diff --git a/inc/config.php b/inc/config.php
index c42328fa..0cece593 100644
--- a/inc/config.php
+++ b/inc/config.php
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@
 	// $config['global_message'] = 'This is an important announcement!';
 	$config['blotter'] = &$config['global_message'];
 
+	// Automatically check if a newer version of vichan is available when an administrator logs in.
+	$config['check_updates'] = false;
+	// How often to check for updates
+	$config['check_updates_time'] = 43200; // 12 hours
+
 	// Shows some extra information at the bottom of pages. Good for development/debugging.
 	$config['debug'] = false;
 	// For development purposes. Displays (and "dies" on) all errors and warnings. Turn on with the above.
diff --git a/inc/mod/pages.php b/inc/mod/pages.php
index 16072b9d..1e803424 100644
--- a/inc/mod/pages.php
+++ b/inc/mod/pages.php
@@ -107,6 +107,60 @@ function mod_dashboard() {
 	$query = query('SELECT COUNT(*) FROM ``ban_appeals``') or error(db_error($query));
 	$args['appeals'] = $query->fetchColumn();
 
+	if ($mod['type'] >= ADMIN && $config['check_updates']) {
+		if (!$config['version'])
+			error(_('Could not find current version! (Check .installed)'));
+
+		if (isset($_COOKIE['update'])) {
+			$latest = unserialize($_COOKIE['update']);
+		} else {
+			$ctx = stream_context_create(array('http' => array('timeout' => 5)));
+			if ($code = @file_get_contents('http://engine.vichan.info/version.txt', 0, $ctx)) {
+				$ver = strtok($code, "\n");
+
+				if (preg_match('@^// v(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)\s*?$@', $ver, $matches)) {
+					$latest = array(
+						'massive' => $matches[1],
+						'major' => $matches[2],
+						'minor' => $matches[3]
+					);
+					if (preg_match('/(\d+)\.(\d)\.(\d+)(-dev.+)?$/', $config['version'], $matches)) {
+						$current = array(
+							'massive' => (int) $matches[1],
+							'major' => (int) $matches[2],
+							'minor' => (int) $matches[3]
+						);
+						if (isset($m[4])) {
+							// Development versions are always ahead in the versioning numbers
+							$current['minor'] --;
+						}
+						// Check if it's newer
+						if (!(	$latest['massive'] > $current['massive'] ||
+							$latest['major'] > $current['major'] ||
+								($latest['massive'] == $current['massive'] &&
+									$latest['major'] == $current['major'] &&
+									$latest['minor'] > $current['minor']
+								)))
+							$latest = false;
+					} else {
+						$latest = false;
+					}
+				} else {
+					// Couldn't get latest version
+					$latest = false;
+				}
+			} else {
+				// Couldn't get latest version
+				$latest = false;
+			}
+
+			setcookie('update', serialize($latest), time() + $config['check_updates_time'], $config['cookies']['jail'] ? $config['cookies']['path'] : '/', null, !empty($_SERVER['HTTPS']) && $_SERVER['HTTPS'] != 'off', true);
+		}
+
+		if ($latest)
+			$args['newer_release'] = $latest;
+	}
+
 	$args['logout_token'] = make_secure_link_token('logout');
 
 	mod_page(_('Dashboard'), $config['file_mod_dashboard'], $args);