diff --git a/internal/cmd/root.go b/internal/cmd/root.go
index 8df3cc3..2217340 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/root.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/root.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	tc "github.com/torrentclaw/go-client"
 	"github.com/torrentclaw/unarr/internal/config"
 	"github.com/torrentclaw/unarr/internal/sentry"
+	"github.com/torrentclaw/unarr/internal/upgrade"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -42,6 +43,10 @@ Source:         https://github.com/torrentclaw/unarr`,
 			if noColor || os.Getenv("NO_COLOR") != "" {
 				color.NoColor = true
 			}
+			// Self-updater fetches releases from the configured host (default
+			// torrentclaw.com), not GitHub — so mirrors / onion / staging /
+			// UNARR_API_URL all route updates correctly.
+			upgrade.SetBaseURL(loadConfig().Auth.APIURL)
 		},
 		SilenceUsage:  true,
 		SilenceErrors: true,
diff --git a/internal/upgrade/download.go b/internal/upgrade/download.go
index b112b1d..958b08b 100644
--- a/internal/upgrade/download.go
+++ b/internal/upgrade/download.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/hex"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
@@ -182,36 +181,35 @@ func verifyChecksumWithOptions(ctx context.Context, version, archivePath string,
 	return nil
 }
 
-// fetchLatestVersion queries GitHub API for the latest release tag.
+// fetchLatestVersion queries the TorrentClaw release endpoint (/version) for the
+// latest version string (e.g. "0.8.1"). No GitHub dependency.
 func fetchLatestVersion(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
-	url := fmt.Sprintf("https://api.github.com/repos/%s/releases/latest", githubRepo)
+	url := updateBaseURL + "/version"
 	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, url, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/vnd.github+json")
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "unarr-updater")
 
 	resp, err := httpClient.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("fetch latest release: %w", err)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("fetch latest version: %w", err)
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("GitHub API: HTTP %d", resp.StatusCode)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("version endpoint: HTTP %d", resp.StatusCode)
 	}
 
-	var release struct {
-		TagName string `json:"tag_name"`
-	}
-	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&release); err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("decode response: %w", err)
+	body, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(resp.Body, 64))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("read version: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if release.TagName == "" {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("empty tag_name in release")
+	version := strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(string(body)), "v")
+	if version == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("empty version from %s", url)
 	}
 
-	return strings.TrimPrefix(release.TagName, "v"), nil
+	return version, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/upgrade/signature_test.go b/internal/upgrade/signature_test.go
index eb85b68..2075987 100644
--- a/internal/upgrade/signature_test.go
+++ b/internal/upgrade/signature_test.go
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ func TestSignatureVerifiesGoodSignature(t *testing.T) {
 	}))
 	defer srv.Close()
 
-	prevHost := githubReleaseHost
-	githubReleaseHost = srv.URL
-	t.Cleanup(func() { githubReleaseHost = prevHost })
+	prevHost := updateBaseURL
+	updateBaseURL = srv.URL
+	t.Cleanup(func() { updateBaseURL = prevHost })
 
 	if err := verifyChecksumsSignature(context.Background(), "0.0.0", checksumsBody); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("verifyChecksumsSignature(good) = %v, want nil", err)
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ func TestSignatureRejectsBadSignature(t *testing.T) {
 	}))
 	defer srv.Close()
 
-	prevHost := githubReleaseHost
-	githubReleaseHost = srv.URL
-	t.Cleanup(func() { githubReleaseHost = prevHost })
+	prevHost := updateBaseURL
+	updateBaseURL = srv.URL
+	t.Cleanup(func() { updateBaseURL = prevHost })
 
 	err = verifyChecksumsSignature(context.Background(), "0.0.0", body)
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "verification failed") {
@@ -110,9 +110,9 @@ func TestSignatureMissingFile(t *testing.T) {
 		http.NotFound(w, r)
 	}))
 	defer srv.Close()
-	prevHost := githubReleaseHost
-	githubReleaseHost = srv.URL
-	t.Cleanup(func() { githubReleaseHost = prevHost })
+	prevHost := updateBaseURL
+	updateBaseURL = srv.URL
+	t.Cleanup(func() { updateBaseURL = prevHost })
 
 	err := verifyChecksumsSignature(context.Background(), "0.0.0", []byte("body"))
 	if !errors.Is(err, ErrMissingSignature) {
diff --git a/internal/upgrade/upgrade.go b/internal/upgrade/upgrade.go
index 6470ef1..50053c5 100644
--- a/internal/upgrade/upgrade.go
+++ b/internal/upgrade/upgrade.go
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	githubRepo  = "torrentclaw/unarr"
 	binaryName  = "unarr"
 	smokeTestTO = 5 * time.Second
 )
@@ -243,12 +242,26 @@ func archiveName(version string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s_%s_%s_%s.%s", binaryName, version, runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH, ext)
 }
 
-// githubReleaseHost is the base URL used to build release asset URLs. Exposed
-// as a var (not a const) so tests can point it at an httptest.Server without
-// touching production behaviour.
-var githubReleaseHost = "https://github.com"
+// updateBaseURL is the base URL the self-updater fetches releases from —
+// TorrentClaw's own app, no GitHub dependency (the org is shadow-banned, so
+// GitHub releases/raw/API all 404 to anonymous clients). Defaults to the
+// production apex; SetBaseURL points it at the configured host (cfg.Auth.APIURL)
+// so mirrors / onion / staging work, and tests can point it at an httptest.Server.
+var updateBaseURL = "https://torrentclaw.com"
 
-// releaseURL returns the download URL for a release asset.
-func releaseURL(version, filename string) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/releases/download/v%s/%s", githubReleaseHost, githubRepo, version, filename)
+// SetBaseURL overrides the release endpoint base (trailing slash trimmed).
+// No-op for empty input so a blank config can't break the default.
+func SetBaseURL(base string) {
+	if base != "" {
+		updateBaseURL = strings.TrimRight(base, "/")
+	}
+}
+
+// releaseURL returns the download URL for a release asset:
+//
+//	{base}/releases/download/v{version}/{filename}
+//
+// served by the app's src/app/releases/download/[...seg] route handler.
+func releaseURL(version, filename string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/releases/download/v%s/%s", updateBaseURL, version, filename)
 }
diff --git a/internal/upgrade/upgrade_test.go b/internal/upgrade/upgrade_test.go
index 6e691f9..18cde17 100644
--- a/internal/upgrade/upgrade_test.go
+++ b/internal/upgrade/upgrade_test.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func TestArchiveName(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestReleaseURL(t *testing.T) {
 	url := releaseURL("0.3.0", "unarr_0.3.0_linux_amd64.tar.gz")
-	want := "https://github.com/torrentclaw/unarr/releases/download/v0.3.0/unarr_0.3.0_linux_amd64.tar.gz"
+	want := "https://torrentclaw.com/releases/download/v0.3.0/unarr_0.3.0_linux_amd64.tar.gz"
 	if url != want {
 		t.Errorf("releaseURL = %q, want %q", url, want)
 	}
@@ -289,21 +289,24 @@ func TestUpgraderSameVersionWithPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestFetchLatestVersionMockServer(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
-		fmt.Fprint(w, `{"tag_name":"v2.5.1","published_at":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z"}`)
+		if r.URL.Path != "/version" {
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "v2.5.1")
 	}))
 	defer srv.Close()
 
-	// We can't directly test fetchLatestVersion because it uses a hardcoded URL.
-	// But we can test the JSON parsing logic by calling the endpoint ourselves.
-	resp, err := http.Get(srv.URL)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	prev := updateBaseURL
+	updateBaseURL = srv.URL
+	t.Cleanup(func() { updateBaseURL = prev })
 
-	if resp.StatusCode != 200 {
-		t.Errorf("status = %d, want 200", resp.StatusCode)
+	ver, err := fetchLatestVersion(context.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("fetchLatestVersion() = %v", err)
+	}
+	if ver != "2.5.1" {
+		t.Errorf("fetchLatestVersion() = %q, want %q", ver, "2.5.1")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -403,19 +406,19 @@ func TestReleaseURLEdgeCases(t *testing.T) {
 			name:     "pre-release version",
 			version:  "2.0.0-beta.1",
 			filename: "unarr_2.0.0-beta.1_darwin_arm64.tar.gz",
-			wantURL:  "https://github.com/torrentclaw/unarr/releases/download/v2.0.0-beta.1/unarr_2.0.0-beta.1_darwin_arm64.tar.gz",
+			wantURL:  "https://torrentclaw.com/releases/download/v2.0.0-beta.1/unarr_2.0.0-beta.1_darwin_arm64.tar.gz",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "checksums file",
 			version:  "3.0.0",
 			filename: "checksums.txt",
-			wantURL:  "https://github.com/torrentclaw/unarr/releases/download/v3.0.0/checksums.txt",
+			wantURL:  "https://torrentclaw.com/releases/download/v3.0.0/checksums.txt",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "windows zip",
 			version:  "1.2.3",
 			filename: "unarr_1.2.3_windows_amd64.zip",
-			wantURL:  "https://github.com/torrentclaw/unarr/releases/download/v1.2.3/unarr_1.2.3_windows_amd64.zip",
+			wantURL:  "https://torrentclaw.com/releases/download/v1.2.3/unarr_1.2.3_windows_amd64.zip",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -530,19 +533,19 @@ func TestFetchLatestVersionWithHTTPTest(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{
 			name:       "valid response",
-			body:       `{"tag_name":"v3.1.4"}`,
+			body:       "v3.1.4\n",
 			statusCode: 200,
 			wantVer:    "3.1.4",
 		},
 		{
 			name:       "valid response without v prefix",
-			body:       `{"tag_name":"2.0.0"}`,
+			body:       "2.0.0",
 			statusCode: 200,
 			wantVer:    "2.0.0",
 		},
 		{
-			name:       "empty tag_name",
-			body:       `{"tag_name":""}`,
+			name:       "empty body",
+			body:       "",
 			statusCode: 200,
 			wantErr:    true,
 		},
@@ -553,8 +556,8 @@ func TestFetchLatestVersionWithHTTPTest(t *testing.T) {
 			wantErr:    true,
 		},
 		{
-			name:       "invalid json",
-			body:       `{invalid`,
+			name:       "whitespace only",
+			body:       "   \n",
 			statusCode: 200,
 			wantErr:    true,
 		},