diff --git a/BrewBar/BrewBarApp.swift b/BrewBar/BrewBarApp.swift
index 12b4d12..2f76d0c 100644
--- a/BrewBar/BrewBarApp.swift
+++ b/BrewBar/BrewBarApp.swift
@@ -266,6 +266,12 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
 
             self.cachedOutdated = outdated
 
+            // reflect what was found before any auto-upgrade starts, so the
+            // menu shows the real list while the upgrade is running
+            self.updateOutdatedMenu(with: outdated)
+            self.updateStatus(count: outdated.count)
+            self.updateMenuBarCount()
+
             // only trigger for the kinds that are both enabled AND outdated —
             // e.g. an outdated cask must not start a pointless formulae upgrade
             let upgradeFormulae = Settings.autoUpgradeFormulae && !outdated.formulae.isEmpty
@@ -275,9 +281,7 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
                 return
             }
 
-            self.updateOutdatedMenu(with: outdated)
-            self.updateStatus(count: outdated.count)
-            self.updateMenuBarCount()
+            // notify only about what auto-upgrade didn't (or couldn't) handle
             self.notifyIfNeeded(outdated: outdated.all.map(\.name))
             if outdated.isEmpty {
                 self.setMenuBarIcon("brewbar-uptodate")