diff --git a/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/pwaUpdate.test.ts b/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/pwaUpdate.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0173b71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/pwaUpdate.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import {
+  hasRecentPWAUpdateReload,
+  markPWAUpdateReload,
+  requestPWAUpdate,
+  watchForPWAUpdate,
+} from './pwaUpdate';
+
+class MockServiceWorker extends EventTarget {
+  state: ServiceWorkerState = 'installing';
+  postMessage = jest.fn();
+}
+
+class MockRegistration extends EventTarget {
+  installing: MockServiceWorker | null = null;
+  waiting: MockServiceWorker | null = null;
+}
+
+describe('watchForPWAUpdate', () => {
+  it('reports an existing waiting update when a worker already controls the page', () => {
+    const registration = new MockRegistration();
+    registration.waiting = new MockServiceWorker();
+    const onUpdateReady = jest.fn();
+
+    watchForPWAUpdate(registration as unknown as ServiceWorkerRegistration, {
+      getController: () => new MockServiceWorker() as unknown as ServiceWorker,
+      onUpdateReady,
+    });
+
+    expect(onUpdateReady).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('reports a newly installed update', () => {
+    const registration = new MockRegistration();
+    const installingWorker = new MockServiceWorker();
+    registration.installing = installingWorker;
+    const onUpdateReady = jest.fn();
+
+    watchForPWAUpdate(registration as unknown as ServiceWorkerRegistration, {
+      getController: () => new MockServiceWorker() as unknown as ServiceWorker,
+      onUpdateReady,
+    });
+
+    registration.dispatchEvent(new Event('updatefound'));
+    registration.waiting = installingWorker;
+    installingWorker.state = 'installed';
+    installingWorker.dispatchEvent(new Event('statechange'));
+
+    expect(onUpdateReady).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('requestPWAUpdate', () => {
+  it('asks a waiting worker to activate', () => {
+    const worker = new MockServiceWorker();
+    const updated = requestPWAUpdate({ waiting: worker });
+
+    expect(updated).toBe(true);
+    expect(worker.postMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ type: 'SKIP_WAITING' });
+  });
+
+  it('does nothing when no update is waiting', () => {
+    const updated = requestPWAUpdate({ waiting: null });
+
+    expect(updated).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('the PWA reload guard', () => {
+  it('blocks only a second reload during the guard window', () => {
+    const storage = new Map<string, string>();
+    const sessionStorage = {
+      getItem: (key: string) => storage.get(key) ?? null,
+      setItem: (key: string, value: string) => storage.set(key, value),
+    };
+
+    markPWAUpdateReload(sessionStorage, 1_000);
+
+    expect(hasRecentPWAUpdateReload(sessionStorage, 20_000)).toBe(true);
+    expect(hasRecentPWAUpdateReload(sessionStorage, 40_000)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/pwaUpdate.ts b/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/pwaUpdate.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19e557f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/pwaUpdate.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+export const PWA_UPDATE_RELOAD_GUARD_MS = 30_000;
+
+const PWA_UPDATE_LAST_RELOAD_AT_KEY = 'pwa-update-last-reload-at';
+
+type UpdateRegistration = Pick<
+  ServiceWorkerRegistration,
+  'installing' | 'removeEventListener' | 'waiting'
+> &
+  Pick<EventTarget, 'addEventListener'>;
+
+interface WatchForPWAUpdateOptions {
+  getController: () => ServiceWorker | null;
+  onUpdateReady: () => void;
+}
+
+export function watchForPWAUpdate(
+  registration: UpdateRegistration,
+  { getController, onUpdateReady }: WatchForPWAUpdateOptions,
+) {
+  let installingWorker: ServiceWorker | null = null;
+  let onWorkerStateChange: (() => void) | undefined;
+
+  const reportWaitingUpdate = () => {
+    if (getController() && registration.waiting) {
+      onUpdateReady();
+    }
+  };
+
+  const onUpdateFound = () => {
+    const worker = registration.installing;
+    if (!worker) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (installingWorker && onWorkerStateChange) {
+      installingWorker.removeEventListener('statechange', onWorkerStateChange);
+    }
+    installingWorker = worker;
+    const onStateChange = () => {
+      if (worker.state === 'installed') {
+        reportWaitingUpdate();
+      }
+    };
+    onWorkerStateChange = onStateChange;
+    worker.addEventListener('statechange', onStateChange);
+  };
+
+  registration.addEventListener('updatefound', onUpdateFound);
+  reportWaitingUpdate();
+
+  return () => {
+    registration.removeEventListener('updatefound', onUpdateFound);
+    if (installingWorker && onWorkerStateChange) {
+      installingWorker.removeEventListener('statechange', onWorkerStateChange);
+    }
+  };
+}
+
+interface WaitingServiceWorker {
+  postMessage: ServiceWorker['postMessage'];
+}
+
+type PWAUpdateStorage = Pick<Storage, 'getItem' | 'setItem'>;
+
+export function requestPWAUpdate(registration: { waiting: WaitingServiceWorker | null }) {
+  const worker = registration.waiting;
+  if (!worker) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  worker.postMessage({ type: 'SKIP_WAITING' });
+  return true;
+}
+
+export function hasRecentPWAUpdateReload(storage: PWAUpdateStorage, now: number) {
+  const lastReloadAt = Number(storage.getItem(PWA_UPDATE_LAST_RELOAD_AT_KEY));
+  return Number.isFinite(lastReloadAt) && now - lastReloadAt < PWA_UPDATE_RELOAD_GUARD_MS;
+}
+
+export function markPWAUpdateReload(storage: PWAUpdateStorage, now: number) {
+  storage.setItem(PWA_UPDATE_LAST_RELOAD_AT_KEY, String(now));
+}
diff --git a/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/useRegisterSW.ts b/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/useRegisterSW.ts
index d09156b..f3be8f2 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/useRegisterSW.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useRegisterSW/useRegisterSW.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
-import { registerSW } from 'virtual:pwa-register';
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import {
+  hasRecentPWAUpdateReload,
+  markPWAUpdateReload,
+  requestPWAUpdate,
+  watchForPWAUpdate,
+} from './pwaUpdate';
 import { startPWAUpdatePolling } from './pwaUpdatePolling';
 
 export function usePWAUpdate() {
   const [updateAvailable, setUpdateAvailable] = useState(false);
-  const updateSWRef = useRef<(reloadPage?: boolean) => Promise<void>>();
+  const registrationRef = useRef<ServiceWorkerRegistration>();
   const stopUpdatePollingRef = useRef<() => void>();
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -12,32 +17,57 @@ export function usePWAUpdate() {
       return;
     }
 
-    updateSWRef.current = registerSW({
-      immediate: true,
-      onNeedRefresh() {
-        setUpdateAvailable(true);
-      },
-      onRegisteredSW(_swUrl, registration) {
-        if (!registration) {
+    let active = true;
+    let stopWatchingForUpdates: (() => void) | undefined;
+
+    void navigator.serviceWorker
+      .register('/sw.js', {
+        updateViaCache: 'none',
+      })
+      .then((registration) => {
+        if (!active) {
           return;
         }
 
+        registrationRef.current = registration;
+        stopWatchingForUpdates = watchForPWAUpdate(registration, {
+          getController: () => navigator.serviceWorker.controller,
+          onUpdateReady: () => setUpdateAvailable(true),
+        });
         stopUpdatePollingRef.current?.();
         stopUpdatePollingRef.current = startPWAUpdatePolling(registration);
-      },
-      onOfflineReady() {
-        // optionally notify
-      },
-    });
+      })
+      .catch(() => undefined);
 
     return () => {
+      active = false;
+      stopWatchingForUpdates?.();
       stopUpdatePollingRef.current?.();
     };
   }, []);
 
-  const updateSW = async (reloadPage = true) => {
+  const updateSW = async () => {
     setUpdateAvailable(false);
-    await updateSWRef.current?.(reloadPage);
+    const registration = registrationRef.current;
+    if (!registration) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      await registration.update();
+    } catch {
+      setUpdateAvailable(true);
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!registration.waiting || hasRecentPWAUpdateReload(sessionStorage, Date.now())) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    markPWAUpdateReload(sessionStorage, Date.now());
+    navigator.serviceWorker.addEventListener('controllerchange', () => window.location.reload(), {
+      once: true,
+    });
+    requestPWAUpdate(registration);
   };
 
   return { updateAvailable, updateSW };
diff --git a/src/layouts/RootLayout/index.tsx b/src/layouts/RootLayout/index.tsx
index dce0c36..27b16fd 100644
--- a/src/layouts/RootLayout/index.tsx
+++ b/src/layouts/RootLayout/index.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export function RootLayout() {
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col flex-1 full-viewport-height overflow-hidden bg-app">
       <Header />
-      {updateAvailable && <AppUpdatePrompt onUpdate={() => updateSW(true)} />}
+      {updateAvailable && <AppUpdatePrompt onUpdate={updateSW} />}
       <main className="flex flex-1 flex-col w-full items-center overflow-hidden">
         <ErrorBoundary FallbackComponent={ErrorFallback}>
           <Outlet />
diff --git a/vite.config.ts b/vite.config.ts
index 98d0acc..79aef59 100644
--- a/vite.config.ts
+++ b/vite.config.ts
@@ -43,8 +43,10 @@ export default defineConfig(({ mode }) => ({
     viteTsconfigPaths(),
     ViteYaml(),
     VitePWA({
+      injectRegister: false,
       registerType: 'prompt',
       workbox: {
+        clientsClaim: true,
         importScripts: ['notification-sw.js'],
       },
     }),