diff --git a/app/router.go b/app/router.go
index edd7c28b87..3f5982c8a3 100644
--- a/app/router.go
+++ b/app/router.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/PuerkitoBio/ghost/handlers"
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
@@ -132,17 +133,35 @@ func RegisterReportPostHandler(a Adder, router *mux.Router) {
 	}))
 }
 
+var newVersion = struct {
+	sync.Mutex
+	*xfer.NewVersionInfo
+}{}
+
+// NewVersion is called to expose new version information to /api
+func NewVersion(version, downloadURL string) {
+	newVersion.Lock()
+	defer newVersion.Unlock()
+	newVersion.NewVersionInfo = &xfer.NewVersionInfo{
+		Version:     version,
+		DownloadURL: downloadURL,
+	}
+}
+
 func apiHandler(rep Reporter) CtxHandlerFunc {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		report, err := rep.Report(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		}
+		newVersion.Lock()
+		defer newVersion.Unlock()
 		respondWith(w, http.StatusOK, xfer.Details{
-			ID:       UniqueID,
-			Version:  Version,
-			Hostname: hostname.Get(),
-			Plugins:  report.Plugins,
+			ID:         UniqueID,
+			Version:    Version,
+			Hostname:   hostname.Get(),
+			Plugins:    report.Plugins,
+			NewVersion: newVersion.NewVersionInfo,
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/app.js b/client/app/scripts/components/app.js
index e04b6571fc..93f4e5cc10 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/app.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/app.js
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ function getStateFromStores() {
     updatePaused: AppStore.isUpdatePaused(),
     updatePausedAt: AppStore.getUpdatePausedAt(),
     version: AppStore.getVersion(),
+    versionUpdate: AppStore.getVersionUpdate(),
     plugins: AppStore.getPlugins(),
     websocketClosed: AppStore.isWebsocketClosed()
   };
@@ -183,7 +184,9 @@ export default class App extends React.Component {
             activeOptions={this.state.activeTopologyOptions} />
         </Sidebar>
 
-        <Footer {...this.state} />
+        <Footer hostname={this.state.hostname} plugins={this.state.plugins}
+          updatePaused={this.state.updatePaused} updatePausedAt={this.state.updatePausedAt}
+          version={this.state.version} versionUpdate={this.state.versionUpdate} />
       </div>
     );
   }
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/footer.js b/client/app/scripts/components/footer.js
index 249fb30522..a5af0318fa 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/footer.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/footer.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { clickDownloadGraph, clickForceRelayout, clickPauseUpdate,
 import { basePathSlash } from '../utils/web-api-utils';
 
 export default function Footer(props) {
-  const { hostname, plugins, updatePaused, updatePausedAt, version } = props;
+  const { hostname, plugins, updatePaused, updatePausedAt, version, versionUpdate } = props;
   const contrastMode = isContrastMode();
 
   // link url to switch contrast with current UI state
@@ -38,10 +38,18 @@ export default function Footer(props) {
     pauseLabel = 'Paused';
   }
 
+  const versionUpdateTitle = versionUpdate
+    ? `New version available: ${versionUpdate.version}. Click to download`
+    : '';
+
   return (
     <div className="footer">
 
       <div className="footer-status">
+        {versionUpdate && <a className="footer-versionupdate"
+          title={versionUpdateTitle} href={versionUpdate.downloadUrl} target="_blank">
+          Update available: {versionUpdate.version}
+        </a>}
         <span className="footer-label">Version</span>
         {version}
         <span className="footer-label">on</span>
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js b/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
index bfd9ab6085..b9d15d2dc6 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ let highlightedEdgeIds = makeSet();
 let highlightedNodeIds = makeSet();
 let hostname = '...';
 let version = '...';
+let versionUpdate = null;
 let plugins = [];
 let mouseOverEdgeId = null;
 let mouseOverNodeId = null;
@@ -276,11 +277,14 @@ export class AppStore extends Store {
     return version;
   }
 
+  getVersionUpdate() {
+    return versionUpdate;
+  }
+
   getPlugins() {
     return plugins;
   }
 
-
   isForceRelayout() {
     return forceRelayout;
   }
@@ -686,6 +690,7 @@ export class AppStore extends Store {
         hostname = payload.hostname;
         version = payload.version;
         plugins = payload.plugins;
+        versionUpdate = payload.newVersion;
         this.__emitChange();
         break;
       }
diff --git a/client/app/styles/main.less b/client/app/styles/main.less
index a4872a85a2..321468f475 100644
--- a/client/app/styles/main.less
+++ b/client/app/styles/main.less
@@ -188,9 +188,6 @@ h2 {
   a {
     color: @text-secondary-color;
     .btn-opacity;
-    text-decoration: none;
-    font-weight: bold;
-    font-size: 90%;
     cursor: pointer;
   }
 
@@ -203,6 +200,11 @@ h2 {
     margin: 0 0.25em;
   }
 
+  &-versionupdate {
+    margin-right: 0.5em;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+  }
+
   &-icon {
     margin-left: 0.5em;
     padding: 4px 3px;
diff --git a/common/xfer/constants.go b/common/xfer/constants.go
index 2f25747ca5..4045b14148 100644
--- a/common/xfer/constants.go
+++ b/common/xfer/constants.go
@@ -17,4 +17,13 @@ type Details struct {
 	Version  string      `json:"version"`
 	Hostname string      `json:"hostname"`
 	Plugins  PluginSpecs `json:"plugins,omitempty"`
+
+	NewVersion *NewVersionInfo `json:"newVersion,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// NewVersionInfo is the struct exposed in /api when there is a new
+// version of Scope available.
+type NewVersionInfo struct {
+	Version     string `json:"version"`
+	DownloadURL string `json:"downloadUrl"`
 }
diff --git a/prog/app.go b/prog/app.go
index 0fcf72c9d7..3d58e0e7c2 100644
--- a/prog/app.go
+++ b/prog/app.go
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ func appMain(flags appFlags) {
 		} else if r.Outdated {
 			log.Infof("Scope version %s is available; please update at %s",
 				r.CurrentVersion, r.CurrentDownloadURL)
+			app.NewVersion(r.CurrentVersion, r.CurrentDownloadURL)
 		}
 	})