# Is it possible to disable Discourse updates?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Created:** [June 25, 2026, 12:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120 "2026-06-25T12:56:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Willy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 12:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/1 "2026-06-25T12:56:00Z")
I have a self-hosted installation with working plugins, but Discourse keeps updating automatically without permission, and just recently the forum broke because a plugin was no longer compatible.
Since my use case is already defined and I don’t actually need the new Discourse features, how do I disable updates so the plugins don’t break?
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 1:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/2 "2026-06-25T13:25:03Z")
> [@Willy](#):
>
> Discourse keeps updating automatically without permission
Discourse doesn’t update automatically. We don’t even have an automatic update feature.
Someone may be updating your forum? Or did you add a manual background job to do it on the host server?
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### Author:  [@Willy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 1:35pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/3 "2026-06-25T13:35:24Z")
That’s mind-blowing because I don’t have any plugins that perform automatic updates, and I can’t see anything in the app.yml file, but you already said that Discourse doesn’t have that feature.
Is there any method to retrieve the exact moment (date and time) when Discourse was last updated?
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### Author:  [@chapoi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chapoi)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/5 "2026-06-25T13:46:56Z")
> [@Willy](#):
>
> Is there any method to retrieve the exact moment (date and time) when Discourse was last updated?
The date can be found at the bottom of `/admin` (if you’re on the old page).
Should see it like:
Maybe it’s somewhere else more detailed though… 🤔
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### Author:  [@Willy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/6 "2026-06-25T13:54:40Z")
Okay, I see. It says the last update was 3 hours ago, and 3 hours ago I ran:
`./launcher rebuild app`
Does that command update Discourse? So how do I install plugins without updating Discourse?
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 1:59pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/7 "2026-06-25T13:59:38Z")
> [@Willy](#):
>
> Does that command update Discourse?
Yes, that’s the main way to update Discourse.
> [@Willy](#):
>
> So how do I install plugins without updating Discourse?
You are either installing plugins or you are at
> [@Willy](#):
>
> my use case is already defined and I don’t actually need the new Discourse features
While it’s technically possible to pin Discourse to a specific version while installing plugins, this requires a very careful analysis of version compatibility, with many plugins assuming an up to date version of Discourse.
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### Author:  [@Willy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/9 "2026-06-25T14:04:51Z")
> it’s technically possible to pin Discourse to a specific version while installing plugins
How do I do that?
> this requires a very careful analysis of version compatibility, with many plugins assuming an up to date version of Discourse
The plugins are mine, I don’t want them to break, I already had a bad experience when Discourse changed the architecture or whatever. I wish the forum would follow Golang’s philosophy.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/10 "2026-06-25T14:08:02Z")
Have you considered switching to the ESR release instead of pinning a specific version? Then you would still receive the security fixes but only have to deal with other changes every 6 months.
> [@Configure a supported tracking branch to get Discourse software updates](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-a-supported-tracking-branch-to-get-discourse-software-updates/17014):
>
> bookmark This guide explains how to configure a supported tracking branch for your Discourse instance to manage software updates. person_raising_hand Required user level: System Administrator warning Console access is required. Managing your Discourse instance’s tracking branch determines the frequency and type of updates you receive. This guide explains the different tracking branches available and provides a step-by-step approach to changing the branch on your setup. Summary Disco…
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### Author:  [@Willy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/12 "2026-06-25T14:21:20Z")
That’s a start, but I’ll still wait for someone who can explain how to stay on a specific version.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 2:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/13 "2026-06-25T14:43:59Z")
I am not sure what exactly you are waiting for. The topic I linked already explains how to configure the version you want to install.
> [@Configure a supported tracking branch to get Discourse software updates](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-a-supported-tracking-branch-to-get-discourse-software-updates/17014/1):
>
> Follow these steps to configure the desired branch in your Discourse instance:
>
> 1. **Access the configuration file**
> Open the `app.yml` configuration file by running the following commands in your console:
>
> ```plaintext
> cd /var/discourse
> git pull
> nano containers/app.yml
>
> ```
>
> The `nano` editor will open the configuration file.
> 2. **Edit the tracking branch**
> Locate the version parameter by searching for the word “version” in the file:
>
> ```plaintext
> params:
> ## Which Git revision should this container use? (default: latest)
> #version: latest
>
> ```
>
> - Uncomment the version line.
> - Replace `latest` with your desired branch or tag name (e.g., `esr`).Example:
>
> ```plaintext
> params:
> ## Which Git revision should this container use? (default: latest)
> version: esr
>
> ```
>
> 1. **Save and exit**
>
> - Press `Ctrl+O` to save your changes.
> - Press `Enter` to confirm.
> - Use `Ctrl+X` to exit the editor.
>
> 1. **Rebuild the container**
> Once the changes are made and saved, rebuild the container to apply the new configuration:
>
> ```plaintext
> git pull
> ./launcher rebuild app
>
> ```
You said you don’t want the ESR version, but a specific one. But the same process applies whether you use a branch, tag, or a specific commit hash - you simply replace the value of `version` accordingly. You can also find some examples of that in the forum [[1]](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-install-v1-9-0-beta1-version-of-discourse/121129/6) [[2]](https://meta.discourse.org/t/bug-with-rebuilding-version-v2-4-0-beta1/142332)
### ⚠ I still recommend avoiding pinned commits in production, since you will not receive security updates or fixes unless you manually track them.
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### Author:  [@Willy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/14 "2026-06-25T15:03:18Z")
But those are revisions, basically, which branch I want to use. I’m saying to fix it at a version like 2026.6.0 and never update from that version. What you’re proposing keeps changing between versions, just on a different branch.
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### Author:  [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/15 "2026-06-25T15:12:10Z")
Doesn’t change if you pick a ref that doesn’t move:
> [@Moin](#):
>
> the same process applies whether you use a branch, tag, **or a specific commit hash** - you simply replace the value of `version` accordingly.
But all the above caveats apply – this is not generally recommended.
Taking this approach (or following a specific release branch) means taking more responsibility for following when things go out of support and managing those risks accordingly.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/16 "2026-06-25T15:13:55Z")
> [@Willy](#):
>
> What you’re proposing keeps changing between versions, just on a different branch.
I said you can put any version in there. Did you look at the examples I linked?
> [@How to install v1.9.0.beta1 version of discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-install-v1-9-0-beta1-version-of-discourse/121129/6):
>
> version: 82ed51450e4b2912d3c650acd7a8332f90de9dc4
When do you expect a fixed commit hash like that to change?
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### Author:  [@Willy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Willy)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 3:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/17 "2026-06-25T15:38:36Z")
Sorry my bad, I didn’t read that part. How do I find that long commit ID for my current installation?
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-disable-discourse-updates/406120/18 "2026-06-25T15:42:28Z")
> [@Finding what version of Discourse you're using](https://meta.discourse.org/t/finding-what-version-of-discourse-youre-using/104326):
>
> bookmark This guide explains how to find the version of Discourse you’re using by inspecting the website’s source code. person_raising_hand Required user level: All users Understanding what version of Discourse you are using can be important for troubleshooting, ensuring compatibility with plugins, and staying up-to-date. Here are the steps you can follow to determine the version of Discourse running on a given site. Summary This guide will cover: Viewing the source code of a Discour…