diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/update/workflow.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/update/workflow.ts
index 7c4dbd401dd1d..0a8f0314615c6 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/update/workflow.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/update/workflow.ts
@@ -50,16 +50,22 @@ export class UpdateWorkflowCommand extends BaseCommand {
 		}
 
 		const newState = flags.active === 'true';
+		const action = newState ? 'Activating' : 'Deactivating';
 
 		if (flags.id) {
-			this.logger.info(`Deactivating workflow with ID: ${flags.id}`);
+			this.logger.info(`${action} workflow with ID: ${flags.id}`);
 			await Container.get(WorkflowRepository).updateActiveState(flags.id, newState);
 		} else {
-			this.logger.info('Deactivating all workflows');
-			await Container.get(WorkflowRepository).deactivateAll();
+			this.logger.info(`${action} all workflows`);
+			if (newState) {
+				await Container.get(WorkflowRepository).activateAll();
+			} else {
+				await Container.get(WorkflowRepository).deactivateAll();
+			}
 		}
 
-		this.logger.info('Done');
+		this.logger.info('Activation or deactivation will not take effect if n8n is running.');
+		this.logger.info('Please restart n8n for changes to take effect if n8n is currently running.');
 	}
 
 	async catch(error: Error) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/databases/repositories/workflow.repository.ts b/packages/cli/src/databases/repositories/workflow.repository.ts
index 71559353ee85b..084238fc0b7f0 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/databases/repositories/workflow.repository.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/databases/repositories/workflow.repository.ts
@@ -213,6 +213,10 @@ export class WorkflowRepository extends Repository<WorkflowEntity> {
 		return await this.update({ active: true }, { active: false });
 	}
 
+	async activateAll() {
+		return await this.update({ active: false }, { active: true });
+	}
+
 	async findByActiveState(activeState: boolean) {
 		return await this.findBy({ active: activeState });
 	}
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/integration/commands/update/workflow.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/integration/commands/update/workflow.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..922eaccb386ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/test/integration/commands/update/workflow.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+import { Config } from '@oclif/core';
+import { InternalHooks } from '@/InternalHooks';
+import { LoadNodesAndCredentials } from '@/LoadNodesAndCredentials';
+import { UpdateWorkflowCommand } from '@/commands/update/workflow';
+
+import * as testDb from '../../shared/testDb';
+import { createWorkflowWithTrigger, getAllWorkflows } from '../../shared/db/workflows';
+import { mockInstance } from '../../../shared/mocking';
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+	mockInstance(InternalHooks);
+	mockInstance(LoadNodesAndCredentials);
+	await testDb.init();
+});
+
+beforeEach(async () => {
+	await testDb.truncate(['Workflow']);
+});
+
+afterAll(async () => {
+	await testDb.terminate();
+});
+
+test('update:workflow can activate all workflows', async () => {
+	//
+	// ARRANGE
+	//
+	const workflows = await Promise.all([
+		createWorkflowWithTrigger({}),
+		createWorkflowWithTrigger({}),
+	]);
+	expect(workflows).toMatchObject([{ active: false }, { active: false }]);
+
+	//
+	// ACT
+	//
+	const config = new Config({ root: __dirname });
+	const updater = new UpdateWorkflowCommand(['--all', '--active=true'], config);
+	await updater.init();
+	await updater.run();
+
+	//
+	// ASSERT
+	//
+	const after = await getAllWorkflows();
+	expect(after).toMatchObject([{ active: true }, { active: true }]);
+});
+
+test('update:workflow can deactivate all workflows', async () => {
+	//
+	// ARRANGE
+	//
+	const workflows = await Promise.all([
+		createWorkflowWithTrigger({ active: true }),
+		createWorkflowWithTrigger({ active: true }),
+	]);
+	expect(workflows).toMatchObject([{ active: true }, { active: true }]);
+
+	//
+	// ACT
+	//
+	const config = new Config({ root: __dirname });
+	const updater = new UpdateWorkflowCommand(['--all', '--active=false'], config);
+	await updater.init();
+	await updater.run();
+
+	//
+	// ASSERT
+	//
+	const after = await getAllWorkflows();
+	expect(after).toMatchObject([{ active: false }, { active: false }]);
+});
+
+test('update:workflow can activate a specific workflow', async () => {
+	//
+	// ARRANGE
+	//
+	const workflows = (
+		await Promise.all([
+			createWorkflowWithTrigger({ active: false }),
+			createWorkflowWithTrigger({ active: false }),
+		])
+	).sort((wf1, wf2) => wf1.id.localeCompare(wf2.id));
+	expect(workflows).toMatchObject([{ active: false }, { active: false }]);
+
+	//
+	// ACT
+	//
+	const config = new Config({ root: __dirname });
+	const updater = new UpdateWorkflowCommand([`--id=${workflows[0].id}`, '--active=true'], config);
+	await updater.init();
+	await updater.run();
+
+	//
+	// ASSERT
+	//
+	const after = (await getAllWorkflows()).sort((wf1, wf2) => wf1.id.localeCompare(wf2.id));
+	expect(after).toMatchObject([{ active: true }, { active: false }]);
+});
+
+test('update:workflow can deactivate a specific workflow', async () => {
+	//
+	// ARRANGE
+	//
+	const workflows = (
+		await Promise.all([
+			createWorkflowWithTrigger({ active: true }),
+			createWorkflowWithTrigger({ active: true }),
+		])
+	).sort((wf1, wf2) => wf1.id.localeCompare(wf2.id));
+	expect(workflows).toMatchObject([{ active: true }, { active: true }]);
+
+	//
+	// ACT
+	//
+	const config = new Config({ root: __dirname });
+	const updater = new UpdateWorkflowCommand([`--id=${workflows[0].id}`, '--active=false'], config);
+	await updater.init();
+	await updater.run();
+
+	//
+	// ASSERT
+	//
+	const after = (await getAllWorkflows()).sort((wf1, wf2) => wf1.id.localeCompare(wf2.id));
+	expect(after).toMatchObject([{ active: false }, { active: true }]);
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/integration/database/repositories/workflow.repository.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/integration/database/repositories/workflow.repository.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d9e1ea22fd7f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/test/integration/database/repositories/workflow.repository.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import Container from 'typedi';
+
+import { WorkflowRepository } from '@/databases/repositories/workflow.repository';
+
+import * as testDb from '../../shared/testDb';
+import { createWorkflowWithTrigger, getAllWorkflows } from '../../shared/db/workflows';
+
+describe('WorkflowRepository', () => {
+	beforeAll(async () => {
+		await testDb.init();
+	});
+
+	beforeEach(async () => {
+		await testDb.truncate(['Workflow']);
+	});
+
+	afterAll(async () => {
+		await testDb.terminate();
+	});
+
+	describe('activateAll', () => {
+		it('should activate all workflows', async () => {
+			//
+			// ARRANGE
+			//
+			const workflowRepository = Container.get(WorkflowRepository);
+			const workflows = await Promise.all([
+				createWorkflowWithTrigger(),
+				createWorkflowWithTrigger(),
+			]);
+			expect(workflows).toMatchObject([{ active: false }, { active: false }]);
+
+			//
+			// ACT
+			//
+			await workflowRepository.activateAll();
+
+			//
+			// ASSERT
+			//
+			const after = await getAllWorkflows();
+			expect(after).toMatchObject([{ active: true }, { active: true }]);
+		});
+	});
+
+	describe('deactivateAll', () => {
+		it('should deactivate all workflows', async () => {
+			//
+			// ARRANGE
+			//
+			const workflowRepository = Container.get(WorkflowRepository);
+			const workflows = await Promise.all([
+				createWorkflowWithTrigger({ active: true }),
+				createWorkflowWithTrigger({ active: true }),
+			]);
+			expect(workflows).toMatchObject([{ active: true }, { active: true }]);
+
+			//
+			// ACT
+			//
+			await workflowRepository.deactivateAll();
+
+			//
+			// ASSERT
+			//
+			const after = await getAllWorkflows();
+			expect(after).toMatchObject([{ active: false }, { active: false }]);
+		});
+	});
+});