diff -x '*.orig' -x '*.rej' -Naur 11.1-0/FreeFileSync/Source/ui/main_dlg.cpp 11.1-1/FreeFileSync/Source/ui/main_dlg.cpp
--- 11.1-0/FreeFileSync/Source/ui/main_dlg.cpp	2020-08-31 20:04:21.621863187 -0400
+++ 11.1-1/FreeFileSync/Source/ui/main_dlg.cpp	2020-08-31 20:55:07.732089665 -0400
@@ -5606,7 +5606,7 @@
         globalCfg_.gui.lastUpdateCheck = 0; //reset to GlobalSettings.xml default value!
 
     m_menuItemCheckVersionAuto->Check(updateCheckActive(globalCfg_.gui.lastUpdateCheck));
-
+    /*
     if (shouldRunAutomaticUpdateCheck(globalCfg_.gui.lastUpdateCheck))
     {
         flashStatusInformation(_("Searching for program updates..."));
@@ -5614,6 +5614,7 @@
         automaticUpdateCheckEval(this, globalCfg_.gui.lastUpdateCheck, globalCfg_.gui.lastOnlineVersion,
                                  automaticUpdateCheckRunAsync(automaticUpdateCheckPrepare(*this).get()).get());
     }
+    */
 }
 
 
@@ -5623,6 +5624,7 @@
     [[maybe_unused]] bool ubOk = Unbind(wxEVT_IDLE, &MainDialog::onRegularUpdateCheck, this);
     assert(ubOk);
 
+    /*
     if (shouldRunAutomaticUpdateCheck(globalCfg_.gui.lastUpdateCheck))
     {
         flashStatusInformation(_("Searching for program updates..."));
@@ -5636,6 +5638,7 @@
                                      resultAsync.get()); //run on main thread:
         });
     }
+    */
 }
 
 
diff -x '*.orig' -x '*.rej' -Naur 11.1-0/FreeFileSync/Source/ui/version_check.cpp 11.1-1/FreeFileSync/Source/ui/version_check.cpp
--- 11.1-0/FreeFileSync/Source/ui/version_check.cpp	2020-08-31 20:04:21.573862614 -0400
+++ 11.1-1/FreeFileSync/Source/ui/version_check.cpp	2020-08-31 20:48:08.102811585 -0400
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@
 
 bool fff::shouldRunAutomaticUpdateCheck(time_t lastUpdateCheck)
 {
+    // short-circuit
+    return false;
     if (lastUpdateCheck == getVersionCheckInactiveId())
         return false;
 
@@ -155,8 +157,7 @@
     {
         try
         {
-            const std::string buf = sendHttpGet(utfTo<Zstring>("https://api.freefilesync.org/latest_changes?" + xWwwFormUrlEncode({ { "since", ffsVersion } })),
-            ffsUpdateCheckUserAgent, nullptr /*caCertFilePath*/, nullptr /*notifyUnbufferedIO*/).readAll(); //throw SysError
+            const std::string buf = "";
             updateDetailsMsg = utfTo<std::wstring>(buf);
         }
         catch (const SysError& e) { throw FileError(_("Failed to retrieve update information."), e.toString()); }
@@ -185,8 +186,7 @@
 
 std::string getOnlineVersion(const std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string>>& postParams) //throw SysError
 {
-    const std::string response = sendHttpPost(Zstr("https://api.freefilesync.org/latest_version"), postParams,
-                                              ffsUpdateCheckUserAgent, nullptr /*caCertFilePath*/, nullptr /*notifyUnbufferedIO*/).readAll(); //throw SysError
+    const std::string response = "";
     return trimCpy(response);
 }
 
@@ -233,13 +233,13 @@
         const std::string onlineVersion = getOnlineVersion(geHttpPostParameters(parent)); //throw SysError
         lastOnlineVersion = onlineVersion;
 
-        if (haveNewerVersionOnline(onlineVersion))
-            showUpdateAvailableDialog(&parent, onlineVersion);
-        else
+        //if (haveNewerVersionOnline(onlineVersion))
+        //    showUpdateAvailableDialog(&parent, onlineVersion);
+        //else
             showNotificationDialog(&parent, DialogInfoType::info, PopupDialogCfg().
                                    setIcon(loadImage("update_check")).
                                    setTitle(_("Check for Program Updates")).
-                                   setMainInstructions(_("FreeFileSync is up to date.")));
+                                   setMainInstructions(_("Use your package manager for any updates to FreeFileSync.")));
     }
     catch (const SysError& e)
     {