diff --git a/larry.sh b/larry.sh
index eacb76f..c323ad6 100755
--- a/larry.sh
+++ b/larry.sh
@@ -286,6 +286,8 @@ sync_from_manifest() {
   if [ "$updated" -gt 0 ] || [ "$failed" -gt 0 ]; then
     log "manifest sync: $updated updated, $failed failed, $count total (from $base)"
   fi
+  LARRY_SYNC_UPDATED_COUNT="$updated"
+  LARRY_SYNC_FAILED_COUNT="$failed"
   return 0
 }
 
@@ -303,8 +305,20 @@ self_update() {
   [ -f "$LARRY_HOME/.last-sync-version" ] \
     && last_sync=$(tr -d '[:space:]' < "$LARRY_HOME/.last-sync-version" 2>/dev/null)
   if [ "$last_sync" != "$LARRY_VERSION" ]; then
+    LARRY_SYNC_UPDATED_COUNT=0
+    LARRY_SYNC_FAILED_COUNT=0
     if sync_from_manifest "$LARRY_BASE_URL"; then
       printf '%s\n' "$LARRY_VERSION" > "$LARRY_HOME/.last-sync-version" 2>/dev/null || true
+      if [ "${LARRY_JUST_UPDATED:-0}" = "1" ] && [ -n "${LARRY_PREV_VERSION:-}" ]; then
+        # We came in via a phase-B self-replace; phase A then synced the rest.
+        LARRY_UPDATE_NOTICE="updated v${LARRY_PREV_VERSION} → v${LARRY_VERSION} (${LARRY_SYNC_UPDATED_COUNT} files synced from manifest)"
+      elif [ "$LARRY_SYNC_UPDATED_COUNT" -gt 0 ]; then
+        if [ -n "$last_sync" ]; then
+          LARRY_UPDATE_NOTICE="manifest sync v${last_sync} → v${LARRY_VERSION} (${LARRY_SYNC_UPDATED_COUNT} files updated)"
+        else
+          LARRY_UPDATE_NOTICE="first-run sync at v${LARRY_VERSION} (${LARRY_SYNC_UPDATED_COUNT} files synced from manifest)"
+        fi
+      fi
     fi
   fi
 
@@ -334,7 +348,7 @@ self_update() {
   rm -f "$tmp"
   # Force phase A on the next launch by invalidating the sync stamp.
   rm -f "$LARRY_HOME/.last-sync-version" 2>/dev/null || true
-  exec env LARRY_JUST_UPDATED=1 "$self" ${ARG_DIR:+"$ARG_DIR"}
+  exec env LARRY_JUST_UPDATED=1 LARRY_PREV_VERSION="$LARRY_VERSION" "$self" ${ARG_DIR:+"$ARG_DIR"}
 }
 self_update
 
@@ -1081,7 +1095,18 @@ main_loop() {
     fi
   fi
 
-  larry_say "Larry-Anywhere v$LARRY_VERSION ready. Model: $LARRY_MODEL."
+  # ── Startup banner ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # Always print the version; print a prominent "JUST UPDATED" badge when the
+  # current launch came from a self-update so Bryan can verify the chain fired.
+  if [ -n "${LARRY_UPDATE_NOTICE:-}" ]; then
+    echo ""
+    printf '%s%s═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════%s\n' "$C_GREEN" "$C_BOLD" "$C_RESET"
+    printf '%s%s  ✓  LARRY UPDATED%s\n'                                              "$C_GREEN" "$C_BOLD" "$C_RESET"
+    printf '%s%s     %s%s\n'                                                         "$C_GREEN" "$C_BOLD" "$LARRY_UPDATE_NOTICE" "$C_RESET"
+    printf '%s%s═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════%s\n' "$C_GREEN" "$C_BOLD" "$C_RESET"
+    echo ""
+  fi
+  larry_say "${C_BOLD}Larry-Anywhere v$LARRY_VERSION${C_RESET} ready. Model: $LARRY_MODEL."
   larry_say "Type your message and press Enter. Use '<<' alone on a line to start multi-line (end with 'EOF'). /help for commands."
   echo ""