diff --git a/ElectronClient/app/ElectronAppWrapper.js b/ElectronClient/app/ElectronAppWrapper.js
index 295c575f2..f61b49045 100644
--- a/ElectronClient/app/ElectronAppWrapper.js
+++ b/ElectronClient/app/ElectronAppWrapper.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const url = require('url')
 const path = require('path')
 const urlUtils = require('lib/urlUtils.js');
 const { dirname, basename } = require('lib/path-utils');
+const fs = require('fs-extra');
 
 class ElectronAppWrapper {
 
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ class ElectronAppWrapper {
 		this.win_ = null;
 		this.willQuitApp_ = false;
 		this.tray_ = null;
+		this.buildDir_ = null;
 	}
 
 	electronApp() {
@@ -116,20 +118,30 @@ class ElectronAppWrapper {
 	}
 
 	buildDir() {
-		let dir = __dirname;
-		if (dir.indexOf('.asar') >= 0 || basename(dir) === 'app') dir = dirname(dir);
-		return dir + '/build';
+		if (this.buildDir_) return this.buildDir_;
+		let dir = __dirname + '/build';
+		if (!fs.pathExistsSync(dir)) {
+			dir = dirname(__dirname) + '/build';
+			if (!fs.pathExistsSync(dir)) throw new Error('Cannot find build dir');
+		}
+
+		this.buildDir_ = dir;
+		return dir;
 	}
 
 	// Note: this must be called only after the "ready" event of the app has been dispatched
 	createTray(contextMenu) {
-		this.tray_ = new Tray(this.buildDir() + '/icons/16x16.png')
-		this.tray_.setToolTip(this.electronApp_.getName())
-		this.tray_.setContextMenu(contextMenu)
+		try {
+			this.tray_ = new Tray(this.buildDir() + '/icons/16x16.png')
+			this.tray_.setToolTip(this.electronApp_.getName())
+			this.tray_.setContextMenu(contextMenu)
 
-		this.tray_.on('click', () => {
-			this.window().show();
-		});
+			this.tray_.on('click', () => {
+				this.window().show();
+			});
+		} catch (error) {
+			console.error("Cannot create tray", error);
+		}
 	}
 
 	destroyTray() {
diff --git a/ElectronClient/app/checkForUpdates.js b/ElectronClient/app/checkForUpdates.js
index b72cfeb8d..742323a17 100644
--- a/ElectronClient/app/checkForUpdates.js
+++ b/ElectronClient/app/checkForUpdates.js
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ const { _ } = require('lib/locale.js');
 let autoUpdateLogger_ = new Logger();
 let checkInBackground_ = false;
 
+// Note: Electron Builder's autoUpdater is incredibly buggy so currently it's only used
+// to detect if a new version is present. If it is, the download link is simply opened
+// in a new browser window.
 autoUpdater.autoDownload = false;
 
 autoUpdater.on('error', (error) => {
@@ -14,19 +17,36 @@ autoUpdater.on('error', (error) => {
 	dialog.showErrorBox(_('Error'), error == null ? "unknown" : (error.stack || error).toString())
 })
 
-autoUpdater.on('update-available', () => {
+function htmlToText_(html) {
+	let output = html.replace(/\n/g, '');
+	output = output.replace(/<li>/g, '- ');
+	output = output.replace(/<\/li>/g, '\n');
+	output = output.replace(/<ul>/g, '');
+	output = output.replace(/<\/ul>/g, '');
+	output = output.replace(/<.*?>/g, '');
+	output = output.replace(/<\/.*?>/g, '');
+	return output;
+}
+
+autoUpdater.on('update-available', (info) => {
+	if (!info.version || !info.path) {
+		if (checkInBackground_) return;
+		dialog.showErrorBox(_('Error'), ('Could not get version info: ' + JSON.stringify(info)));
+		return;
+	}
+
+	const downloadUrl = 'https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/releases/download/v' + info.version + '/' + info.path;
+
+	let releaseNotes = info.releaseNotes + '';
+	if (releaseNotes) releaseNotes = '\n\n' + _('Release notes:\n\n%s', htmlToText_(releaseNotes));
+
 	dialog.showMessageBox({
 		type: 'info',
-		message: _('An update is available, do you want to update now?'),
+		message: _('An update is available, do you want to download it now?' + releaseNotes),
 		buttons: [_('Yes'), _('No')]
 	}, (buttonIndex) => {
 		if (buttonIndex === 0) {
-			try {
-				autoUpdater.downloadUpdate()
-			} catch (error) {
-				autoUpdateLogger_.error(error);
-				dialog.showErrorBox(_('Error'), _('Could not download the update: %s', error.message));
-			}
+			require('electron').shell.openExternal(downloadUrl);
 		}
 	})
 })
@@ -37,18 +57,18 @@ autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', () => {
 	dialog.showMessageBox({ message: _('Current version is up-to-date.') })
 })
 
-autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', () => {
-	dialog.showMessageBox({ message: _('New version downloaded - application will quit now and update...') }, () => {
-		setTimeout(() => {
-			try {
-				autoUpdater.quitAndInstall();
-			} catch (error) {
-				autoUpdateLogger_.error(error);
-				dialog.showErrorBox(_('Error'), _('Could not install the update: %s', error.message));
-			}
-		}, 100);
-	})
-})
+// autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', () => {
+// 	dialog.showMessageBox({ message: _('New version downloaded - application will quit now and update...') }, () => {
+// 		setTimeout(() => {
+// 			try {
+// 				autoUpdater.quitAndInstall();
+// 			} catch (error) {
+// 				autoUpdateLogger_.error(error);
+// 				dialog.showErrorBox(_('Error'), _('Could not install the update: %s', error.message));
+// 			}
+// 		}, 100);
+// 	})
+// })
 
 function checkForUpdates(inBackground, logFilePath) {
 	if (logFilePath && !autoUpdateLogger_.targets().length) {