diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index de3935a..9f7bdc3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ qt_add_qml_module(apparchpack
     cpp/utils/utils.cpp
     cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.hpp
     cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.cpp
+    cpp/updatemanager/private.cpp
+    cpp/updatemanager/qinvokable.cpp
 )
 
 target_include_directories(apparchpack PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cpp/utils)
diff --git a/Main.qml b/Main.qml
index bb2c3e6..953db51 100644
--- a/Main.qml
+++ b/Main.qml
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ ApplicationWindow {
   property string packageManager: "yay"
   property bool consoleOpen: false
 
+  Component.onCompleted: UpdateManager.checkUpdates()
+
   ColumnLayout {
     id: mainLayout
     anchors.fill: parent
@@ -36,6 +38,8 @@ ApplicationWindow {
         id: title
         Layout.maximumWidth: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY
         Layout.alignment: Qt.AlignBottom
+        packageCount: UpdateManager.packageCount
+        isChecking: UpdateManager.isChecking
       }
 
       Buttons.SettingsBtn {
diff --git a/cpp/updatemanager/private.cpp b/cpp/updatemanager/private.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0faaa5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpp/updatemanager/private.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#include "updatemanager.hpp"
+#include <QStandardPaths>
+
+void UpdateManager::set_packages(const QVariantList& value)
+{
+  const int oldCount = packageCount();
+  m_packages = value;
+
+  emit packagesChanged();
+  if (packageCount() != oldCount) emit packageCountChanged();
+}
+
+void UpdateManager::set_is_checking(bool value)
+{
+  if (m_isChecking == value) return;
+  m_isChecking = value;
+  emit isCheckingChanged();
+}
+
+void UpdateManager::on_process_finished(int exit_code, QProcess::ExitStatus status)
+{
+  if (status == QProcess::CrashExit || (exit_code != 0 && exit_code != 2))
+  {
+    on_process_error(m_process.error());
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const QString output = QString::fromUtf8(m_process.readAllStandardOutput());
+  const QStringList lines = output.split(QLatin1Char('\n'), Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
+
+  QVariantList package_list;
+  package_list.reserve(lines.size());
+
+  for (const QString &line : lines)
+  {
+    const QStringList parts = line.split(QLatin1Char(' '), Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
+    if (parts.size() != 4 || parts.at(2) != QStringLiteral("->")) continue;
+
+    QVariantMap package;
+    package.insert(QStringLiteral("name"), parts.at(0));
+    package.insert(QStringLiteral("version"), parts.at(1) + QStringLiteral(" → ") + parts.at(3));
+    package.insert(QStringLiteral("updated"), false);
+    package.insert(QStringLiteral("updating"), false);
+    package_list.append(package);
+  }
+
+  set_packages(package_list);
+  set_is_checking(false);
+}
+
+void UpdateManager::on_process_error(QProcess::ProcessError error)
+{
+  if (!m_isChecking) return;
+
+  QString reason;
+  if (error == QProcess::FailedToStart)
+  {
+    reason = QStringLiteral("failed to start: ") + m_process.errorString();
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    reason = QStringLiteral("failed, exit code %1").arg(m_process.exitCode());
+    const QString errText = QString::fromUtf8(m_process.readAllStandardError()).trimmed();
+    if (!errText.isEmpty()) reason += QStringLiteral(": ") + errText;
+  }
+
+  qWarning().noquote() << "checkupdates" << reason;
+  set_is_checking(false);
+}
+
+
diff --git a/cpp/updatemanager/qinvokable.cpp b/cpp/updatemanager/qinvokable.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0d6e09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpp/updatemanager/qinvokable.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#include "updatemanager.hpp"
+#include <QStandardPaths>
+
+void UpdateManager::checkUpdates()
+{
+  if (m_isChecking || m_isInstalling || m_isRemoving) return;
+
+  set_packages({});
+  set_is_checking(true);
+
+  const QString program = QStandardPaths::findExecutable(QStringLiteral("checkupdates"));
+  if (program.isEmpty())
+  {
+    qWarning() << "checkupdates not found: install pacman-contrib";
+    set_is_checking(false);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  m_process.start(program, {});
+}
diff --git a/cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.cpp b/cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.cpp
index c11cc1f..6133c1a 100644
--- a/cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.cpp
+++ b/cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 #include "updatemanager.hpp"
+#include <QStandardPaths>
 
 UpdateManager::UpdateManager(QObject* parent) : QObject{parent}
 {
+  connect(&m_process, &QProcess::finished, this, &UpdateManager::on_process_finished);
+  connect(&m_process, &QProcess::errorOccurred, this, &UpdateManager::on_process_error);
 }
 
 int UpdateManager::packageCount() const
 {
   int count = 0;
+  for (const QVariant &item : m_packages)
+    if (!item.toMap().value(QStringLiteral("updated")).toBool()) ++count;
   return count;
 }
 
@@ -29,3 +34,8 @@ bool UpdateManager::isRemoving() const
 {
   return m_isRemoving;
 }
+
+QVariantList UpdateManager::packages() const
+{
+  return m_packages;
+}
diff --git a/cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.hpp b/cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.hpp
index 03858bc..0f112a8 100644
--- a/cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.hpp
+++ b/cpp/updatemanager/updatemanager.hpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ class UpdateManager : public QObject
   Q_PROPERTY(bool isUpdating READ isUpdating NOTIFY isUpdatingChanged)
   Q_PROPERTY(bool isInstalling READ isInstalling NOTIFY isInstallingChanged)
   Q_PROPERTY(bool isRemoving READ isRemoving NOTIFY isRemovingChanged)
+  Q_PROPERTY(QVariantList packages READ packages NOTIFY packagesChanged)
 
   public:
     explicit UpdateManager(QObject* parent = nullptr);
@@ -30,6 +31,18 @@ class UpdateManager : public QObject
     bool isUpdating() const;
     bool isInstalling() const;
     bool isRemoving() const;
+    QVariantList packages() const;
+
+  public:
+    Q_INVOKABLE void checkUpdates();
+
+  private:
+    void set_packages(const QVariantList& value);
+    void set_is_checking(bool value);
+
+  private:
+    void on_process_finished(int exitCode, QProcess::ExitStatus status);
+    void on_process_error(QProcess::ProcessError error);
 
   private:
     QProcess m_process;
@@ -39,6 +52,7 @@ class UpdateManager : public QObject
     bool m_isUpdating = false;
     bool m_isInstalling = false;
     bool m_isRemoving = false;
+    QVariantList m_packages;
 
   signals:
     void packageCountChanged();
@@ -46,5 +60,6 @@ class UpdateManager : public QObject
     void isUpdatingChanged();
     void isInstallingChanged();
     void isRemovingChanged();
+    void packagesChanged();
 };