diff --git a/pi-web-plugins/updates/pi-web-plugin.test.ts b/pi-web-plugins/updates/pi-web-plugin.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8c4043
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pi-web-plugins/updates/pi-web-plugin.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+import { html, svg, type TemplateResult } from "lit";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { PiWebComponentStatus, PiWebStatusResponse, PluginRuntimeState, WorkspacePanelContext, WorkspacePanelContribution, WorkspacePanelTerminal } from "@jmfederico/pi-web/plugin-api";
+import plugin from "./pi-web-plugin";
+
+function isTemplateResult(value: unknown): value is TemplateResult {
+  return typeof value === "object" && value !== null && "_$litType$" in value;
+}
+
+function isFunction(value: unknown): value is () => void {
+  return typeof value === "function";
+}
+
+// The repo runs vitest in plain Node (no DOM), so instead of mounting the
+// template we walk the lit TemplateResult tree to collect its rendered text
+// and any event-handler functions.
+function walk(node: unknown, text: string[], handlers: (() => void)[]): void {
+  if (isFunction(node)) {
+    handlers.push(node);
+    return;
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(node)) {
+    for (const child of node) walk(child, text, handlers);
+    return;
+  }
+  if (isTemplateResult(node)) {
+    for (const piece of node.strings) text.push(piece);
+    for (const value of node.values) walk(value, text, handlers);
+    return;
+  }
+  if (typeof node === "string" || typeof node === "number" || typeof node === "boolean") {
+    text.push(String(node));
+  }
+}
+
+function rendered(template: TemplateResult): { text: string; handlers: (() => void)[] } {
+  const text: string[] = [];
+  const handlers: (() => void)[] = [];
+  walk(template, text, handlers);
+  return { text: text.join(" "), handlers };
+}
+
+function badgeText(value: string | number | TemplateResult | undefined): string {
+  if (value === undefined) return "";
+  if (isTemplateResult(value)) return rendered(value).text;
+  return String(value);
+}
+
+function updatesPanel(): WorkspacePanelContribution {
+  const result = plugin.activate({ apiVersion: 1, pluginId: "updates", html, svg });
+  const panel = result.contributions.workspacePanels?.[0];
+  if (panel === undefined) throw new Error("Updates plugin did not contribute a workspace panel");
+  return panel;
+}
+
+function component(overrides: Partial<PiWebComponentStatus> = {}): PiWebComponentStatus {
+  return {
+    component: "web",
+    label: "Web/UI",
+    runtimeVersion: "1.202605.8",
+    installedVersion: "1.202605.8",
+    stale: false,
+    available: true,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function status(overrides: Partial<PiWebStatusResponse> = {}): PiWebStatusResponse {
+  return {
+    packageName: "@jmfederico/pi-web",
+    generatedAt: "2026-06-14T00:00:00.000Z",
+    components: {
+      web: component({ component: "web", label: "Web/UI" }),
+      sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon" }),
+    },
+    release: { packageName: "@jmfederico/pi-web", updateAvailable: false },
+    commands: {},
+    messages: [],
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function noopTerminal(): WorkspacePanelTerminal {
+  return { open: vi.fn(), runCommand: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({}) };
+}
+
+function contextFor(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined, terminal: WorkspacePanelTerminal = noopTerminal()): WorkspacePanelContext {
+  return {
+    machine: { id: "local", name: "Local", kind: "local" },
+    workspace: { id: "ws", projectId: "p", path: "/tmp/ws", label: "ws", isMain: true, isGitRepo: false, isGitWorktree: false },
+    ...(state === undefined ? {} : { state }),
+    files: { readFile: vi.fn() },
+    host: { requestRender: vi.fn() },
+    terminal,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("Updates plugin panel", () => {
+  it("contributes a single Updates workspace panel", () => {
+    const panel = updatesPanel();
+    expect(panel.id).toBe("workspace.updates");
+    expect(panel.title).toBe("Updates");
+  });
+
+  it("shows a checking placeholder before status is available", () => {
+    const { text } = rendered(updatesPanel().render(contextFor(undefined)));
+    expect(text).toContain("Checking PI WEB update status");
+  });
+
+  it("renders installed services and commands without throwing", () => {
+    const value = status({
+      release: { packageName: "@jmfederico/pi-web", updateAvailable: true },
+      commands: { update: "pi-web update && pi-web restart", status: "pi-web status" },
+    });
+    const { text } = rendered(updatesPanel().render(contextFor({ piWebStatus: value })));
+    expect(text).toContain("Installed services");
+    expect(text).toContain("Recommended");
+    expect(text).toContain("Copy");
+  });
+
+  describe("with a terminal", () => {
+    const originalNavigator = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(globalThis, "navigator");
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "navigator", {
+        value: { clipboard: { writeText: vi.fn() } },
+        configurable: true,
+      });
+    });
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      if (originalNavigator === undefined) Reflect.deleteProperty(globalThis, "navigator");
+      else Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "navigator", originalNavigator);
+    });
+
+    it("renders Run actions and wires them to the terminal with plugin metadata", () => {
+      const runCommand = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({});
+      const terminal: WorkspacePanelTerminal = { open: vi.fn(), runCommand };
+      const value = status({
+        release: { packageName: "@jmfederico/pi-web", updateAvailable: true },
+        commands: { update: "pi-web update && pi-web restart" },
+      });
+
+      const { text, handlers } = rendered(updatesPanel().render(contextFor({ piWebStatus: value }, terminal)));
+      expect(text).toContain(">Run<");
+
+      for (const handler of handlers) handler();
+
+      expect(runCommand).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({
+        command: "pi-web update && pi-web restart",
+        open: true,
+        metadata: { "pi.plugin": "updates" },
+      }));
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("visibility and badge", () => {
+    it("is hidden for managed installs with no messages and visible for local installs", () => {
+      const panel = updatesPanel();
+      const managed = status({
+        components: {
+          web: component({ installation: { kind: "pi-package" } }),
+          sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon", installation: { kind: "npm-global" } }),
+        },
+      });
+      const local = status({
+        components: {
+          web: component({ installation: { kind: "local" } }),
+          sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon", installation: { kind: "pi-package" } }),
+        },
+      });
+      expect(panel.visible?.(contextFor({ piWebStatus: managed }))).toBe(false);
+      expect(panel.visible?.(contextFor({ piWebStatus: local }))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it("marks the badge beta and appends the message count", () => {
+      const panel = updatesPanel();
+      expect(badgeText(panel.badge?.(contextFor({ piWebStatus: status() })))).toContain("beta");
+
+      const withMessages = badgeText(panel.badge?.(contextFor({ piWebStatus: status({ messages: [{ id: "a", severity: "warning", title: "t", body: "b" }] }) })));
+      expect(withMessages).toContain("beta");
+      expect(withMessages).toContain("1");
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/pi-web-plugins/updates/pi-web-plugin.ts b/pi-web-plugins/updates/pi-web-plugin.ts
index 95b8792..3266f08 100644
--- a/pi-web-plugins/updates/pi-web-plugin.ts
+++ b/pi-web-plugins/updates/pi-web-plugin.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 import type { TemplateResult } from "lit";
-import type { HtmlTemplateTag, PiWebComponentStatus, PiWebInstallationInfo, PiWebPlugin, PiWebStatusMessage, PiWebStatusResponse, PluginRuntimeState, WorkspacePanelTerminal } from "@jmfederico/pi-web/plugin-api";
-
-interface CommandEntry {
-  label: string;
-  command: string;
-}
+import type { HtmlTemplateTag, PiWebComponentStatus, PiWebPlugin, PiWebStatusResponse, PluginRuntimeState, WorkspacePanelTerminal } from "@jmfederico/pi-web/plugin-api";
+import { additionalCommands, formatVersion, installationLabel, messageCount, recommendedCommand, shouldShowUpdatesPanel, statusFor } from "./updatesLogic.js";
 
 function runCommandInTerminal(terminal: WorkspacePanelTerminal, label: string, command: string): void {
   void terminal.runCommand({
@@ -17,74 +13,6 @@ function runCommandInTerminal(terminal: WorkspacePanelTerminal, label: string, c
   });
 }
 
-// The single command users should run when they do not want to think: if an
-// update is available, `commands.update` already chains the update and a full
-// restart; otherwise, when anything is stale, a full restart is enough.
-function recommendedCommand(status: PiWebStatusResponse): CommandEntry | undefined {
-  const { commands, release, components } = status;
-  if (release.updateAvailable && typeof commands.update === "string" && commands.update !== "") {
-    return { label: "Update & restart everything", command: commands.update };
-  }
-  const restartNeeded = components.web.stale || components.sessiond.stale || !components.sessiond.available;
-  if (restartNeeded && typeof commands.restart === "string" && commands.restart !== "") {
-    return { label: "Restart everything", command: commands.restart };
-  }
-  return undefined;
-}
-
-function additionalCommands(status: PiWebStatusResponse, recommended: CommandEntry | undefined): CommandEntry[] {
-  return [
-    ["Update", status.commands.update],
-    ["Restart all", status.commands.restart],
-    ["Restart Web/UI", status.commands.restartWeb],
-    ["Restart session daemon", status.commands.restartSessiond],
-    ["Status", status.commands.status],
-  ]
-    .filter((entry): entry is [string, string] => typeof entry[1] === "string" && entry[1] !== "")
-    .filter(([, command]) => command !== recommended?.command)
-    .map(([label, command]) => ({ label, command }));
-}
-
-function messagesFor(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined): PiWebStatusMessage[] {
-  return state?.piWebStatus?.messages ?? [];
-}
-
-function statusFor(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined): PiWebStatusResponse | undefined {
-  return state?.piWebStatus;
-}
-
-function messageCount(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined): number {
-  return messagesFor(state).length;
-}
-
-function isLocalOrUnknownInstallation(installation: PiWebInstallationInfo | undefined): boolean {
-  return installation === undefined || installation.kind === "local" || installation.kind === "unknown";
-}
-
-function shouldShowUpdatesPanel(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined): boolean {
-  const status = statusFor(state);
-  if (messageCount(state) > 0) return true;
-  if (status === undefined) return false;
-  return isLocalOrUnknownInstallation(status.components.web.installation)
-    || isLocalOrUnknownInstallation(status.components.sessiond.installation);
-}
-
-function formatVersion(version: string | undefined): string {
-  return version === undefined || version === "" ? "unknown" : version;
-}
-
-function installationLabel(installation: PiWebInstallationInfo | undefined): string {
-  if (installation === undefined) return "installation unknown";
-  if (installation.kind === "pi-package") {
-    const scope = installation.scope === undefined ? "" : ` · ${installation.scope}`;
-    const source = installation.source ?? "Pi package";
-    return `${source}${scope}`;
-  }
-  if (installation.kind === "npm-global") return "global npm package";
-  if (installation.kind === "local") return "local checkout";
-  return "installation unknown";
-}
-
 function renderComponent(html: HtmlTemplateTag, component: PiWebComponentStatus): TemplateResult {
   const status = !component.available
     ? "unavailable"
diff --git a/pi-web-plugins/updates/updatesLogic.test.ts b/pi-web-plugins/updates/updatesLogic.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c85946b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pi-web-plugins/updates/updatesLogic.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { PiWebComponentStatus, PiWebStatusMessage, PiWebStatusResponse, PluginRuntimeState } from "@jmfederico/pi-web/plugin-api";
+import { additionalCommands, formatVersion, installationLabel, messageCount, recommendedCommand, shouldShowUpdatesPanel } from "./updatesLogic";
+
+function component(overrides: Partial<PiWebComponentStatus> = {}): PiWebComponentStatus {
+  return {
+    component: "web",
+    label: "Web/UI",
+    runtimeVersion: "1.202605.8",
+    installedVersion: "1.202605.8",
+    stale: false,
+    available: true,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function status(overrides: Partial<PiWebStatusResponse> = {}): PiWebStatusResponse {
+  return {
+    packageName: "@jmfederico/pi-web",
+    generatedAt: "2026-06-14T00:00:00.000Z",
+    components: {
+      web: component({ component: "web", label: "Web/UI" }),
+      sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon" }),
+    },
+    release: { packageName: "@jmfederico/pi-web", updateAvailable: false },
+    commands: {},
+    messages: [],
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function stateWith(value: PiWebStatusResponse | undefined): PluginRuntimeState {
+  return value === undefined ? {} : { piWebStatus: value };
+}
+
+describe("recommendedCommand", () => {
+  it("recommends update & restart when an update is available", () => {
+    const result = recommendedCommand(status({
+      release: { packageName: "@jmfederico/pi-web", updateAvailable: true },
+      commands: { update: "pi-web update && pi-web restart", restart: "pi-web restart" },
+    }));
+    expect(result).toEqual({ label: "Update & restart everything", command: "pi-web update && pi-web restart" });
+  });
+
+  it("falls through to restart when an update is available but the update command is empty", () => {
+    const result = recommendedCommand(status({
+      release: { packageName: "@jmfederico/pi-web", updateAvailable: true },
+      components: {
+        web: component({ stale: true }),
+        sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon" }),
+      },
+      commands: { update: "", restart: "pi-web restart" },
+    }));
+    expect(result).toEqual({ label: "Restart everything", command: "pi-web restart" });
+  });
+
+  it("recommends restart when the web component is stale", () => {
+    const result = recommendedCommand(status({
+      components: {
+        web: component({ stale: true }),
+        sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon" }),
+      },
+      commands: { restart: "pi-web restart" },
+    }));
+    expect(result).toEqual({ label: "Restart everything", command: "pi-web restart" });
+  });
+
+  it("recommends restart when the session daemon is unavailable", () => {
+    const result = recommendedCommand(status({
+      components: {
+        web: component(),
+        sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon", available: false }),
+      },
+      commands: { restart: "pi-web restart" },
+    }));
+    expect(result).toEqual({ label: "Restart everything", command: "pi-web restart" });
+  });
+
+  it("returns nothing when everything is current and available", () => {
+    expect(recommendedCommand(status({ commands: { restart: "pi-web restart" } }))).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("does not fabricate a restart command when one is not configured", () => {
+    const result = recommendedCommand(status({
+      components: {
+        web: component({ stale: true }),
+        sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon" }),
+      },
+      commands: { restart: "" },
+    }));
+    expect(result).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("additionalCommands", () => {
+  it("drops empty commands and the recommended command, preserving order", () => {
+    const value = status({
+      commands: {
+        update: "pi-web update",
+        restart: "pi-web restart",
+        restartWeb: "",
+        restartSessiond: "pi-web restart sessiond",
+        status: "pi-web status",
+      },
+    });
+    const result = additionalCommands(value, { label: "Restart everything", command: "pi-web restart" });
+    expect(result).toEqual([
+      { label: "Update", command: "pi-web update" },
+      { label: "Restart session daemon", command: "pi-web restart sessiond" },
+      { label: "Status", command: "pi-web status" },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps all commands when there is no recommended command", () => {
+    const value = status({ commands: { update: "pi-web update", status: "pi-web status" } });
+    expect(additionalCommands(value, undefined)).toEqual([
+      { label: "Update", command: "pi-web update" },
+      { label: "Status", command: "pi-web status" },
+    ]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("shouldShowUpdatesPanel", () => {
+  const messages: PiWebStatusMessage[] = [{ id: "x", severity: "warning", title: "t", body: "b" }];
+
+  it("shows the panel whenever there are messages, even on a managed install", () => {
+    const value = status({
+      messages,
+      components: {
+        web: component({ installation: { kind: "pi-package" } }),
+        sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon", installation: { kind: "pi-package" } }),
+      },
+    });
+    expect(shouldShowUpdatesPanel(stateWith(value))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("hides the panel when status is unavailable", () => {
+    expect(shouldShowUpdatesPanel(stateWith(undefined))).toBe(false);
+    expect(shouldShowUpdatesPanel(undefined)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("shows the panel for local or unknown installs", () => {
+    const local = status({
+      components: {
+        web: component({ installation: { kind: "local" } }),
+        sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon", installation: { kind: "pi-package" } }),
+      },
+    });
+    expect(shouldShowUpdatesPanel(stateWith(local))).toBe(true);
+
+    const unknown = status({
+      components: {
+        web: component({ installation: { kind: "pi-package" } }),
+        sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon" }),
+      },
+    });
+    expect(shouldShowUpdatesPanel(stateWith(unknown))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("hides the panel for fully managed installs with no messages", () => {
+    const value = status({
+      components: {
+        web: component({ installation: { kind: "pi-package" } }),
+        sessiond: component({ component: "sessiond", label: "Session daemon", installation: { kind: "npm-global" } }),
+      },
+    });
+    expect(shouldShowUpdatesPanel(stateWith(value))).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("messageCount", () => {
+  it("counts messages and tolerates missing status", () => {
+    expect(messageCount(undefined)).toBe(0);
+    expect(messageCount(stateWith(status()))).toBe(0);
+    expect(messageCount(stateWith(status({ messages: [{ id: "a", severity: "info", title: "t", body: "b" }] })))).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("formatVersion", () => {
+  it("renders unknown for missing or empty versions", () => {
+    expect(formatVersion(undefined)).toBe("unknown");
+    expect(formatVersion("")).toBe("unknown");
+    expect(formatVersion("1.202605.8")).toBe("1.202605.8");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("installationLabel", () => {
+  it("labels each installation kind", () => {
+    expect(installationLabel(undefined)).toBe("installation unknown");
+    expect(installationLabel({ kind: "unknown" })).toBe("installation unknown");
+    expect(installationLabel({ kind: "npm-global" })).toBe("global npm package");
+    expect(installationLabel({ kind: "local" })).toBe("local checkout");
+  });
+
+  it("includes source and scope for pi-package installs", () => {
+    expect(installationLabel({ kind: "pi-package", source: "npm:@jmfederico/pi-web", scope: "user" }))
+      .toBe("npm:@jmfederico/pi-web · user");
+  });
+
+  it("defaults the source and omits scope when absent", () => {
+    expect(installationLabel({ kind: "pi-package" })).toBe("Pi package");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/pi-web-plugins/updates/updatesLogic.ts b/pi-web-plugins/updates/updatesLogic.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e59a91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pi-web-plugins/updates/updatesLogic.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import type { PiWebInstallationInfo, PiWebStatusMessage, PiWebStatusResponse, PluginRuntimeState } from "@jmfederico/pi-web/plugin-api";
+
+export interface CommandEntry {
+  label: string;
+  command: string;
+}
+
+// The single command users should run when they do not want to think: if an
+// update is available, `commands.update` already chains the update and a full
+// restart; otherwise, when anything is stale, a full restart is enough.
+export function recommendedCommand(status: PiWebStatusResponse): CommandEntry | undefined {
+  const { commands, release, components } = status;
+  if (release.updateAvailable && typeof commands.update === "string" && commands.update !== "") {
+    return { label: "Update & restart everything", command: commands.update };
+  }
+  const restartNeeded = components.web.stale || components.sessiond.stale || !components.sessiond.available;
+  if (restartNeeded && typeof commands.restart === "string" && commands.restart !== "") {
+    return { label: "Restart everything", command: commands.restart };
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+export function additionalCommands(status: PiWebStatusResponse, recommended: CommandEntry | undefined): CommandEntry[] {
+  return [
+    ["Update", status.commands.update],
+    ["Restart all", status.commands.restart],
+    ["Restart Web/UI", status.commands.restartWeb],
+    ["Restart session daemon", status.commands.restartSessiond],
+    ["Status", status.commands.status],
+  ]
+    .filter((entry): entry is [string, string] => typeof entry[1] === "string" && entry[1] !== "")
+    .filter(([, command]) => command !== recommended?.command)
+    .map(([label, command]) => ({ label, command }));
+}
+
+export function messagesFor(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined): PiWebStatusMessage[] {
+  return state?.piWebStatus?.messages ?? [];
+}
+
+export function statusFor(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined): PiWebStatusResponse | undefined {
+  return state?.piWebStatus;
+}
+
+export function messageCount(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined): number {
+  return messagesFor(state).length;
+}
+
+export function isLocalOrUnknownInstallation(installation: PiWebInstallationInfo | undefined): boolean {
+  return installation === undefined || installation.kind === "local" || installation.kind === "unknown";
+}
+
+export function shouldShowUpdatesPanel(state: PluginRuntimeState | undefined): boolean {
+  const status = statusFor(state);
+  if (messageCount(state) > 0) return true;
+  if (status === undefined) return false;
+  return isLocalOrUnknownInstallation(status.components.web.installation)
+    || isLocalOrUnknownInstallation(status.components.sessiond.installation);
+}
+
+export function formatVersion(version: string | undefined): string {
+  return version === undefined || version === "" ? "unknown" : version;
+}
+
+export function installationLabel(installation: PiWebInstallationInfo | undefined): string {
+  if (installation === undefined) return "installation unknown";
+  if (installation.kind === "pi-package") {
+    const scope = installation.scope === undefined ? "" : ` · ${installation.scope}`;
+    const source = installation.source ?? "Pi package";
+    return `${source}${scope}`;
+  }
+  if (installation.kind === "npm-global") return "global npm package";
+  if (installation.kind === "local") return "local checkout";
+  return "installation unknown";
+}