diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 02be4689..735fd68c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3679,15 +3679,16 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ship-shape"
-version = "0.3.0"
+version = "0.4.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "24d8d8a8c8427c40bf6c501aa42af704d1be34ffa35bd3f87dd569a4fff81899"
+checksum = "4509036deff18ba59490ea407c32a5af270578d3243b69365cdc73a829af4a3e"
 dependencies = [
  "homeport",
  "minisign-verify",
  "patois",
  "pulldown-cmark",
  "serde",
+ "tempfile",
  "ureq",
  "wxdragon",
 ]
diff --git a/crates/paperback/Cargo.toml b/crates/paperback/Cargo.toml
index 940dd74b..5c18a098 100644
--- a/crates/paperback/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/paperback/Cargo.toml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ rodio-wsola = "0.2.0"
 tracing = "0.1.44"
 tracing-appender = "0.2.5"
 tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3.23", features = ["env-filter"] }
-ship-shape = "0.3.0"
+ship-shape = "0.4.0"
 toml = { workspace = true }
 wx-utils = { version = "0.4.1", features = ["shortcuts"] }
 # `default-features = false` turns off the seven size knobs wxdragon enables by default, all of
diff --git a/crates/paperback/src/ui.rs b/crates/paperback/src/ui.rs
index 1aecbc8a..4869ec64 100644
--- a/crates/paperback/src/ui.rs
+++ b/crates/paperback/src/ui.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ mod tray;
 mod window_geometry;
 
 pub use app::PaperbackApp;
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+pub use app::quit_for_update;
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 pub use dialogs::{AssociationChoice, ChoiceAction, show_linux_setup_dialog};
 pub use main_window::MainWindow;
diff --git a/crates/paperback/src/ui/app.rs b/crates/paperback/src/ui/app.rs
index d8beed69..21760081 100644
--- a/crates/paperback/src/ui/app.rs
+++ b/crates/paperback/src/ui/app.rs
@@ -362,3 +362,30 @@ fn send_ipc_command(command: &IpcCommand) {
 	#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 	pipe_unix::send(&payload);
 }
+
+/// The updater calls this on the UI thread only once its helper is ready. Force-close runs the
+/// normal persistence and audio cleanup without macOS's hide-on-close veto.
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+pub fn quit_for_update() {
+	if let Some(window) = main_window_from_ptr() {
+		window.frame().enable(false);
+		window.announce_update_restart();
+	}
+	// macOS posts live-region announcements on the next main run-loop iteration. Keep the
+	// window alive briefly so VoiceOver can receive it; never block the UI thread.
+	std::thread::spawn(|| {
+		std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(2));
+		wxdragon::call_after(Box::new(finish_quit_for_update));
+		wxdragon::wake_up_idle();
+	});
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+fn finish_quit_for_update() {
+	if let Some(window) = main_window_from_ptr() {
+		window.frame().close(true);
+	}
+	if let Some(app) = wxdragon::app::get_app_instance() {
+		app.exit_main_loop();
+	}
+}
diff --git a/crates/paperback/src/ui/main_window.rs b/crates/paperback/src/ui/main_window.rs
index 6bf5bb4b..4cc6554f 100644
--- a/crates/paperback/src/ui/main_window.rs
+++ b/crates/paperback/src/ui/main_window.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,11 @@ pub struct MainWindow {
 	config: Rc<Mutex<ConfigManager>>,
 	#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
 	tray_state: Rc<Mutex<Option<tray::TrayState>>>,
-	_live_region_label: StaticText,
+	#[cfg_attr(
+		not(target_os = "macos"),
+		allow(dead_code, reason = "keeps the announcement label with the main window")
+	)]
+	live_region_label: StaticText,
 	_find_dialog: Rc<Mutex<Option<FindDialogState>>>,
 	#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
 	_hotkey_handle: Rc<RefCell<Option<HotkeyHandle>>>,
@@ -336,7 +340,7 @@ impl MainWindow {
 			config,
 			#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
 			tray_state,
-			_live_region_label: live_region_label,
+			live_region_label,
 			_find_dialog: find_dialog,
 			#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
 			_hotkey_handle: hotkey_handle,
@@ -514,6 +518,11 @@ impl MainWindow {
 		&self.frame
 	}
 
+	#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+	pub(super) fn announce_update_restart(&self) {
+		live_region::announce(self.live_region_label, &t("Installing the update. Paperback will restart."));
+	}
+
 	fn ensure_parser_ready(&self, path: &Path) -> bool {
 		ensure_parser_ready_for_path(&self.frame, path, &self.config)
 	}
diff --git a/crates/paperback/src/updater.rs b/crates/paperback/src/updater.rs
index de605a0d..c0e54028 100644
--- a/crates/paperback/src/updater.rs
+++ b/crates/paperback/src/updater.rs
@@ -98,25 +98,39 @@ fn beat_foreground_grant() {}
 pub fn run_update_check(parent: &Frame, silent: bool, channel: UpdateChannel) {
 	tracing::info!(channel = %channel, silent, "checking for updates");
 	let install_kind = if is_installer_distribution() { InstallKind::Installer } else { InstallKind::Portable };
-	let config = Arc::new(
-		UpdaterConfig::new(
-			PAPERBACK_GITHUB_REPO,
-			"paperback",
-			"Paperback",
-			PAPERBACK_MINISIGN_KEY,
-			env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"),
-		)
-		.with_commit(version::COMMIT_HASH)
-		.with_install_kind(install_kind)
-		.with_user_agent(version::user_agent())
-		.with_asset_suffix(UPDATE_ASSET_SUFFIX),
-	);
+	let config = UpdaterConfig::new(
+		PAPERBACK_GITHUB_REPO,
+		"paperback",
+		"Paperback",
+		PAPERBACK_MINISIGN_KEY,
+		env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"),
+	)
+	.with_commit(version::COMMIT_HASH)
+	.with_install_kind(install_kind)
+	.with_user_agent(version::user_agent())
+	.with_asset_suffix(UPDATE_ASSET_SUFFIX);
+	#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+	let config = if let Some(directory) = env::var_os("PAPERBACK_CONFIG_DIR") {
+		config.with_macos_relaunch_env("PAPERBACK_CONFIG_DIR", directory)
+	} else {
+		config
+	};
+	let config = Arc::new(config);
 	beat_foreground_grant();
 	let ship_channel = match channel {
 		UpdateChannel::Stable => ShipChannel::Stable,
 		UpdateChannel::Dev => ShipChannel::Dev,
 	};
 	let trigger = if silent { CheckTrigger::Automatic } else { CheckTrigger::Manual };
+	#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+	ship_shape::ui::run_update_check_with_exit_handler(
+		config,
+		parent,
+		ship_channel,
+		trigger,
+		crate::ui::quit_for_update,
+	);
+	#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
 	ship_shape::ui::run_update_check(config, parent, ship_channel, trigger);
 }