diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 715f156..0253da3 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -6,70 +6,90 @@
 
 # default installation directory
 INSTALL_DIR_DEFAULT="/usr/local/bin"
+# URI of "kiwi" launcher script
+KIWI_URI="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ldericher/kiwi-config/master/kiwi"
 
+#############
+# FUNCTIONS #
+#############
 
-############
-# CLI ARGS #
-############
+# prompt yes/no question (default yes)
+yes_no() {
+  # prompt and read from terminal
+  printf "%s [Y|n] " "${1}"
+  read -r answer </dev/tty || answer=""
 
-# installation directory
-install_dir="${1}"
-# adjust default if given
-INSTALL_DIR_DEFAULT="${1:-${INSTALL_DIR_DEFAULT}}"
+  # check first character
+  answer="$(printf '%.1s' "${answer}")"
+  if [ "${answer}" = "N" ] || [ "${answer}" = "n" ]; then
+    # negative
+    return 1
+  else
+    # positive
+    return 0
+  fi
+}
 
+# exit with error
+die() {
+  echo "ERROR: ${1}!" >/dev/stderr
+  exit 1
+}
 
 ########
 # MAIN #
 ########
 
-# prompt for installation directory
+# check if already installed
+install_kiwi="$(command -v kiwi)"
+
+if [ -x "${install_kiwi}" ]; then
+  # kiwi is installed: Choose that directory
+  install_dir="$(dirname "${install_kiwi}")"
+
+  if ! yes_no "kiwi-config found in '${install_dir}'. Overwrite?"; then
+    die "Uninstall existing '${install_kiwi}' first"
+  fi
+
+elif [ ${#} -gt 0 ]; then
+  # install dir candidate given as CLI argument
+  install_dir="${1}"
+  shift 1
+fi
+
+# check dir given by argument
 while [ ! -d "${install_dir}" ]; do
+  # prompt user for installation directory
   printf "Select installation directory [Default: '%s']: " "${INSTALL_DIR_DEFAULT}"
   read -r install_dir </dev/tty || install_dir="${INSTALL_DIR_DEFAULT}"
   install_dir="${install_dir:-${INSTALL_DIR_DEFAULT}}"
 
-  # check if given dir exists
+  # check dir given on terminal
   if [ ! -d "${install_dir}" ]; then
-    printf "Install directory doesn't exist. Try creating? [Y|n] "
-    read -r yesno </dev/tty || yesno="yes"
-    yesno=$(printf '%.1s' "${yesno}")
-
-    if [ ! "${yesno}" = "N" ] && [ ! "${yesno}" = "n" ]; then
-      # fail this script if we can't create the install dir
-      if ! mkdir -p "${install_dir}"; then
-        echo "Invalid install directory." >/dev/stderr
-        exit 1
+    # fail if install dir can't be created
+    if yes_no "Install directory doesn't exist. Try creating?"; then
+      if ! mkdir -p "${install_dir}" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
+        die "Couldn't create install directory"
       fi
     fi
   fi
 done
 
-if [ ! -d "${install_dir}" ]; then
-  echo "wtf?"
-  exit 1
-fi
-
 # start actual installation
 printf "Installing into '%s' ... " "${install_dir}"
-
-# install "kiwi" script
-uri="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ldericher/kiwi-config/master/kiwi"
 tmp_file="$(mktemp)"
 
-if ! curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -o "${tmp_file}" "${uri}" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
+if ! curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -o "${tmp_file}" "${KIWI_URI}" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
   rm "${tmp_file}"
-  echo "Download 'kiwi' failed!" >/dev/stderr
-  exit 1
+  die "Downloading 'kiwi' failed"
 fi
 
 if ! install -m 0755 "${tmp_file}" "${install_dir}/kiwi" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
   rm "${tmp_file}"
-  echo "Install 'kiwi' failed!" >/dev/stderr
-  exit 1
+  die "Installing 'kiwi' failed"
 fi
 
-rm "${tmp_file}"
-
 # finalization
+rm "${tmp_file}"
 echo "OK"
 exit 0
diff --git a/kiwi b/kiwi
index dd34869..cfaf18b 100755
--- a/kiwi
+++ b/kiwi
@@ -21,11 +21,23 @@ KIWI_REPO="https://github.com/ldericher/kiwi-config"
 # use latest version by default
 KIWI_VERSION="master"
 
+# URI of "kiwi" launcher script
+KIWI_URI="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ldericher/kiwi-config/master/kiwi"
+INSTALLER_URI="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ldericher/kiwi-config/master/install.sh"
+# canary file: limit curl requests
+CANARY_FILENAME="/var/lock/kiwi-config.canary"
+CANARY_MAXAGE=600
+
 
 ###################
 # DYNAMIC STRINGS #
 ###################
 
+# uri of correct kiwi-config archive
+kiwi_archive_uri() {
+  echo "${KIWI_REPO}/archive/${KIWI_VERSION}.tar.gz"
+}
+
 # directory of correct installation
 kiwi_installdir() {
   echo "${KIWI_BASEDIR}/${KIWI_VERSION}"
@@ -45,6 +57,28 @@ kiwi_executable() {
 WORKDIR="$(pwd)"
 
 
+#############
+# FUNCTIONS #
+#############
+
+# prompt yes/no question (default yes)
+yes_no() {
+  # prompt and read from terminal
+  printf "%s [Y|n] " "${1}"
+  read -r answer </dev/tty || answer=""
+
+  # check first character
+  answer="$(printf '%.1s' "${answer}")"
+  if [ "${answer}" = "N" ] || [ "${answer}" = "n" ]; then
+    # negative
+    return 1
+  else
+    # positive
+    return 0
+  fi
+}
+
+
 ##################
 # PER-USER SETUP #
 ##################
@@ -72,6 +106,61 @@ done
 # MAIN #
 ########
 
+# check if we should check for new kiwi version
+if [ -f "${CANARY_FILENAME}" ]; then
+  # check canary age
+  current_time="$(date '+%s')"
+  canary_mtime="$(date -r "${CANARY_FILENAME}" '+%s')"
+  canary_age="$(( current_time - canary_mtime ))"
+
+  if [ ${canary_age} -gt ${CANARY_MAXAGE} ]; then
+    # canary file too old!
+    run_kiwi_check="yes"
+  fi
+
+else
+  # no canary file!
+  run_kiwi_check="yes"
+
+fi
+
+# run check for new kiwi version
+if [ "${run_kiwi_check}" = "yes" ]; then
+  # hash this script and the master version
+  hash_local="$(md5sum < "$(readlink "${0}")")"
+  hash_remote="$(curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSfL "${KIWI_URI}" | md5sum)"
+
+  # warn if different
+  if [ "${hash_local}" != "${hash_remote}" ]; then
+
+    if yes_no "Your kiwi launcher is outdated. Update now?" >/dev/stderr; then
+      # should reinstall, so download installer
+      installer="$(curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSfL "${INSTALLER_URI}")"
+
+      if yes_no "Use sudo to run as root?"; then
+        # enable system-wide install
+        echo "${installer}" | sudo sh
+
+      else
+        # per-user install
+        echo "${installer}" | sh
+      fi
+
+    else
+      echo "" >/dev/stderr
+      echo "####################" >/dev/stderr
+      echo "Please manually update your kiwi launcher by re-running the installation process:" >/dev/stderr
+      echo "https://github.com/ldericher/kiwi-config/#installation" >/dev/stderr
+      echo "####################" >/dev/stderr
+      echo "" >/dev/stderr
+
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  # refresh canary
+  touch "${CANARY_FILENAME}"
+fi
+
 # check if pwd is a kiwi folder
 if [ -f "./${KIWI_CONF_NAME}" ]; then
   # determine needed kiwi-config version
@@ -88,7 +177,7 @@ if [ ! -x "$(kiwi_executable)" ]; then
   cd "${tmpdir}" || :
 
   # download archive
-  curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSfL "${KIWI_REPO}/archive/${KIWI_VERSION}.tar.gz" | tar xz
+  curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSfL "$(kiwi_archive_uri)" | tar xz
 
   # read archive version tag
   cd "kiwi-config-${KIWI_VERSION}" || :