diff --git a/packages/e2e-tests/src/opencode2-runner/sha256-pins.json b/packages/e2e-tests/src/opencode2-runner/sha256-pins.json
index 149d198424..75f8a0cdc5 100644
--- a/packages/e2e-tests/src/opencode2-runner/sha256-pins.json
+++ b/packages/e2e-tests/src/opencode2-runner/sha256-pins.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 	"packages/e2e-tests/mutations/goldens-dg-1.json": "3460cfe3cfa31ef3a4576235ac24fba0b36d9372804fd941a9c7ab6d239b52af",
 	"packages/e2e-tests/mutations/goldens-dg-2.json": "f8b7e04765f428b159fa21306fa6e70b7918a92309537b67af1a6cc6a5b69eda",
 	"packages/e2e-tests/mutations/goldens-dg-3.json": "155c8ec37fb0be2d906a0000e2671d5e473106ae70b02b0cfb0d1ee8e28f7c41",
-	"packages/plugin/src/index.ts": "bbe50e7bcd9bd7d8ea12dfbbcc1ef6d08e7be045d45e19c4cb2cd2cfcc031211",
+	"packages/plugin/src/index.ts": "68ef7e0fb67c5d90270646b513105a1fc116e9646871c9bd9ca92f1974ae5555",
 	"packages/plugin/src/v2/server.ts": "4f0054e8a5fe8628f84e309ecf306b3cde146882e69386117b1c522a3cc0c876",
 	"packages/e2e-tests/src/opencode2-runner/host-rows.json": "1208c136df23a54de1fef24f3ea5c3155f16ed1c28fa3d7e5864aec4cdfbcc82",
 	"packages/e2e-tests/src/opencode2-runner/payload-v1.json": "992fedba515632bccec56dab34a36f96d192a90ee06f1c33d68020bf7bb25091",
diff --git a/packages/plugin/src/hooks/auto-update-checker/index.test.ts b/packages/plugin/src/hooks/auto-update-checker/index.test.ts
index 1dd0626ee8..724c89ddfe 100644
--- a/packages/plugin/src/hooks/auto-update-checker/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin/src/hooks/auto-update-checker/index.test.ts
@@ -187,6 +187,44 @@ describe("auto-update-checker/index", () => {
         // Even after waiting longer than initDelayMs would be, no check fires
         await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
         expect(showToast).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(checkerMocks.getLatestVersion).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    test("auto_update: false makes no npm request (#854)", async () => {
+        checkerMocks.findPluginEntry.mockImplementation(() => ({
+            entry: "@cortexkit/opencode-magic-context",
+            pinnedVersion: null,
+            isPinned: false,
+            configPath: "/config/opencode.jsonc",
+        }));
+        checkerMocks.getCachedVersion.mockImplementation(() => "0.15.5");
+        checkerMocks.getLatestVersion.mockImplementation(async () => "0.15.6");
+        const { autoUpdateCheckerOptionsFromConfig, createAutoUpdateCheckerHook } =
+            await freshIndexImport();
+        const { ctx, showToast } = createCtx();
+
+        createAutoUpdateCheckerHook(ctx as Parameters<typeof createAutoUpdateCheckerHook>[0], {
+            ...autoUpdateCheckerOptionsFromConfig(false),
+            showStartupToast: false,
+            initDelayMs: 0,
+            storageDir: makeTempStorageDir(),
+        });
+
+        await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
+        expect(checkerMocks.getLatestVersion).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(showToast).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    test("auto_update unset or true keeps the check enabled", async () => {
+        const { autoUpdateCheckerOptionsFromConfig } = await freshIndexImport();
+        expect(autoUpdateCheckerOptionsFromConfig(undefined)).toEqual({
+            enabled: true,
+            autoUpdate: true,
+        });
+        expect(autoUpdateCheckerOptionsFromConfig(true)).toEqual({
+            enabled: true,
+            autoUpdate: true,
+        });
     });
 
     test("on-disk timestamp dedupes concurrent plugin instances", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/plugin/src/hooks/auto-update-checker/index.ts b/packages/plugin/src/hooks/auto-update-checker/index.ts
index 67e4b04113..1943657b6e 100644
--- a/packages/plugin/src/hooks/auto-update-checker/index.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin/src/hooks/auto-update-checker/index.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ function warn(message: string): void {
     log(`WARN: ${message}`);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Maps the plugin's `auto_update` setting to checker options. `false` turns
+ * the checker off entirely so no npm request is made, matching the host
+ * updater's disable behavior.
+ */
+export function autoUpdateCheckerOptionsFromConfig(
+    autoUpdateSetting: boolean | undefined,
+): Pick<AutoUpdateCheckerOptions, "enabled" | "autoUpdate"> {
+    const enabled = autoUpdateSetting !== false;
+    return { enabled, autoUpdate: enabled };
+}
+
 /**
  * Auto-update checker.
  *
diff --git a/packages/plugin/src/index.ts b/packages/plugin/src/index.ts
index 783525558a..eb4c573366 100644
--- a/packages/plugin/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin/src/index.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ import {
 } from "./features/magic-context/storage-db";
 import { recordToolDefinition } from "./features/magic-context/tool-definition-tokens";
 import { runDeferredV22Backfill } from "./features/magic-context/v22-deferred-backfill";
-import { createAutoUpdateCheckerHook } from "./hooks/auto-update-checker";
+import {
+    autoUpdateCheckerOptionsFromConfig,
+    createAutoUpdateCheckerHook,
+} from "./hooks/auto-update-checker";
 import {
     COMPARTMENT_AGENT_SYSTEM_PROMPT,
     COMPARTMENT_STRUCTURAL_SYSTEM_PROMPT,
@@ -881,7 +884,8 @@ const server: Plugin = async (ctx) => {
                 },
             },
             autoUpdateChecker: createAutoUpdateCheckerHook(ctx, {
-                autoUpdate: pluginConfig.auto_update !== false,
+                // auto_update: false skips the checker entirely: no npm request.
+                ...autoUpdateCheckerOptionsFromConfig(pluginConfig.auto_update),
                 signal: autoUpdateAbort.signal,
                 // Multi-project plugin reloads coordinate via this on-disk
                 // timestamp so npm gets hit at most once per check window