diff --git a/GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index 899b5fba..0ecd97c9 100644
--- a/GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
 					D0E0F0B2A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* BrowserOmnibarSuggestionsUITests.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D0E0F0B3A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* BrowserOmnibarSuggestionsUITests.swift */; };
 					E1000000A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* MenuKeyEquivalentRoutingUITests.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = E1000001A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* MenuKeyEquivalentRoutingUITests.swift */; };
 				F1000000A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = F1000001A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift */; };
+				F2000000A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = F2000001A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift */; };
 		/* End PBXBuildFile section */
 
 /* Begin PBXCopyFilesBuildPhase section */
@@ -185,6 +186,7 @@
 					D0E0F0B3A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* BrowserOmnibarSuggestionsUITests.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = BrowserOmnibarSuggestionsUITests.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 					E1000001A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* MenuKeyEquivalentRoutingUITests.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = MenuKeyEquivalentRoutingUITests.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 			F1000001A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
+			F2000001A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		/* End PBXFileReference section */
 
 /* Begin PBXFrameworksBuildPhase section */
@@ -384,6 +386,7 @@
 			isa = PBXGroup;
 			children = (
 				F1000001A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift */,
+				F2000001A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift */,
 			);
 			path = GhosttyTabsTests;
 			sourceTree = "<group>";
@@ -578,6 +581,7 @@
 			buildActionMask = 2147483647;
 			files = (
 				F1000000A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift in Sources */,
+				F2000000A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift in Sources */,
 			);
 			runOnlyForDeploymentPostprocessing = 0;
 		};
diff --git a/GhosttyTabsTests/UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift b/GhosttyTabsTests/UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b862e931
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GhosttyTabsTests/UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import XCTest
+import Foundation
+
+/// Regression test: ensures UpdatePill is never gated behind #if DEBUG in production code paths.
+/// This prevents accidentally hiding the update UI in Release builds.
+final class UpdatePillReleaseVisibilityTests: XCTestCase {
+
+    /// Source files that must show UpdatePill without #if DEBUG guards.
+    private let filesToCheck = [
+        "Sources/Update/UpdateTitlebarAccessory.swift",
+        "Sources/ContentView.swift",
+        "Sources/WindowToolbarController.swift",
+    ]
+
+    func testUpdatePillNotGatedBehindDebug() throws {
+        let projectRoot = findProjectRoot()
+
+        for relativePath in filesToCheck {
+            let url = projectRoot.appendingPathComponent(relativePath)
+            let source = try String(contentsOf: url, encoding: .utf8)
+            let lines = source.components(separatedBy: .newlines)
+
+            // Track #if DEBUG nesting depth.
+            var debugDepth = 0
+
+            for (index, line) in lines.enumerated() {
+                let trimmed = line.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces)
+
+                if trimmed == "#if DEBUG" || trimmed.hasPrefix("#if DEBUG ") {
+                    debugDepth += 1
+                } else if trimmed == "#endif" && debugDepth > 0 {
+                    debugDepth -= 1
+                } else if trimmed == "#else" && debugDepth > 0 {
+                    // #else inside #if DEBUG means we're in the non-debug branch — that's fine.
+                    // But UpdatePill in the #if DEBUG branch (before #else) is the problem.
+                    // We handle this by only flagging UpdatePill when debugDepth > 0 and we haven't
+                    // hit #else yet. For simplicity, treat #else as flipping out of the guarded section.
+                    debugDepth -= 1
+                }
+
+                if debugDepth > 0 && trimmed.contains("UpdatePill") {
+                    XCTFail(
+                        """
+                        \(relativePath):\(index + 1) — UpdatePill is inside #if DEBUG. \
+                        This hides the update UI in Release builds. Remove the #if DEBUG guard \
+                        or move UpdatePill to the #else branch.
+                        """
+                    )
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private func findProjectRoot() -> URL {
+        // Walk up from the test bundle to find the project root (contains GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj).
+        var dir = URL(fileURLWithPath: #file).deletingLastPathComponent().deletingLastPathComponent()
+        for _ in 0..<10 {
+            let marker = dir.appendingPathComponent("GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj")
+            if FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: marker.path) {
+                return dir
+            }
+            dir = dir.deletingLastPathComponent()
+        }
+        // Fallback: assume CWD is project root.
+        return URL(fileURLWithPath: FileManager.default.currentDirectoryPath)
+    }
+}