diff --git a/server/README.md b/server/README.md
index 250d11b..c4ac9c0 100644
--- a/server/README.md
+++ b/server/README.md
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ algorithm itself -- it just streams the response straight to the panel.
 - `GET /api/firmware/check` -- throttled (`gitea_releases.UPDATE_CHECK_INTERVAL_S`,
   15 min) check of the configured Gitea repo's latest release for the
   frame's board variant (learned from the device, see `device_board_variant`
-  below -- not user-configured). `{"enabled": false}` if no repo URL is
+  below -- not user-configured). `?force=true` (the "Check now" button)
+  bypasses the throttle. `{"enabled": false}` if no repo URL is
   configured; otherwise `{"enabled": true, "board": "xiao" | null,
   "latest_version": "1.2.3" | null, "staged_version": "1.2.2" | null,
   "update_available": bool}`. `update_available` stays false until the
diff --git a/server/app/main.py b/server/app/main.py
index cb7ee90..b9d8931 100644
--- a/server/app/main.py
+++ b/server/app/main.py
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ def _apply_gitea_update(cfg: config.FrameConfig) -> str:
 
 
 @app.get("/api/firmware/check", dependencies=[Depends(require_access_token)])
-def api_firmware_check():
+def api_firmware_check(force: bool = False):
     """Throttled check of the configured Gitea repo's latest release
     (gitea_releases.UPDATE_CHECK_INTERVAL_S) -- cheap, since it only reads
     the release's tag name, not its binaries. If firmware_auto_update is
@@ -538,13 +538,18 @@ def api_firmware_check():
     Applying (auto or manual) needs to know the frame's board, which is
     learned from the device's own X-Frame-Board header rather than
     picked by the user -- update_available stays false until a device
-    has checked in at least once, regardless of what Gitea has."""
+    has checked in at least once, regardless of what Gitea has.
+
+    force=true (the "Check now" button) bypasses the throttle and always
+    hits Gitea -- otherwise a genuinely new release can sit invisible in
+    the UI for up to the full throttle interval even though it's already
+    live, since the passive poll won't look again until then."""
     cfg = config.load()
     if not cfg.firmware_update_repo_url:
         return {"enabled": False}
 
     now = time.time()
-    if now - cfg.firmware_update_checked_at >= gitea_releases.UPDATE_CHECK_INTERVAL_S:
+    if force or now - cfg.firmware_update_checked_at >= gitea_releases.UPDATE_CHECK_INTERVAL_S:
         # Deliberately not updated on failure (see below) -- checked_at only
         # advances on a successful reach, so a Gitea outage gets retried
         # every poll instead of waiting out the full throttle interval.
diff --git a/server/app/templates/index.html b/server/app/templates/index.html
index 0fe9d7a..d33e99b 100644
--- a/server/app/templates/index.html
+++ b/server/app/templates/index.html
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@
         </div>
         <button type="button" class="secondary" id="firmware-settings-save">Save</button>
         <p class="sub" id="firmware-gitea-status" style="display: none; margin-top: 10px;"></p>
+        <button type="button" class="secondary" id="firmware-check-now">Check now</button>
         <button type="button" id="firmware-update-btn" style="display: none;">Update frame</button>
       </section>
     </div>
@@ -541,13 +542,16 @@
       }
     });
 
-    async function loadFirmwareCheck() {
+    async function loadFirmwareCheck(force) {
       const statusEl = document.getElementById('firmware-gitea-status');
       const btn = document.getElementById('firmware-update-btn');
       const boardEl = document.getElementById('firmware-board');
       try {
-        const resp = await fetch('/api/firmware/check');
+        const resp = await fetch('/api/firmware/check' + (force ? '?force=true' : ''));
         if (!resp.ok) {
+          if (force) {
+            showStatus(false, await resp.text());
+          }
           return;
         }
         const data = await resp.json();
@@ -557,6 +561,9 @@
         if (!data.enabled) {
           statusEl.style.display = 'none';
           btn.style.display = 'none';
+          if (force) {
+            showStatus(false, 'No Gitea repo URL configured.');
+          }
           return;
         }
         statusEl.style.display = 'block';
@@ -573,12 +580,21 @@
           statusEl.textContent = 'No releases found yet.';
           btn.style.display = 'none';
         }
+        if (force) {
+          showStatus(true, 'Checked.');
+        }
       } catch (e) {
-        // A failed check is silent -- the manual upload path still works
-        // regardless, and this just retries on the next poll.
+        // A failed passive poll is silent -- the manual upload path still
+        // works regardless, and this just retries on the next poll. An
+        // explicit "Check now" click still surfaces the error.
+        if (force) {
+          showStatus(false, e.message);
+        }
       }
     }
 
+    document.getElementById('firmware-check-now').addEventListener('click', () => loadFirmwareCheck(true));
+
     document.getElementById('firmware-update-btn').addEventListener('click', async () => {
       const btn = document.getElementById('firmware-update-btn');
       btn.disabled = true;