diff --git a/publish.sh b/publish.sh
index 6233342..9d7eaa5 100755
--- a/publish.sh
+++ b/publish.sh
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ export INSTALL_LOCAL="false"
 
 [ -f "${SCRIPT_DIR}/output/dropshell" ] || die "Build failed."
 
+# Get version from the built binary (format: YYYY.MMDD.HHMM)
+VERSION=$("${SCRIPT_DIR}/output/dropshell" version | tr -d '[:space:]')
+[ -z "$VERSION" ] && die "Failed to get version from dropshell"
+
+echo "Publishing dropshell version ${VERSION} for ${ARCH}"
+
 # download the sos binary
 mkdir -p "${TEMP_DIR}"
 trap 'rm -rf "${TEMP_DIR}"' EXIT
@@ -34,8 +40,23 @@ trap 'rm -rf "${TEMP_DIR}"' EXIT
 curl -L -o "${SOS}" "https://getbin.xyz/sos"
 chmod +x "${SOS}"
 
-# upload arch-specific binary
-"${SOS}" upload "getbin.xyz" "${SCRIPT_DIR}/output/${PROJECT}" "${PROJECT}:latest-${ARCH}"
+# Create metadata file with version information
+METADATA_FILE="${TEMP_DIR}/metadata.json"
+cat > "${METADATA_FILE}" <<EOF
+{
+  "version": "${VERSION}",
+  "architecture": "${ARCH}",
+  "project": "${PROJECT}"
+}
+EOF
+
+# upload arch-specific binary with metadata
+# The sos tool should support --metadata flag or similar for version info
+"${SOS}" upload "getbin.xyz" "${SCRIPT_DIR}/output/${PROJECT}" "${PROJECT}:latest-${ARCH}" \
+    --metadata "version=${VERSION}"
+
+# Also upload with version-specific tag for direct version access
+"${SOS}" upload "getbin.xyz" "${SCRIPT_DIR}/output/${PROJECT}" "${PROJECT}:${VERSION}-${ARCH}"
 
 # upload generic install script
 "${SOS}" upload "getbin.xyz" "${SCRIPT_DIR}/dropshell-install.sh" "dropshell-install:latest"
@@ -43,4 +64,4 @@ chmod +x "${SOS}"
 # upload server auto-setup script  
 "${SOS}" upload "getbin.xyz" "${SCRIPT_DIR}/dropshell-server-autosetup.sh" "dropshell-server-autosetup:latest"
 
-echo "Successfully published dropshell:latest-${ARCH} to getbin.xyz"
\ No newline at end of file
+echo "Successfully published dropshell:latest-${ARCH} (version ${VERSION}) to getbin.xyz"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/src/commands/install.cpp b/source/src/commands/install.cpp
index 44b47a6..5565963 100644
--- a/source/src/commands/install.cpp
+++ b/source/src/commands/install.cpp
@@ -254,8 +254,6 @@ complete -F _dropshell_completions ds
         // determine the architecture of the system
         std::string arch = shared_commands::get_arch();
 
-        std::string url = "https://gitea.jde.nz/public/dropshell/releases/download/latest/dropshell." + arch;
-
         // check that the user that owns the exe is the current user this process is running as.
         struct stat st;
         if (stat(exe_path.c_str(), &st) != 0) {
@@ -269,48 +267,111 @@ complete -F _dropshell_completions ds
             return -1;
         }
 
+        // Get current version (format: YYYY.MMDD.HHMM)
+        std::string runvercmd = exe_path.string() + " version";
+        std::string currentver = _exec(runvercmd.c_str());
+        currentver = trim(currentver);
+        
+        info << "Current version: " << currentver << std::endl;
+        info << "Checking for updates..." << std::endl;
+        
         shared_commands::cLocalTempFolder local_temp_folder;
+        std::filesystem::path sos_path = local_temp_folder.path() / "sos";
+        
+        // Download sos to check metadata
+        bool should_download = true;
+        if (!download_file("https://getbin.xyz/sos", sos_path))
+        {
+            warning << "Failed to download sos utility, proceeding with direct download." << std::endl;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            chmod(sos_path.c_str(), 0755);
+            
+            // Use sos to get metadata about the remote dropshell binary
+            std::string info_cmd = sos_path.string() + " info getbin.xyz dropshell:latest-" + arch;
+            std::string info_output = _exec(info_cmd.c_str());
+            
+            // Parse the version from the info output 
+            // The metadata should contain version in format: "version: YYYY.MMDD.HHMM"
+            std::size_t version_pos = info_output.find("version: ");
+            if (version_pos != std::string::npos)
+            {
+                std::string remote_version = info_output.substr(version_pos + 9);
+                remote_version = remote_version.substr(0, remote_version.find('\n'));
+                remote_version = trim(remote_version);
+                
+                info << "Latest available version: " << remote_version << std::endl;
+                
+                // Compare versions (both in YYYY.MMDD.HHMM format)
+                if (!remote_version.empty() && currentver >= remote_version)
+                {
+                    info << "Dropshell is already up to date." << std::endl;
+                    return 0;
+                }
+                
+                if (!remote_version.empty() && currentver < remote_version)
+                {
+                    info << "New version available, downloading..." << std::endl;
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                debug << "Version information not found in metadata, proceeding with download." << std::endl;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (!should_download)
+        {
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        // Download new version from getbin.xyz
+        std::string url = "https://getbin.xyz/dropshell:latest-" + arch;
         std::filesystem::path temp_file = local_temp_folder.path() / "dropshell";
+        
         bool download_okay = download_file(url, temp_file);
         if (!download_okay)
         {
-            error << "Failed to download new version of dropshell." << std::endl;
+            error << "Failed to download new version of dropshell from " << url << std::endl;
             return -1;
         }
 
         // make executable
         chmod(temp_file.c_str(), 0755);
 
-        // check if the new version is the same as the old version
-        uint64_t new_hash = hash_file(temp_file);
-        uint64_t old_hash = hash_file(exe_path);
-        if (new_hash == old_hash)
-        {
-            info << "Confirmed dropshell is the latest version." << std::endl;
-            return 0;
-        }
-
-        std::string runvercmd = exe_path.string() + " version";
-        std::string currentver = _exec(runvercmd.c_str());
+        // Get version of downloaded binary to double-check
         runvercmd = temp_file.string() + " version";
         std::string newver = _exec(runvercmd.c_str());
+        newver = trim(newver);
 
+        // Final version check
         if (currentver >= newver)
         {
-            info << "Current dropshell version: " << currentver << ", published version: " << newver << std::endl;
-            info << "Release version is not newer, no update needed." << std::endl;
+            info << "Downloaded version (" << newver << ") is not newer than current (" << currentver << ")" << std::endl;
+            info << "No update needed." << std::endl;
             return 0;
         }
 
-        // move the new version to the old version.
-        std::filesystem::rename(exe_path, exe_path.parent_path() / "dropshell.old");
+        info << "Updating from version " << currentver << " to " << newver << std::endl;
+
+        // Backup old version and replace with new
+        std::filesystem::path backup_path = exe_path.parent_path() / "dropshell.old";
+        if (std::filesystem::exists(backup_path))
+        {
+            std::filesystem::remove(backup_path);
+        }
+        
+        std::filesystem::rename(exe_path, backup_path);
         std::filesystem::rename(temp_file, exe_path);
 
-        // remove the old version.
-        std::filesystem::remove(exe_path.parent_path() / "dropshell.old");
+        // Remove the backup after successful replacement
+        std::filesystem::remove(backup_path);
 
-        // execute the new version
-        execlp("bash", "bash", "-c", (exe_path.parent_path() / "dropshell").string() + "install", (char *)nullptr);
+        info << "Update complete. Restarting dropshell..." << std::endl;
+
+        // Execute the new version
+        execlp("bash", "bash", "-c", (exe_path.string() + " install").c_str(), (char *)nullptr);
         error << "Failed to execute new version of dropshell." << std::endl;
         return -1;
     }