diff --git a/v3/@claude-flow/cli/__tests__/update-checker-no-downgrade.test.ts b/v3/@claude-flow/cli/__tests__/update-checker-no-downgrade.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d64a2ef94f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/v3/@claude-flow/cli/__tests__/update-checker-no-downgrade.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/**
+ * getUpdateType compared major, minor and patch independently, so a CLI AHEAD of the registry's `latest` in minor but behind it in
+ * patch (3.60.0 running, latest 3.59.17) read as a 'patch' update (17 > 0) and the startup check auto-installed the older version:
+ * a downgrade. An update is a strictly newer version, and only that.
+ */
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { getUpdateType } from '../src/update/checker.js';
+
+describe('getUpdateType', () => {
+  it('never reports a version that is not newer as an update (the 3.60.0 vs 3.59.17 downgrade)', () => {
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.60.0', '3.59.17')).toBe('none');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.58.0', '3.57.2')).toBe('none');
+    expect(getUpdateType('4.0.0', '3.99.99')).toBe('none');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.59.17', '3.59.16')).toBe('none');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.59.17', '3.59.17')).toBe('none');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.7.0-alpha.2', '3.7.0-alpha.1')).toBe('none');
+  });
+
+  it('still names a newer version by how far ahead it is', () => {
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.59.16', '3.59.17')).toBe('patch');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.59.17', '3.60.0')).toBe('minor');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.59.17', '3.60.3')).toBe('minor');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.59.17', '4.0.0')).toBe('major');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.9.9', '3.10.0')).toBe('minor');
+  });
+
+  it('reads an invalid version as no update', () => {
+    expect(getUpdateType('latest', '3.59.17')).toBe('none');
+    expect(getUpdateType('3.59.17', 'next')).toBe('none');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/v3/@claude-flow/cli/src/update/checker.ts b/v3/@claude-flow/cli/src/update/checker.ts
index e98023e1fe..055453d875 100644
--- a/v3/@claude-flow/cli/src/update/checker.ts
+++ b/v3/@claude-flow/cli/src/update/checker.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ async function fetchPackageInfo(packageName: string): Promise<NpmPackageInfo | n
   }
 }
 
-function getUpdateType(
+export function getUpdateType(
   current: string,
   latest: string
 ): 'major' | 'minor' | 'patch' | 'none' {
@@ -89,7 +89,9 @@ function getUpdateType(
     return 'none';
   }
 
-  if (semver.eq(current, latest)) {
+  // An update is a strictly newer version. Comparing the parts one by one called 3.60.0 (running) against 3.59.17 (latest) a
+  // 'patch' update, since 17 > 0, and the startup check then auto-installed the older version: a downgrade.
+  if (!semver.gt(latest, current)) {
     return 'none';
   }