diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Configuration/DeploymentInfoProvider.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Configuration/DeploymentInfoProvider.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2609ab66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Configuration/DeploymentInfoProvider.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+using NzbDrone.Common.Disk;
+using NzbDrone.Common.EnvironmentInfo;
+using NzbDrone.Common.Extensions;
+using NzbDrone.Core.Update;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace NzbDrone.Core.Configuration
+{
+    public interface IDeploymentInfoProvider
+    {
+        Version PackageVersion { get; }
+        string PackageBranch { get; }
+        UpdateMechanism PackageUpdateMechanism { get; }
+
+        Version ReleaseVersion { get; }
+        string ReleaseBranch { get; }
+
+        bool BuiltInUpdaterAllowed { get; }
+        UpdateMechanism DefaultUpdateMechanism { get; }
+        string DefaultBranch { get; }
+    }
+
+    public class DeploymentInfoProvider : IDeploymentInfoProvider
+    {
+        public DeploymentInfoProvider(IAppFolderInfo appFolderInfo, IDiskProvider diskProvider)
+        {
+            var bin = appFolderInfo.StartUpFolder;
+            var packageInfoPath = Path.Combine(bin, "..", "package_info");
+            var releaseInfoPath = Path.Combine(bin, "release_info");
+
+            PackageUpdateMechanism = UpdateMechanism.BuiltIn;
+            DefaultBranch = "master";
+
+            if (Path.GetFileName(bin) == "bin" && diskProvider.FileExists(packageInfoPath))
+            {
+                var data = diskProvider.ReadAllText(packageInfoPath);
+
+                PackageVersion = ReadVersion(data, "PackageVersion");
+                PackageUpdateMechanism = ReadEnumValue(data, "UpdateMethod", UpdateMechanism.BuiltIn);
+                PackageBranch = ReadValue(data, "Branch", null);
+
+                ReleaseVersion = ReadVersion(data, "ReleaseVersion");
+
+                if (PackageBranch.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace())
+                {
+                    DefaultBranch = PackageBranch;
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (diskProvider.FileExists(releaseInfoPath))
+            {
+                var data = diskProvider.ReadAllText(releaseInfoPath);
+
+                ReleaseVersion = ReadVersion(data, "ReleaseVersion", ReleaseVersion);
+                ReleaseBranch = ReadValue(data, "Branch", null);
+
+                if (ReleaseBranch.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace())
+                {
+                    DefaultBranch = ReleaseBranch;
+                }
+            }
+
+            DefaultUpdateMechanism = PackageUpdateMechanism;
+        }
+
+        private static string ReadValue(string fileData, string key, string defaultValue)
+        {
+            var match = Regex.Match(fileData, "^" + key + "=(.*)$", RegexOptions.Multiline);
+            if (match.Success)
+            {
+                return match.Groups[1].Value.Trim();
+            }
+
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+
+        private static T ReadEnumValue<T>(string fileData, string key, T defaultValue)
+            where T : struct
+        {
+            var value = ReadValue(fileData, key, null);
+            if (value != null && Enum.TryParse<T>(value, true, out var result))
+            {
+                return result;
+            }
+
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+
+        private static Version ReadVersion(string fileData, string key, Version defaultValue = null)
+        {
+            var value = ReadValue(fileData, key, null);
+            if (value != null && Version.TryParse(value, out var result))
+            {
+                return result;
+            }
+
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+
+        public Version PackageVersion { get; private set; }
+        public string PackageBranch { get; private set; }
+        public UpdateMechanism PackageUpdateMechanism { get; private set; }
+
+        public Version ReleaseVersion { get; set; }
+        public string ReleaseBranch { get; set; }
+
+
+        public bool BuiltInUpdaterAllowed => PackageUpdateMechanism == UpdateMechanism.BuiltIn;
+        public UpdateMechanism DefaultUpdateMechanism { get; private set; }
+        public string DefaultBranch { get; private set; }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/NzbDrone.Core.csproj b/src/NzbDrone.Core/NzbDrone.Core.csproj
index dbc5a5dd0..b4243c611 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/NzbDrone.Core.csproj
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/NzbDrone.Core.csproj
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Configuration\ConfigFileProvider.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Configuration\ConfigRepository.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Configuration\ConfigService.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Configuration\DeploymentInfoProvider.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Configuration\Events\ConfigFileSavedEvent.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Configuration\Events\ConfigSavedEvent.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Configuration\IConfigService.cs" />
@@ -1225,6 +1226,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Tv\SeriesTypes.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Tv\ShouldRefreshSeries.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Update\Commands\ApplicationUpdateCommand.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Update\ConfigureUpdateMechanism.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Update\InstallUpdateService.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Update\RecentUpdateProvider.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Update\UpdateAbortedException.cs" />
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/ConfigureUpdateMechanism.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/ConfigureUpdateMechanism.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb4f4998b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/ConfigureUpdateMechanism.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+using NLog;
+using NzbDrone.Core.Configuration;
+using NzbDrone.Core.Lifecycle;
+using NzbDrone.Core.Messaging.Events;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace NzbDrone.Core.Update
+{
+    public interface IUpdaterConfigProvider
+    {
+
+    }
+
+    public class UpdaterConfigProvider : IUpdaterConfigProvider, IHandle<ApplicationStartedEvent>
+    {
+        private Logger _logger;
+        private IConfigFileProvider _configFileProvider;
+        private IDeploymentInfoProvider _deploymentInfoProvider;
+
+        public UpdaterConfigProvider(IDeploymentInfoProvider deploymentInfoProvider, IConfigFileProvider configFileProvider, Logger logger)
+        {
+            _deploymentInfoProvider = deploymentInfoProvider;
+            _configFileProvider = configFileProvider;
+            _logger = logger;
+        }
+
+        public void Handle(ApplicationStartedEvent message)
+        {
+            var updateMechanism = _configFileProvider.UpdateMechanism;
+            var packageUpdateMechanism = _deploymentInfoProvider.PackageUpdateMechanism;
+
+            var externalMechanisms = Enum.GetValues(typeof(UpdateMechanism))
+                                         .Cast<UpdateMechanism>()
+                                         .Where(v => (int)v >= (int)UpdateMechanism.External)
+                                         .ToArray();
+
+            foreach (var externalMechanism in externalMechanisms)
+            {
+                if (packageUpdateMechanism != externalMechanism && updateMechanism == externalMechanism ||
+                    packageUpdateMechanism == externalMechanism && updateMechanism == UpdateMechanism.BuiltIn)
+                {
+                    _logger.Info("Update mechanism {0} not supported in the current configuration, changing to {1}.", updateMechanism, packageUpdateMechanism);
+                    ChangeUpdateMechanism(packageUpdateMechanism);
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        
+        private void ChangeUpdateMechanism(UpdateMechanism updateMechanism)
+        {
+            var config = new Dictionary<string, object>
+            {
+                [nameof(_configFileProvider.UpdateMechanism)] = updateMechanism
+            };
+            _configFileProvider.SaveConfigDictionary(config);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/InstallUpdateService.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/InstallUpdateService.cs
index d99bfb305..c38cfc453 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/InstallUpdateService.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/InstallUpdateService.cs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Update
         private readonly IProcessProvider _processProvider;
         private readonly IVerifyUpdates _updateVerifier;
         private readonly IStartupContext _startupContext;
+        private readonly IDeploymentInfoProvider _deploymentInfoProvider;
         private readonly IConfigFileProvider _configFileProvider;
         private readonly IRuntimeInfo _runtimeInfo;
         private readonly IBackupService _backupService;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Update
                                     IProcessProvider processProvider,
                                     IVerifyUpdates updateVerifier,
                                     IStartupContext startupContext,
+                                    IDeploymentInfoProvider deploymentInfoProvider,
                                     IConfigFileProvider configFileProvider,
                                     IRuntimeInfo runtimeInfo,
                                     IBackupService backupService,
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Update
             _processProvider = processProvider;
             _updateVerifier = updateVerifier;
             _startupContext = startupContext;
+            _deploymentInfoProvider = deploymentInfoProvider;
             _configFileProvider = configFileProvider;
             _runtimeInfo = runtimeInfo;
             _backupService = backupService;
@@ -87,6 +90,12 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Update
                 }
             }
 
+            if (_appFolderInfo.StartUpFolder.EndsWith("_output"))
+            {
+                _logger.ProgressDebug("Running in developer environment, not updating.");
+                return;
+            }
+
             var updateSandboxFolder = _appFolderInfo.GetUpdateSandboxFolder();
 
             var packageDestination = Path.Combine(updateSandboxFolder, updatePackage.FileName);
@@ -209,6 +218,19 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Update
                 return;
             }
 
+
+            // Safety net, ConfigureUpdateMechanism should take care of invalid settings
+            if (_configFileProvider.UpdateMechanism == UpdateMechanism.BuiltIn && !_deploymentInfoProvider.BuiltInUpdaterAllowed)
+            {
+                _logger.ProgressDebug("Built-In updater disabled, please use {0} to install", _deploymentInfoProvider.PackageUpdateMechanism);
+                return;
+            }
+            else if (_configFileProvider.UpdateMechanism != UpdateMechanism.Script && !_deploymentInfoProvider.BuiltInUpdaterAllowed)
+            {
+                _logger.ProgressDebug("Update available, please use {0} to install", _deploymentInfoProvider.PackageUpdateMechanism);
+                return;
+            }
+
             try
             {
                 InstallUpdate(latestAvailable);
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/UpdateMechanism.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/UpdateMechanism.cs
index 8b647a1e7..f87dca79c 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/UpdateMechanism.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Update/UpdateMechanism.cs
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-namespace NzbDrone.Core.Update
+namespace NzbDrone.Core.Update
 {
     public enum UpdateMechanism
     {
         BuiltIn = 0,
-        Script = 1
+        Script = 1,
+        External = 10,
+        Apt = 11,
+        Docker = 12
     }
 }