diff --git a/src/RemSound.App/MainForm.cs b/src/RemSound.App/MainForm.cs
index 5d75536..dc726dc 100644
--- a/src/RemSound.App/MainForm.cs
+++ b/src/RemSound.App/MainForm.cs
@@ -2194,12 +2194,15 @@ public sealed class MainForm : Form
         start.Click += (_, _) => ServiceAction(ServiceControl.StartVerb, "start", confirm: false);
         var stop = new ToolStripMenuItem("Sto&p service") { AccessibleName = "Stop service" };
         stop.Click += (_, _) => ServiceAction(ServiceControl.StopVerb, "stop", confirm: false);
+        var updateLog = new ToolStripMenuItem("View service update &log") { AccessibleName = "View service update log" };
+        updateLog.Click += (_, _) => OpenServiceUpdateLog();
 
         serviceMenu.DropDownItems.AddRange(new ToolStripItem[]
         {
             status, new ToolStripSeparator(),
             configure, new ToolStripSeparator(),
-            install, uninstall, start, stop,
+            install, uninstall, start, stop, new ToolStripSeparator(),
+            updateLog,
         });
         serviceMenu.DropDownOpening += (_, _) =>
         {
@@ -2220,6 +2223,18 @@ public sealed class MainForm : Form
         return serviceMenu;
     }
 
+    private void OpenServiceUpdateLog()
+    {
+        var path = ServiceStore.UpdateLogPath;
+        if (!File.Exists(path))
+        {
+            MessageBox.Show(this, "No service update log yet — it's written the first time the service updates itself.", AppName, MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
+            return;
+        }
+        try { System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(path) { UseShellExecute = true }); }
+        catch (Exception ex) { MessageBox.Show(this, $"Could not open the update log ({path}): {ex.Message}", AppName, MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning); }
+    }
+
     private static string DescribeAgo(DateTime utc)
     {
         var span = DateTime.UtcNow - utc;
diff --git a/src/RemSound.App/RemSoundService.cs b/src/RemSound.App/RemSoundService.cs
index ac9381d..f604e45 100644
--- a/src/RemSound.App/RemSoundService.cs
+++ b/src/RemSound.App/RemSoundService.cs
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ public sealed class RemSoundService : ServiceBase
         // Record the running version + start time so the app's Service menu can show them — this is how a
         // self-update is visible (the version bumps and the start time is recent).
         try { ServiceStore.SaveStatus(new ServiceStore.ServiceStatus { Version = versionText, StartedUtc = DateTime.UtcNow }); } catch { }
+        // If this start is the completion of a self-update restart, close the loop in the update log.
+        try { if (ServiceStore.ConsumeUpdatePending()) ServiceStore.AppendUpdateLog($"update complete: now running version {versionText}"); } catch { }
         host = ServiceSendHost.FromConfig(msg => log?.Event(msg));
         worker = new Thread(() =>
         {
@@ -66,6 +68,11 @@ public sealed class RemSoundService : ServiceBase
         if (restartScheduled) return;
         if (!ServiceUpdate.UpdateLanded()) return;
         restartScheduled = true;
+        var running = ServiceUpdate.RunningVersion();
+        var runningText = running is null ? "?" : $"{running.Major}.{running.Minor}";
+        // Always-on update log (not gated on the service-logging toggle) — updates are rare + important.
+        ServiceStore.AppendUpdateLog($"update detected: newer RemSound.exe ({ServiceUpdate.OnDiskVersion()}) found, running {runningText} — restarting to update");
+        ServiceStore.SetUpdatePending();
         log?.Event("service: a newer RemSound version was installed — restarting to update");
         ServiceUpdate.RestartSelf();
     }
diff --git a/src/RemSound.App/SelfTest.cs b/src/RemSound.App/SelfTest.cs
index adc7ee7..8ae50be 100644
--- a/src/RemSound.App/SelfTest.cs
+++ b/src/RemSound.App/SelfTest.cs
@@ -736,6 +736,14 @@ internal static class SelfTest
                 // Running status (version + start time) round-trips — this is what the Service menu shows.
                 ServiceStore.SaveStatus(new ServiceStore.ServiceStatus { Version = "5.3", StartedUtc = DateTime.UtcNow });
                 Check(ServiceStore.LoadStatus()?.Version == "5.3", "the service running-status version must round-trip");
+
+                // Update log + pending marker: the always-on trail of a self-update.
+                ServiceStore.AppendUpdateLog("update detected: test");
+                Check(File.Exists(ServiceStore.UpdateLogPath) && File.ReadAllText(ServiceStore.UpdateLogPath).Contains("update detected: test"),
+                    "the update log must be written");
+                ServiceStore.SetUpdatePending();
+                Check(ServiceStore.ConsumeUpdatePending(), "a set update-pending marker must be consumed once");
+                Check(!ServiceStore.ConsumeUpdatePending(), "the update-pending marker must not be consumed twice");
             }
             finally { ServiceStore.TestDirectoryOverride = saved; }
 
diff --git a/src/RemSound.App/ServiceUpdate.cs b/src/RemSound.App/ServiceUpdate.cs
index a174a1f..5df3d0b 100644
--- a/src/RemSound.App/ServiceUpdate.cs
+++ b/src/RemSound.App/ServiceUpdate.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Reflection;
+using RemSound.Core;
 
 namespace RemSound.App;
 
@@ -25,32 +26,46 @@ internal static class ServiceUpdate
 
     /// <summary>True when a strictly-newer RemSound.exe sits next to the running service binary (i.e. an
     /// update landed). Reads the on-disk exe's file version; never throws.</summary>
-    public static bool UpdateLanded()
+    public static bool UpdateLanded() => IsNewer(RunningVersion(), OnDiskVersion());
+
+    /// <summary>The version string of the RemSound.exe sitting next to the service, or null if unreadable.</summary>
+    public static string? OnDiskVersion()
     {
         try
         {
             var onDiskExe = Path.Combine(AppContext.BaseDirectory, "RemSound.exe");
-            if (!File.Exists(onDiskExe)) return false;
-            var running = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Version;
-            var onDisk = FileVersionInfo.GetVersionInfo(onDiskExe).FileVersion;
-            return IsNewer(running, onDisk);
+            return File.Exists(onDiskExe) ? FileVersionInfo.GetVersionInfo(onDiskExe).FileVersion : null;
         }
-        catch { return false; }
+        catch { return null; }
     }
 
+    public static Version? RunningVersion() => Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Version;
+
     /// <summary>Restart the service onto the new binary. Spawns a DETACHED PowerShell (as SYSTEM, inherited
     /// from the service) that stops this service — which exits this process — then starts it again, so the
-    /// SCM launches the freshly-installed exe. Never throws.</summary>
+    /// SCM launches the freshly-installed exe. The script LOGS its own stop/start outcome to the update log,
+    /// so even the part that runs after this process is gone (and any failed start) is recorded. Never
+    /// throws; worst case the service picks up the update on the next reboot.</summary>
     public static void RestartSelf()
     {
         try
         {
+            var dir = ServiceStore.Directory;
+            System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(dir);
+            var script = Path.Combine(dir, "restart.ps1");
+            var log = ServiceStore.UpdateLogPath;
+            var svc = ServiceControl.ServiceName;
+            var content =
+                "$ts = { (Get-Date).ToString('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') }\r\n" +
+                $"Add-Content -LiteralPath '{log}' -Value \"$(& $ts)  restarter: stopping {svc}\"\r\n" +
+                $"Stop-Service -Name {svc} -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue\r\n" +
+                $"try {{ Start-Service -Name {svc} -ErrorAction Stop; $r = 'restart: service started' }} catch {{ $r = 'restart: START FAILED - ' + $_.Exception.Message }}\r\n" +
+                $"Add-Content -LiteralPath '{log}' -Value \"$(& $ts)  $r\"\r\n";
+            File.WriteAllText(script, content);
             var psi = new ProcessStartInfo
             {
                 FileName = "powershell.exe",
-                Arguments = "-NonInteractive -WindowStyle Hidden -Command " +
-                            $"\"Stop-Service -Name {ServiceControl.ServiceName} -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; " +
-                            $"Start-Service -Name {ServiceControl.ServiceName} -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue\"",
+                Arguments = $"-NonInteractive -WindowStyle Hidden -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File \"{script}\"",
                 UseShellExecute = false,
                 CreateNoWindow = true,
             };
diff --git a/src/RemSound.Core/ServiceStore.cs b/src/RemSound.Core/ServiceStore.cs
index 76ae3d4..d9528a1 100644
--- a/src/RemSound.Core/ServiceStore.cs
+++ b/src/RemSound.Core/ServiceStore.cs
@@ -89,5 +89,36 @@ public static class ServiceStore
         catch { return null; }
     }
 
+    // === Update log (ALWAYS written, not gated on the service-logging toggle) ===
+    // Updates are rare but important, so we always keep a small trail of them where the user can find it.
+    public static string UpdateLogPath => Path.Combine(Directory, "update.log");
+    private static string UpdatePendingPath => Path.Combine(Directory, "update-pending");
+
+    /// <summary>Append a timestamped line to the service update log. Never throws. Truncates if it ever
+    /// grows large (update events are infrequent, so it normally stays tiny).</summary>
+    public static void AppendUpdateLog(string line)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(Directory);
+            try { if (File.Exists(UpdateLogPath) && new FileInfo(UpdateLogPath).Length > 200_000) File.Delete(UpdateLogPath); } catch { }
+            File.AppendAllText(UpdateLogPath, $"{DateTime.Now:yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss}  {line}{Environment.NewLine}");
+        }
+        catch { /* best-effort */ }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>Marker dropped when a self-update restart is triggered; the next start consumes it and logs
+    /// completion — so the update log shows the update actually finished (and its absence flags a stuck one).</summary>
+    public static void SetUpdatePending()
+    {
+        try { System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(Directory); File.WriteAllText(UpdatePendingPath, ""); } catch { }
+    }
+
+    public static bool ConsumeUpdatePending()
+    {
+        try { if (File.Exists(UpdatePendingPath)) { File.Delete(UpdatePendingPath); return true; } } catch { }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     private sealed class ServiceSettings { public bool LoggingEnabled { get; set; } }
 }