diff --git a/server/app/routers/api_frames.py b/server/app/routers/api_frames.py
index afe8455..396dbad 100644
--- a/server/app/routers/api_frames.py
+++ b/server/app/routers/api_frames.py
@@ -384,6 +384,7 @@ def api_firmware_check(
         "board": frame.device_board_variant or None,
         "latest_version": frame.firmware_gitea_latest_version or None,
         "staged_version": frame.firmware_available_version or None,
+        "running_version": frame.device_firmware_version or None,
         "update_available": update_available,
     }
 
diff --git a/server/app/static/frame_config.js b/server/app/static/frame_config.js
index c60e052..9ec0589 100644
--- a/server/app/static/frame_config.js
+++ b/server/app/static/frame_config.js
@@ -339,8 +339,15 @@ async function loadFirmwareCheck(force) {
       statusEl.textContent = 'Waiting for the frame to check in before it can look up the right build.';
       btn.style.display = 'none';
     } else if (data.update_available) {
-      statusEl.textContent = `Update available: v${data.latest_version}.`;
+      statusEl.textContent = `Update available: v${data.latest_version}` +
+        (data.running_version ? ` (currently running v${data.running_version}).` : '.');
       btn.style.display = 'inline-block';
+    } else if (data.latest_version && data.running_version && data.running_version !== data.latest_version) {
+      // Already staged (or auto-applied) but the frame hasn't woken up
+      // and picked it up yet -- not "up to date" until it actually has.
+      statusEl.textContent = `v${data.latest_version} staged -- applies next time the frame wakes ` +
+        `(currently running v${data.running_version}).`;
+      btn.style.display = 'none';
     } else if (data.latest_version) {
       statusEl.textContent = `Up to date (v${data.latest_version}).`;
       btn.style.display = 'none';
diff --git a/server/tests/test_firmware_check.py b/server/tests/test_firmware_check.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ec47a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/tests/test_firmware_check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+"""POST /api/frames/{id}/firmware/check -- the "Check now" button's
+endpoint. update_available compares the latest Gitea release against
+what's *staged* (firmware_available_version), not what the device is
+actually running (device_firmware_version) -- those can differ once a
+release has been staged/auto-applied but the frame hasn't woken up and
+picked it up yet. running_version lets the UI tell "up to date" apart
+from "staged, waiting for the frame to apply it" instead of collapsing
+both into the same message."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from app import gitea_releases
+from app.models import Frame
+
+from .conftest import csrf_headers
+
+
+def _setup_frame(db_session, monkeypatch, latest_version, **overrides):
+    """firmware_update_checked_at starts at 0, so the endpoint always
+    tries a real Gitea fetch on a fresh frame regardless of force= --
+    stub it out rather than hitting the network."""
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        gitea_releases, "fetch_latest_release", lambda *a, **k: {"version": latest_version, "assets": {}}
+    )
+    frame = db_session.get(Frame, 1)
+    frame.firmware_update_repo_url = "https://git.example.com/owner/repo"
+    frame.device_board_variant = "devkit"
+    for key, value in overrides.items():
+        setattr(frame, key, value)
+    db_session.commit()
+    return frame
+
+
+def test_up_to_date_when_running_matches_latest(client, db_session, monkeypatch):
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    _setup_frame(
+        db_session,
+        monkeypatch,
+        "1.4.1",
+        firmware_available_version="1.4.1",
+        device_firmware_version="1.4.1",
+    )
+
+    resp = client.post("/api/frames/1/firmware/check", headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["update_available"] is False
+    assert data["latest_version"] == "1.4.1"
+    assert data["running_version"] == "1.4.1"
+
+
+def test_staged_but_not_yet_running_is_not_update_available(client, db_session, monkeypatch):
+    """A release already staged (e.g. by a previous auto-update) but not
+    yet applied by the device isn't "an update is available" -- there's
+    nothing left to fetch/stage -- but it also isn't silently "up to
+    date" from the UI's perspective, since running_version still lags."""
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    _setup_frame(
+        db_session,
+        monkeypatch,
+        "1.4.1",
+        firmware_available_version="1.4.1",
+        device_firmware_version="1.3.0",
+    )
+
+    resp = client.post("/api/frames/1/firmware/check", headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["update_available"] is False
+    assert data["latest_version"] == "1.4.1"
+    assert data["staged_version"] == "1.4.1"
+    assert data["running_version"] == "1.3.0"
+
+
+def test_update_available_reports_running_version(client, db_session, monkeypatch):
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    _setup_frame(
+        db_session,
+        monkeypatch,
+        "1.4.1",
+        firmware_available_version="1.3.0",
+        device_firmware_version="1.3.0",
+    )
+
+    resp = client.post("/api/frames/1/firmware/check", headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["update_available"] is True
+    assert data["running_version"] == "1.3.0"