diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/SysProps.java b/core/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/SysProps.java
index a798f5c..0d96ecb 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/SysProps.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/SysProps.java
@@ -50,32 +50,34 @@ public class SysProps
         return System.getProperty("appbase_override");
     }
 
-    /** If true, Getdown installs the app without ever bringing up a UI, except in the event of an
-      * error. NOTE: it does not launch the app. See {@link #launchInSilent}.
+    /** If true, Getdown installs the app without ever bringing up a UI (except in the event of an
+      * error). NOTE: it does not launch the app. See {@link #launchInSilent}.
       * Usage: {@code -Dsilent}. */
     public static boolean silent () {
         return System.getProperty("silent") != null;
     }
 
+    /** Instructs Getdown to install/update the app without ever bringing up a UI (except in the
+      * event of an error), and then launch it.
+      * Usage: {@code -Dsilent=launch}. */
+    public static boolean launchInSilent () {
+        return "launch".equals(System.getProperty("silent"));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Instructs Getdown to launch the app without updating it, or ever bringing up a UI (except
+     * in the event of an error).
+     * Usage: {@code -Dsilent=noupdate}.
+     */
+    public static boolean noUpdate() {
+        return "noupdate".equals(System.getProperty("silent"));
+    }
+
     /** If true, Getdown does not automatically install updates after downloading them. It waits
       * for the application to call `Getdown.install`.
       * Usage: {@code -Dno_install}. */
     public static boolean noInstall () {
-     return System.getProperty("no_install") != null;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * If true, Getdown launches the app without updating. Usage:
-     * {@code -Dsilent=noupdate}.
-     */
-    public static boolean noUpdate() {
-        return "noupdate".equals(System.getProperty("silent"));
-    }
-
-    /** If true, Getdown installs the app without ever bringing up a UI and then launches it.
-      * Usage: {@code -Dsilent=launch}. */
-    public static boolean launchInSilent () {
-        return "launch".equals(System.getProperty("silent"));
+        return System.getProperty("no_install") != null;
     }
 
     /** Specifies the delay (in minutes) to wait before starting the update and install process.
diff --git a/launcher/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java b/launcher/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
index c3add10..b66e1c5 100644
--- a/launcher/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
+++ b/launcher/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ public abstract class Getdown extends Thread
             // launch, start the application after installing. Otherwise, just install and exit.
             _silent = SysProps.silent();
             if (_silent) {
-                _noUpdate = SysProps.noUpdate();
                 _launchInSilent = SysProps.launchInSilent();
+                _noUpdate = SysProps.noUpdate();
             }
             // If we're running in a headless environment and have not otherwise customized
             // silence, operate without a UI and do launch the app.
@@ -257,7 +257,6 @@ public abstract class Getdown extends Thread
      */
     protected void getdown ()
     {
-
         try {
             // first parses our application deployment file
             try {
@@ -293,6 +292,13 @@ public abstract class Getdown extends Thread
                 }
             }
 
+            // if no_update was specified, directly start the app without updating
+            if (_noUpdate) {
+                log.info("Launching without update!");
+                launch();
+                return;
+            }
+
             // we create this tracking counter here so that we properly note the first time through
             // the update process whether we previously had validated resources (which means this
             // is not a first time install); we may, in the course of updating, wipe out our
@@ -307,13 +313,6 @@ public abstract class Getdown extends Thread
             _toInstallResources = new HashSet<>();
             _readyToInstall = false;
 
-            // directly start the app with the noupdate flag
-            if (_noUpdate) {
-                log.info("Launching without update!");
-                launch();
-                return;
-            }
-
             // setStep(Step.START);
             for (int ii = 0; ii < MAX_LOOPS; ii++) {
                 // make sure we have the desired version and that the metadata files are valid...
@@ -1049,8 +1048,8 @@ public abstract class Getdown extends Thread
 
     protected boolean _dead;
     protected boolean _silent;
-    protected boolean _noUpdate;
     protected boolean _launchInSilent;
+    protected boolean _noUpdate;
     protected long _startup;
 
     protected Set<Resource> _toInstallResources;