diff --git a/ILSpy/AboutPage.cs b/ILSpy/AboutPage.cs
index d751d3664..0966cbb2c 100644
--- a/ILSpy/AboutPage.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/AboutPage.cs
@@ -289,20 +289,7 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.ILSpy
 				    || s.LastSuccessfulUpdateCheck < DateTime.UtcNow.AddDays(-7)
 				    || s.LastSuccessfulUpdateCheck > DateTime.UtcNow)
 				{
-					GetLatestVersionAsync().ContinueWith(
-						delegate (Task<AvailableVersionInfo> task) {
-							try {
-								s.LastSuccessfulUpdateCheck = DateTime.UtcNow;
-								AvailableVersionInfo v = task.Result;
-								if (v.Version > currentVersion)
-									tcs.SetResult(v.DownloadUrl);
-								else
-									tcs.SetResult(null);
-							} catch (AggregateException) {
-								// ignore errors getting the version info
-								tcs.SetResult(null);
-							}
-						});
+					CheckForUpdateInternal(tcs, s);
 				} else {
 					tcs.SetResult(null);
 				}
@@ -311,6 +298,32 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.ILSpy
 			}
 			return tcs.Task;
 		}
+
+		public static Task<string> CheckForUpdatesAsync(ILSpySettings spySettings)
+		{
+			var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<string>();
+			UpdateSettings s = new UpdateSettings(spySettings);
+			CheckForUpdateInternal(tcs, s);
+			return tcs.Task;
+		}
+
+		static void CheckForUpdateInternal(TaskCompletionSource<string> tcs, UpdateSettings s)
+		{
+			GetLatestVersionAsync().ContinueWith(
+				delegate (Task<AvailableVersionInfo> task) {
+					try {
+						s.LastSuccessfulUpdateCheck = DateTime.UtcNow;
+						AvailableVersionInfo v = task.Result;
+						if (v.Version > currentVersion)
+							tcs.SetResult(v.DownloadUrl);
+						else
+							tcs.SetResult(null);
+					} catch (AggregateException) {
+						// ignore errors getting the version info
+						tcs.SetResult(null);
+					}
+				});
+		}
 	}
 	
 	/// <summary>
diff --git a/ILSpy/CheckForUpdates.cs b/ILSpy/CheckForUpdates.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed1adbfd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ILSpy/CheckForUpdates.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2011 AlphaSierraPapa for the SharpDevelop Team
+// 
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this
+// software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software
+// without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge,
+// publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons
+// to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+// 
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or
+// substantial portions of the Software.
+// 
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
+// INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+// PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE
+// FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+// DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using System.Windows;
+
+namespace ICSharpCode.ILSpy
+{
+	[ExportMainMenuCommand(Menu = "_Help", Header = "_Check for Updates", MenuOrder = 5000)]
+	sealed class CheckForUpdates : SimpleCommand
+	{
+		public override void Execute(object parameter)
+		{
+			MainWindow.Instance.ShowMessageIfUpdatesAvailableAsync(ILSpySettings.Load(), forceCheck: true);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/ILSpy/ILSpy.csproj b/ILSpy/ILSpy.csproj
index 243e2275a..cc72c5403 100644
--- a/ILSpy/ILSpy.csproj
+++ b/ILSpy/ILSpy.csproj
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@
     <Compile Include="AssemblyListManager.cs" />
     <Compile Include="AvalonEdit\ITextMarker.cs" />
     <Compile Include="AvalonEdit\TextMarkerService.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="CheckForUpdates.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Commands\BrowseBackCommand.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Commands\BrowseForwardCommand.cs" />
     <Compile Include="CommandLineArguments.cs" />
diff --git a/ILSpy/MainWindow.xaml b/ILSpy/MainWindow.xaml
index 9aec1acde..2c12afc6c 100644
--- a/ILSpy/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/ILSpy/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -141,12 +141,12 @@
 					<RowDefinition Height="0" />
 					<RowDefinition Height="0" Name="bottomPaneRow" />
 				</Grid.RowDefinitions>
-				<Border BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1" Name="updateAvailablePanel" Visibility="Collapsed">
+				<Border BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1" Name="updatePanel" Visibility="Collapsed">
 					<DockPanel>
-						<Button DockPanel.Dock="Right" Click="updateAvailablePanelCloseButtonClick" MinWidth="0">X</Button>
+						<Button DockPanel.Dock="Right" Click="updatePanelCloseButtonClick" MinWidth="0">X</Button>
 						<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
-							<TextBlock Margin="4,0" VerticalAlignment="Center">A new ILSpy version is available.</TextBlock>
-							<Button Click="downloadUpdateButtonClick">Download</Button>
+							<TextBlock Name="updatePanelMessage" Margin="4,0" VerticalAlignment="Center">A new ILSpy version is available.</TextBlock>
+							<Button Name="downloadOrCheckUpdateButton" Click="downloadOrCheckUpdateButtonClick">Download</Button>
 						</StackPanel>
 					</DockPanel>
 				</Border>
diff --git a/ILSpy/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/ILSpy/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 8dfd45e53..1cdfe40ed 100644
--- a/ILSpy/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -399,27 +399,44 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.ILSpy
 		#region Update Check
 		string updateAvailableDownloadUrl;
 		
-		void ShowMessageIfUpdatesAvailableAsync(ILSpySettings spySettings)
+		public void ShowMessageIfUpdatesAvailableAsync(ILSpySettings spySettings, bool forceCheck = false)
 		{
-			AboutPage.CheckForUpdatesIfEnabledAsync(spySettings).ContinueWith(
-				delegate (Task<string> task) {
-					if (task.Result != null) {
-						updateAvailableDownloadUrl = task.Result;
-						updateAvailablePanel.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;
-					}
-				},
-				TaskScheduler.FromCurrentSynchronizationContext()
-			);
+			Task<string> result;
+			if (forceCheck) {
+				result = AboutPage.CheckForUpdatesAsync(spySettings);
+			} else {
+				result = AboutPage.CheckForUpdatesIfEnabledAsync(spySettings);
+			}
+			result.ContinueWith(task => AdjustUpdateUIAfterCheck(task, forceCheck), TaskScheduler.FromCurrentSynchronizationContext());
 		}
 		
-		void updateAvailablePanelCloseButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+		void updatePanelCloseButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
 		{
-			updateAvailablePanel.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
+			updatePanel.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
 		}
 		
-		void downloadUpdateButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+		void downloadOrCheckUpdateButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
 		{
-			Process.Start(updateAvailableDownloadUrl);
+			if (updateAvailableDownloadUrl != null) {
+				Process.Start(updateAvailableDownloadUrl);
+			} else {
+				updatePanel.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
+				AboutPage.CheckForUpdatesAsync(spySettings ?? ILSpySettings.Load())
+					.ContinueWith(task => AdjustUpdateUIAfterCheck(task, true), TaskScheduler.FromCurrentSynchronizationContext());
+			}
+		}
+
+		void AdjustUpdateUIAfterCheck(Task<string> task, bool displayMessage)
+		{
+			updateAvailableDownloadUrl = task.Result;
+			updatePanel.Visibility = displayMessage ? Visibility.Visible : Visibility.Collapsed;
+			if (task.Result != null) {
+				updatePanelMessage.Text = "A new ILSpy version is available.";
+				downloadOrCheckUpdateButton.Content = "Download";
+			} else {
+				updatePanelMessage.Text = "No update for ILSpy found.";
+				downloadOrCheckUpdateButton.Content = "Check again";
+			}
 		}
 		#endregion