bb00bbd8c06 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/css/common.css
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/common.css
@@ -288,3 +288,7 @@ textarea {
     cursor: pointer;
     display: inline;
 }
+
+.changelog_text {
+    font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif;
+}
diff --git a/src/vector/index.js b/src/vector/index.js
index 5d00d078234..9454e6702e3 100644
--- a/src/vector/index.js
+++ b/src/vector/index.js
@@ -113,10 +113,6 @@ function onHashChange(ev) {
     routeUrl(window.location);
 }
 
-function onVersion(current, latest) {
-    window.matrixChat.onVersion(current, latest);
-}
-
 var loaded = false;
 var lastLoadedScreen = null;
 
@@ -165,8 +161,7 @@ window.onload = function() {
     if (!validBrowser) {
         return;
     }
-    UpdateChecker.setVersionListener(onVersion);
-    UpdateChecker.run();
+    UpdateChecker.start();
     routeUrl(window.location);
     loaded = true;
     if (lastLoadedScreen) {
diff --git a/src/vector/platform/VectorBasePlatform.js b/src/vector/platform/VectorBasePlatform.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d2ed8c344c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/vector/platform/VectorBasePlatform.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// @flow
+
+/*
+Copyright 2016 Aviral Dasgupta
+Copyright 2016 OpenMarket Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import BasePlatform from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/BasePlatform'
+
+/**
+ * Vector-specific extensions to the BasePlatform template
+ */
+export default class VectorBasePlatform extends BasePlatform {
+    /**
+     * Check for the availability of an update to the version of the
+     * app that's currently running.
+     * If an update is available, this function should dispatch the
+     * 'new_version' action.
+     */
+    pollForUpdate() {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Update the currently running app to the latest available
+     * version and replace this instance of the app with the
+     * new version.
+     */
+    installUpdate() {
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/vector/platform/WebPlatform.js b/src/vector/platform/WebPlatform.js
index f4adbd5d54a..4d994967290 100644
--- a/src/vector/platform/WebPlatform.js
+++ b/src/vector/platform/WebPlatform.js
@@ -17,14 +17,16 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-import BasePlatform from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/BasePlatform';
+import VectorBasePlatform from './VectorBasePlatform';
 import Favico from 'favico.js';
+import request from 'browser-request';
 import dis from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/dispatcher.js';
 import q from 'q';
 
-export default class WebPlatform extends BasePlatform {
+export default class WebPlatform extends VectorBasePlatform {
     constructor() {
         super();
+        this.runningVersion = null;
         // The 'animations' are really low framerate and look terrible.
         // Also it re-starts the animationb every time you set the badge,
         // and we set the state each time, even if the value hasn't changed,
@@ -123,4 +125,42 @@ export default class WebPlatform extends BasePlatform {
             notification.close();
         }, 5 * 1000);
     }
+
+    _getVersion() {
+        const deferred = q.defer();
+        request(
+            { method: "GET", url: "version" },
+            (err, response, body) => {
+                if (err || response.status < 200 || response.status >= 300) {
+                    if (err == null) err = { status: response.status };
+                    deferred.reject(err);
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                const ver = body.trim();
+                deferred.resolve(ver);
+            }
+        );
+        return deferred.promise;
+    }
+
+    pollForUpdate() {
+        this._getVersion().done((ver) => {
+            if (this.runningVersion == null) {
+                this.runningVersion = ver;
+            } else if (this.runningVersion != ver) {
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: 'new_version',
+                    currentVersion: this.runningVersion,
+                    newVersion: ver,
+                });
+            }
+        }, (err) => {
+            console.error("Failed to poll for update", err);
+        });
+    }
+
+    installUpdate() {
+        window.location.reload();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/vector/updater.js b/src/vector/updater.js
index e8d6830d026..19d40b4f383 100644
--- a/src/vector/updater.js
+++ b/src/vector/updater.js
@@ -13,48 +13,18 @@ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
-var POKE_RATE_MS = 10 * 60 * 1000; // 10 min
-var currentVersion = null;
-var latestVersion = null;
-var listener = function(){}; // NOP
-
-module.exports = {
-    setVersionListener: function(fn) { // invoked with fn(currentVer, newVer)
-        listener = fn;
-    },
 
-    run: function() {
-        var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
-        req.addEventListener("load", function() {
-            if (!req.responseText) {
-                return;
-            }
-            var ver = req.responseText.trim();
-            if (!currentVersion) {
-                currentVersion = ver;
-                listener(currentVersion, currentVersion);
-            }
+import PlatformPeg from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/PlatformPeg';
 
-            if (ver !== latestVersion) {
-                latestVersion = ver;
-                if (module.exports.hasNewVersion()) {
-                    console.log("Current=%s Latest=%s", currentVersion, latestVersion);
-                    listener(currentVersion, latestVersion);
-                }
-            }
-        });
-        var cacheBuster = "?ts=" + new Date().getTime();
-        req.open("GET", "version" + cacheBuster);
-        req.send(); // can't suppress 404s from being logged.
-
-        setTimeout(module.exports.run, POKE_RATE_MS);
-    },
+var POKE_RATE_MS = 10 * 60 * 1000; // 10 min
 
-    getCurrentVersion: function() {
-        return currentVersion;
+module.exports = {
+    start: function() {
+        module.exports.poll();
+        setInterval(module.exports.poll, POKE_RATE_MS);
     },
 
-    hasNewVersion: function() {
-        return currentVersion && latestVersion && (currentVersion !== latestVersion);
+    poll: function() {
+        PlatformPeg.get().pollForUpdate();
     }
 };