diff --git a/cmd/pilotctl/main.go b/cmd/pilotctl/main.go
index 930c3088..0641d0c0 100644
--- a/cmd/pilotctl/main.go
+++ b/cmd/pilotctl/main.go
@@ -1148,13 +1148,19 @@ Common keys:
 
 Print the pilotctl build version string.
 `,
-	"update": `Usage: pilotctl update [flags]
+	"update": `Usage: pilotctl update [subcommand|flags]
 
-Run the updater once — check for new releases and install if available.
-In manual mode (daemon not running), re-runs skill install so newly
-installed binaries have matching skill definitions.
+Automatic updates are OFF by default. Control them with:
+  pilotctl update status     show whether auto-update is on and the current version
+  pilotctl update enable     turn automatic updates ON
+  pilotctl update disable    turn automatic updates OFF (default)
 
-Flags:
+With no subcommand, runs the updater ONCE — a manual check that installs the
+latest release if available, regardless of the auto-update setting. In manual
+mode (daemon not running), re-runs skill install so newly installed binaries
+have matching skill definitions.
+
+Flags (one-shot mode):
   --repo <name>   GitHub owner/repo for releases (default: pilot-protocol/pilotprotocol)
   --pin <tag>     pin to a specific release tag (e.g. v1.10.5)
 `,
diff --git a/cmd/pilotctl/updates.go b/cmd/pilotctl/updates.go
index 40ed349f..f3385e52 100644
--- a/cmd/pilotctl/updates.go
+++ b/cmd/pilotctl/updates.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"encoding/xml"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -17,6 +18,76 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pilot-protocol/updater"
 )
 
+// autoUpdateStatePath is the JSON control file ({"enabled": bool}) shared with
+// the pilot-updater loop (passed as its --state-path). Automatic updates are
+// OFF by default: when the file is absent the updater applies nothing.
+func autoUpdateStatePath() string { return configDir() + "/auto-update.json" }
+
+// autoUpdateEnabled reports the persisted auto-update setting (default off).
+func autoUpdateEnabled() bool {
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(autoUpdateStatePath())
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	var s struct {
+		Enabled bool `json:"enabled"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &s); err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return s.Enabled
+}
+
+// cmdAutoUpdateSet turns automatic updates on or off (`pilotctl update
+// enable|disable`). The pilot-updater re-reads the file each tick, so this
+// takes effect without restarting it.
+func cmdAutoUpdateSet(on bool) {
+	path := autoUpdateStatePath()
+	_ = os.MkdirAll(configDir(), 0o755)
+	data, _ := json.MarshalIndent(map[string]bool{"enabled": on}, "", "  ")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, append(data, '\n'), 0o644); err != nil {
+		fatalCode("internal", "write %s: %v", path, err)
+	}
+	if jsonOutput {
+		outputOK(map[string]interface{}{"auto_update": on})
+		return
+	}
+	if on {
+		fmt.Println("Automatic updates ENABLED. The updater will install new stable releases on its check interval.")
+		fmt.Println("Disable any time with: pilotctl update disable")
+	} else {
+		fmt.Println("Automatic updates DISABLED. Nothing will be installed automatically.")
+		fmt.Println("Run a one-time manual update with: pilotctl update")
+	}
+}
+
+// cmdAutoUpdateStatus shows whether automatic updates are on and the current
+// version (`pilotctl update status`).
+func cmdAutoUpdateStatus() {
+	on := autoUpdateEnabled()
+	if jsonOutput {
+		outputOK(map[string]interface{}{
+			"auto_update":     on,
+			"current_version": version,
+			"state_file":      autoUpdateStatePath(),
+		})
+		return
+	}
+	state := "disabled"
+	if on {
+		state = "enabled"
+	}
+	fmt.Printf("Automatic updates: %s\n", state)
+	fmt.Printf("Current version:   %s\n", version)
+	fmt.Printf("State file:        %s\n", autoUpdateStatePath())
+	if on {
+		fmt.Println("\nTurn off with:  pilotctl update disable")
+	} else {
+		fmt.Println("\nTurn on with:   pilotctl update enable")
+		fmt.Println("One-time check: pilotctl update")
+	}
+}
+
 // changelogFeedURL is the canonical RSS 2.0 feed for the public Pilot
 // Protocol changelog. Hosted on GitHub Pages from the pilot-changelog
 // repo (per `pilot-changelog/README.md`). RSS chosen over feed.json so
@@ -218,6 +289,22 @@ func collapseWhitespace(s string) string {
 //	--pin <tag>     : pin to a specific release tag (e.g. v1.10.5)
 //	(global) --json : emit machine-readable JSON
 func cmdUpdate(args []string) {
+	// Auto-update control surface: `pilotctl update status|enable|disable`.
+	// Bare `pilotctl update` (or with --repo/--pin flags) runs a one-shot
+	// manual update, which works regardless of the auto-update setting.
+	if len(args) >= 1 {
+		switch args[0] {
+		case "status":
+			cmdAutoUpdateStatus()
+			return
+		case "enable", "on":
+			cmdAutoUpdateSet(true)
+			return
+		case "disable", "off":
+			cmdAutoUpdateSet(false)
+			return
+		}
+	}
 	flags, _ := parseFlags(args)
 	repo := flagString(flags, "repo", "pilot-protocol/pilotprotocol")
 	pin := flagString(flags, "pin", "")
diff --git a/cmd/pilotctl/zz_autoupdate_test.go b/cmd/pilotctl/zz_autoupdate_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52c86a7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/pilotctl/zz_autoupdate_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestAutoUpdateControl pins the enable/disable/default-off control surface.
+func TestAutoUpdateControl(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("HOME", t.TempDir()) // configDir() -> $HOME/.pilot
+
+	if autoUpdateEnabled() {
+		t.Fatal("auto-update must be OFF by default (no state file)")
+	}
+
+	prev := jsonOutput
+	defer func() { jsonOutput = prev }()
+	jsonOutput = true
+
+	_ = captureStdout(t, func() { cmdAutoUpdateSet(true) })
+	if !autoUpdateEnabled() {
+		t.Fatal("enable did not persist")
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(autoUpdateStatePath()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("state file not written: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_ = captureStdout(t, func() { cmdAutoUpdateSet(false) })
+	if autoUpdateEnabled() {
+		t.Fatal("disable did not persist")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/updater/main.go b/cmd/updater/main.go
index e6121b2c..6ab976d3 100644
--- a/cmd/updater/main.go
+++ b/cmd/updater/main.go
@@ -16,6 +16,18 @@ import (
 
 var version = "dev"
 
+// defaultStatePath returns the auto-update control file, matching pilotctl's
+// ~/.pilot/auto-update.json so `pilotctl update enable/disable` and this loop
+// share one source of truth. Empty if the home dir can't be resolved (the
+// updater then treats auto-update as disabled — opt-in).
+func defaultStatePath() string {
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil || home == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return home + "/.pilot/auto-update.json"
+}
+
 func main() {
 	installDir := flag.String("install-dir", "", "directory containing pilot binaries (required)")
 	repo := flag.String("repo", "pilot-protocol/pilotprotocol", "GitHub owner/repo for releases")
@@ -24,6 +36,7 @@ func main() {
 	logLevel := flag.String("log-level", "info", "log level (debug, info, warn, error)")
 	logFormat := flag.String("log-format", "text", "log format (text, json)")
 	showVersion := flag.Bool("version", false, "print version and exit")
+	statePath := flag.String("state-path", defaultStatePath(), "JSON control file {\"enabled\":bool} for automatic updates; auto-update is OFF until enabled (e.g. via `pilotctl update enable`)")
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	if *showVersion {
@@ -44,6 +57,7 @@ func main() {
 		InstallDir:    *installDir,
 		Version:       version,
 		PinnedVersion: *pin,
+		StatePath:     *statePath,
 	})
 
 	u.Start()
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 88ecf29b..6fa22649 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/pilot-protocol/runtime v0.3.1
 	github.com/pilot-protocol/skillinject v0.2.3
 	github.com/pilot-protocol/trustedagents v0.2.3
-	github.com/pilot-protocol/updater v0.2.2-0.20260616131353-92a3a30a235e
+	github.com/pilot-protocol/updater v0.2.2
 	github.com/pilot-protocol/webhook v0.2.0
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.46.0
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 33217fbd..1dc92834 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ github.com/pilot-protocol/app-store v1.0.1-beta.1.0.20260616142430-8edfed7efa72
 github.com/pilot-protocol/app-store v1.0.1-beta.1.0.20260616142430-8edfed7efa72/go.mod h1:leZPtX43gE2JB7xeljexXri81g6qhdZfYExLtzI+bhg=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/beacon v0.2.6 h1:grxwaVyPRUT0W6coyjYfNkO0rpzOIrwrKn94S21DuVE=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/beacon v0.2.6/go.mod h1:I/UhEv097g1z/qtAVDZbEhf3R5tzM0Dp71vGHah52A4=
-github.com/pilot-protocol/common v0.5.3 h1:CsBBmzuQn75G1MKVvKdLp77G9nf6fC7YGLZh8DVeZEI=
-github.com/pilot-protocol/common v0.5.3/go.mod h1:yrAwPXGVMbXU+SADvOCmbdXjK/wJ3uA0KshyLvRlej4=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/common v0.5.5 h1:mnv3q84alVaotGD+Qxfo4ECFEquqsUwrI3mjKIGUKFY=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/common v0.5.5/go.mod h1:yrAwPXGVMbXU+SADvOCmbdXjK/wJ3uA0KshyLvRlej4=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/dataexchange v0.2.1-beta.1.0.20260615113607-fac933edea98 h1:Bqgnf4CZC7aZJyDzz/E7agwXotArJg2FvFlNDqouhLo=
@@ -30,8 +28,8 @@ github.com/pilot-protocol/skillinject v0.2.3 h1:Bf0tqRe7tqYY27X5RGCOf4LGjtWpyQvN
 github.com/pilot-protocol/skillinject v0.2.3/go.mod h1:fCzivA/bjkXRgGjp6yd7nqfaIETtU+lQRocBu0J/O9g=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/trustedagents v0.2.3 h1:QQJHYqzPrECJwkCev0xIDBMjd92uhtcxcCMc2aOrRHc=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/trustedagents v0.2.3/go.mod h1:gDgEOC9lHmXSS9v45h80XxlmUS861soIrA0AsbXiSV4=
-github.com/pilot-protocol/updater v0.2.2-0.20260616131353-92a3a30a235e h1:vFzuw5dUVi0igwI2PdVzDY8OnY6FDLzM05wzI75zUZ8=
-github.com/pilot-protocol/updater v0.2.2-0.20260616131353-92a3a30a235e/go.mod h1:/I0uhVk1SljAOEYmjTdI/6CP7UmemmV4WB22ai1FxUw=
+github.com/pilot-protocol/updater v0.2.2 h1:uA+Gmbs3/sMoumtjwCMXUHo3TAKg51VRch88m0wUtZA=
+github.com/pilot-protocol/updater v0.2.2/go.mod h1:wn+HkjgChZ1QCCkOHBolAol42mxyyW/iz7oOFJLciT4=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/webhook v0.2.0 h1:3UFU9X2yBb0iKlPbzVcism+Z6yCrBBaOgdo9+vd4Wf4=
 github.com/pilot-protocol/webhook v0.2.0/go.mod h1:WVXhHFg+o0pHHk+4nXMCh1zl/ZAyZ3AXrtx6mNuZS6g=
 golang.org/x/net v0.55.0 h1:bcvxaJn3e1U6InsFWt1JUq1aSjnRxLzT2rtD2KfkDF8=