diff --git a/internal/cli/app.go b/internal/cli/app.go
index 7518321..c0ca452 100644
--- a/internal/cli/app.go
+++ b/internal/cli/app.go
@@ -938,6 +938,7 @@ func (a *App) CLI() *CLI {
 				Short:       "",
 				Long:        "update",
 				Args:        "",
+				IsHidden:    core.NoSelfUpdate,
 				Description: "Update the fetch binary in place",
 				Default:     "",
 				IsSet: func() bool {
diff --git a/internal/core/vars.go b/internal/core/vars.go
index 8946a9d..6e08153 100644
--- a/internal/core/vars.go
+++ b/internal/core/vars.go
@@ -14,9 +14,13 @@ type TerminalSize struct {
 	HeightPx int // Height in pixels (0 if unavailable)
 }
 
+var packageManager string // set via ldflags to disable self-update (e.g. "Homebrew")
+
 var (
-	IsStderrTerm bool
-	IsStdoutTerm bool
+	IsStderrTerm   bool
+	IsStdoutTerm   bool
+	NoSelfUpdate   bool
+	PackageManager string
 
 	UserAgent string
 	Version   string
@@ -29,6 +33,10 @@ func init() {
 	IsStderrTerm = isTerminal(int(os.Stderr.Fd()))
 	IsStdoutTerm = isTerminal(int(os.Stdout.Fd()))
 
+	// Set whether self-update is disabled.
+	PackageManager = packageManager
+	NoSelfUpdate = PackageManager != ""
+
 	// Set executable version and user-agent.
 	Version = getVersion()
 	UserAgent = "fetch/" + Version
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index d681efc..98362ed 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	// Start async update, if necessary.
-	if !app.Update && app.Cfg.AutoUpdate != nil && *app.Cfg.AutoUpdate >= 0 {
+	if !app.Update && !core.NoSelfUpdate && app.Cfg.AutoUpdate != nil && *app.Cfg.AutoUpdate >= 0 {
 		checkForUpdate(ctx, handle.Stderr(), *app.Cfg.AutoUpdate)
 	}
 
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ func main() {
 	// Attempt to update the current executable.
 	verbosity := getVerbosity(app)
 	if app.Update {
+		if core.NoSelfUpdate {
+			p := handle.Stderr()
+			core.WriteErrorMsg(p, errSelfUpdateDisabled(core.PackageManager))
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
 		p := handle.Stderr()
 		timeout := getValue(app.Cfg.Timeout)
 		status := update.Update(ctx, p, timeout, verbosity == core.VSilent, app.DryRun)
@@ -289,6 +294,19 @@ func writeCLIErr(p *core.Printer, err error) {
 	p.Flush()
 }
 
+type errSelfUpdateDisabled string
+
+func (err errSelfUpdateDisabled) Error() string {
+	return "self-update is disabled for this installation; please update using " + string(err)
+}
+
+func (err errSelfUpdateDisabled) PrintTo(p *core.Printer) {
+	p.WriteString("self-update is disabled for this installation; please update using ")
+	p.Set(core.Bold)
+	p.WriteString(string(err))
+	p.Reset()
+}
+
 type errShellNotSupported string
 
 func (err errShellNotSupported) Error() string {