diff --git a/src/main/updater-fallback.ts b/src/main/updater-fallback.ts
index eab50f393..2fc0e94ac 100644
--- a/src/main/updater-fallback.ts
+++ b/src/main/updater-fallback.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,17 @@ export function isValidVersion(value: string): boolean {
   return parseVersion(value) !== null
 }
 
+// Why: a user running a prerelease build (e.g. 1.3.17-rc.1) must stay on the
+// RC channel for "Check for Updates" to resolve the next RC (1.3.17-rc.2).
+// The default generic feed only advertises non-prerelease releases, so without
+// this detection a prerelease user would be stuck unless they knew to
+// Shift-click the menu item — effectively trapping them on the RC they
+// installed.
+export function isPrereleaseVersion(value: string): boolean {
+  const parsed = parseVersion(value)
+  return parsed !== null && parsed.prerelease.length > 0
+}
+
 function compareIdentifiers(left: string, right: string): number {
   const leftNumeric = /^\d+$/.test(left)
   const rightNumeric = /^\d+$/.test(right)
diff --git a/src/main/updater.fallback.test.ts b/src/main/updater.fallback.test.ts
index 5b3de44a4..42d550007 100644
--- a/src/main/updater.fallback.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/updater.fallback.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
-import { compareVersions } from './updater-fallback'
+import { compareVersions, isPrereleaseVersion } from './updater-fallback'
 
 describe('compareVersions', () => {
   it('compares prerelease and build semver strings correctly', () => {
@@ -9,3 +9,19 @@ describe('compareVersions', () => {
     expect(compareVersions('v1.0.70-beta.2', '1.0.70-beta.1')).toBeGreaterThan(0)
   })
 })
+
+describe('isPrereleaseVersion', () => {
+  it('recognises RC, beta, and alpha variants', () => {
+    expect(isPrereleaseVersion('1.3.17-rc.1')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isPrereleaseVersion('v1.3.17-rc.2')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isPrereleaseVersion('1.0.0-beta.5')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isPrereleaseVersion('2.1.0-alpha')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false for stable releases and unparseable values', () => {
+    expect(isPrereleaseVersion('1.3.17')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isPrereleaseVersion('v1.3.17')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isPrereleaseVersion('1.3.17+build.5')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isPrereleaseVersion('not-a-version')).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/updater.test.ts b/src/main/updater.test.ts
index ec3ceedcc..995d75ac8 100644
--- a/src/main/updater.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/updater.test.ts
@@ -750,4 +750,43 @@ describe('updater', () => {
 
     expect((autoUpdaterMock as Record<string, unknown>).verifyUpdateCodeSignature).toBeUndefined()
   })
+
+  // Why: a user running an RC (e.g. 1.3.17-rc.1) must stay on the RC channel
+  // so the default "Check for Updates" path can find the next RC. The generic
+  // /releases/latest/download/ feed only exposes non-prerelease releases.
+  it('auto-enables the RC channel at setup when running a prerelease build', async () => {
+    appMock.getVersion.mockReturnValue('1.3.17-rc.1')
+    autoUpdaterMock.checkForUpdates.mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+
+    const { setupAutoUpdater } = await import('./updater')
+
+    const mainWindow = { webContents: { send: vi.fn() } }
+    setupAutoUpdater(mainWindow as never, { getLastUpdateCheckAt: () => Date.now() })
+
+    expect(autoUpdaterMock.allowPrerelease).toBe(true)
+    expect(autoUpdaterMock.setFeedURL).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      provider: 'github',
+      owner: 'stablyai',
+      repo: 'orca'
+    })
+    expect(autoUpdaterMock.setFeedURL).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ provider: 'generic' })
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the generic feed at setup when running a stable release', async () => {
+    appMock.getVersion.mockReturnValue('1.3.17')
+    autoUpdaterMock.checkForUpdates.mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+
+    const { setupAutoUpdater } = await import('./updater')
+
+    const mainWindow = { webContents: { send: vi.fn() } }
+    setupAutoUpdater(mainWindow as never, { getLastUpdateCheckAt: () => Date.now() })
+
+    expect(autoUpdaterMock.allowPrerelease).not.toBe(true)
+    expect(autoUpdaterMock.setFeedURL).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      provider: 'generic',
+      url: 'https://github.com/stablyai/orca/releases/latest/download'
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/updater.ts b/src/main/updater.ts
index 60a4f9abf..21551e6c4 100644
--- a/src/main/updater.ts
+++ b/src/main/updater.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@ import {
   markMacQuitAndInstallInFlight
 } from './updater-mac-install'
 import { registerAutoUpdaterHandlers } from './updater-events'
-import { compareVersions, isBenignCheckFailure, statusesEqual } from './updater-fallback'
+import {
+  compareVersions,
+  isBenignCheckFailure,
+  isPrereleaseVersion,
+  statusesEqual
+} from './updater-fallback'
 import { fetchNudge, shouldApplyNudge } from './updater-nudge'
 
 const AUTO_UPDATE_CHECK_INTERVAL_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000
@@ -476,15 +481,24 @@ export function setupAutoUpdater(
     ;(autoUpdater as NsisUpdater).verifyUpdateCodeSignature = () => Promise.resolve(null)
   }
 
-  // Use the generic provider with GitHub's /releases/latest/download/ URL so
-  // electron-updater always fetches the manifest (latest-mac.yml, latest.yml,
-  // latest-linux.yml) from the latest non-prerelease release. This sidesteps
-  // the broken /releases/latest API endpoint (returns 406) and automatically
-  // excludes RC/prerelease versions without client-side filtering.
-  autoUpdater.setFeedURL({
-    provider: 'generic',
-    url: 'https://github.com/stablyai/orca/releases/latest/download'
-  })
+  // Why: a user already running a prerelease (e.g. 1.3.17-rc.1) must stay on
+  // the RC channel so "Check for Updates" can find the next RC (1.3.17-rc.2).
+  // The generic /releases/latest/download/ feed only advertises non-prerelease
+  // releases, so without this they'd never see the follow-up RC. Users on a
+  // stable release keep the generic feed and must Shift-click to opt in.
+  if (isPrereleaseVersion(app.getVersion())) {
+    enableIncludePrerelease()
+  } else {
+    // Use the generic provider with GitHub's /releases/latest/download/ URL so
+    // electron-updater always fetches the manifest (latest-mac.yml, latest.yml,
+    // latest-linux.yml) from the latest non-prerelease release. This sidesteps
+    // the broken /releases/latest API endpoint (returns 406) and automatically
+    // excludes RC/prerelease versions without client-side filtering.
+    autoUpdater.setFeedURL({
+      provider: 'generic',
+      url: 'https://github.com/stablyai/orca/releases/latest/download'
+    })
+  }
 
   if (autoUpdaterInitialized) {
     return