diff --git a/scripts/patch_update_badge.py b/scripts/patch_update_badge.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61941c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/patch_update_badge.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+from pathlib import Path
+import sys
+
+app_path = Path(sys.argv[1]) if len(sys.argv) > 1 else Path('/opt/virtuality/web/app.py')
+if not app_path.exists():
+    raise SystemExit(f'app.py not found: {app_path}')
+
+text = app_path.read_text()
+changed = []
+
+if 'import update_core' not in text:
+    text = text.replace('import network_core\n', 'import network_core\nimport update_core\n', 1)
+    changed.append('import update_core added')
+
+helper = r'''
+
+def dashboard_update_notice() -> dict[str, Any]:
+    try:
+        info = update_core.check_updates(fetch=False)
+        if info.get("has_update"):
+            return {
+                "has_update": True,
+                "current_version": info.get("current_version", "unknown"),
+                "latest_version": info.get("latest_version", "unknown"),
+                "missing_count": len(info.get("missing_versions", [])),
+                "commit_count": len(info.get("commits", [])),
+            }
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+    return {"has_update": False}
+'''
+
+if 'def dashboard_update_notice() -> dict[str, Any]:' not in text:
+    marker = '\n\ndef update_operation(operation: dict[str, Any], **changes: Any) -> None:'
+    if marker not in text:
+        raise SystemExit('update_operation marker not found')
+    text = text.replace(marker, helper + marker, 1)
+    changed.append('dashboard update notice helper added')
+else:
+    changed.append('dashboard update notice helper already present')
+
+old_fragment = '"operations": list_operations(5), "operation_css": operation_css})'
+new_fragment = '"operations": list_operations(5), "operation_css": operation_css, "update_notice": dashboard_update_notice()})'
+if old_fragment in text:
+    text = text.replace(old_fragment, new_fragment, 1)
+    changed.append('dashboard context gets update_notice')
+elif '"update_notice": dashboard_update_notice()' in text:
+    changed.append('dashboard context already has update_notice')
+else:
+    raise SystemExit('dashboard context marker not found')
+
+app_path.write_text(text)
+print('update badge patch applied:')
+for item in changed:
+    print(f'- {item}')