diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0733ee39..e7e17c2c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Added
-- Pre-update backup **notice + live-progress modal** on the admin update pages (Joomla Update and Extensions → Update). Because the server-side `onExtensionBeforeUpdate` backup runs synchronously and can't drive a browser modal, the system plugin now injects a "back up before you update" notice with a **Back up now** button that runs the same stepped backup as the dashboard and shows a live progress bar. On success it pings a new `ajax.preupdateAck` endpoint, which arms the same throttle the server-side hook checks — so clicking Joomla's Update afterwards won't run a duplicate backup. Gated by the existing `show_update_notice` + `backup_before_update` params. (Auto-intercepting the Update button is the planned phase-2 follow-up — see #196.) (#196)
+- Pre-update backup **notice + live-progress modal** on the admin update pages (Joomla Update and Extensions → Update). Because the server-side `onExtensionBeforeUpdate` backup runs synchronously and can't drive a browser modal, the system plugin now injects a "back up before you update" notice with a **Back up now** button that runs the same stepped backup as the dashboard and shows a live progress bar. On success it pings a new `ajax.preupdateAck` endpoint, which arms the same throttle the server-side hook checks — so clicking Joomla's Update afterwards won't run a duplicate backup. Gated by the existing `show_update_notice` + `backup_before_update` params. (#196)
+- Pre-update modal **phase 2 — "Auto-run on Update click"** (new opt-in param `preupdate_auto_intercept`, off by default). When enabled, clicking the toolbar **Update** button on the Joomla Update / Extensions-update page first pops the backup progress modal, runs the pre-update backup, then automatically continues the update. Implemented by wrapping `Joomla.submitbutton` for the `update.update` / `update.install` tasks only (Find Updates / Clear Cache are untouched); the manual "Back up now" notice remains as a fallback for any flow that doesn't route through `submitbutton`. (#196)
 - Retention now prunes **remote** copies too: when a backup is pruned by age/count, its archive is deleted from every enabled remote destination (SFTP / FTP / S3 / Google Drive), not just the local copy. Each uploader gained an idempotent `delete()` method (already-absent file = success), and removal is best-effort — a failing destination is logged but never blocks local pruning. The shared standalone `restore.php` is intentionally left in place (every backup overwrites it, so newer backups still depend on it). (#229)
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/config.xml b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/config.xml
index 84db7fca..94650c5b 100644
--- a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/config.xml
+++ b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/config.xml
@@ -151,6 +151,18 @@
 			<option value="1">JYES</option>
 			<option value="0">JNO</option>
 		</field>
+		<field
+			name="preupdate_auto_intercept"
+			type="radio"
+			label="COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_PREUPDATE_AUTO_INTERCEPT"
+			description="COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_PREUPDATE_AUTO_INTERCEPT_DESC"
+			default="0"
+			class="btn-group"
+			showon="backup_before_update:1"
+		>
+			<option value="1">JYES</option>
+			<option value="0">JNO</option>
+		</field>
 		<field
 			name="backup_before_uninstall"
 			type="radio"
diff --git a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/language/en-GB/com_mokosuitebackup.ini b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/language/en-GB/com_mokosuitebackup.ini
index 0e5e3c09..0026db99 100644
--- a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/language/en-GB/com_mokosuitebackup.ini
+++ b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/language/en-GB/com_mokosuitebackup.ini
@@ -331,6 +331,8 @@ COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_SHOW_UPDATE_NOTICE_DESC="Display the update site confi
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_PREACTION="Pre-action Backups"
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_BACKUP_BEFORE_UPDATE="Backup Before Extension Update"
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_BACKUP_BEFORE_UPDATE_DESC="Automatically run a full backup before any extension is updated. Uses the default profile. Throttled to once per 10 minutes to prevent duplicate backups during batch updates."
+COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_PREUPDATE_AUTO_INTERCEPT="Auto-run on Update click"
+COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_PREUPDATE_AUTO_INTERCEPT_DESC="When enabled, clicking the Update button on the Joomla Update or Extensions update page first pops the backup progress modal, runs the pre-update backup, then automatically continues the update. When disabled, a notice with a manual 'Back up now' button is shown instead."
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_BACKUP_BEFORE_UNINSTALL="Backup Before Extension Uninstall"
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_BACKUP_BEFORE_UNINSTALL_DESC="Automatically run a full backup before any extension is uninstalled. Uses the default profile. Throttled to once per 10 minutes."
 
diff --git a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/language/en-US/com_mokosuitebackup.ini b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/language/en-US/com_mokosuitebackup.ini
index 2f31ce6a..7009d917 100644
--- a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/language/en-US/com_mokosuitebackup.ini
+++ b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/language/en-US/com_mokosuitebackup.ini
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_SHOW_UPDATE_NOTICE_DESC="Display the update site confi
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_PREACTION="Pre-action Backups"
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_BACKUP_BEFORE_UPDATE="Backup Before Extension Update"
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_BACKUP_BEFORE_UPDATE_DESC="Automatically run a full backup before any extension is updated. Uses the default profile. Throttled to once per 10 minutes to prevent duplicate backups during batch updates."
+COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_PREUPDATE_AUTO_INTERCEPT="Auto-run on Update click"
+COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_PREUPDATE_AUTO_INTERCEPT_DESC="When enabled, clicking the Update button on the Joomla Update or Extensions update page first pops the backup progress modal, runs the pre-update backup, then automatically continues the update. When disabled, a notice with a manual 'Back up now' button is shown instead."
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_BACKUP_BEFORE_UNINSTALL="Backup Before Extension Uninstall"
 COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_CONFIG_BACKUP_BEFORE_UNINSTALL_DESC="Automatically run a full backup before any extension is uninstalled. Uses the default profile. Throttled to once per 10 minutes."
 
diff --git a/source/packages/plg_system_mokosuitebackup/media/js/update-backup.js b/source/packages/plg_system_mokosuitebackup/media/js/update-backup.js
index 493b45ea..5cdc53d2 100644
--- a/source/packages/plg_system_mokosuitebackup/media/js/update-backup.js
+++ b/source/packages/plg_system_mokosuitebackup/media/js/update-backup.js
@@ -26,11 +26,65 @@
 
 	var L = cfg.labels || {};
 	var running = false;
+	var backedUp = false;
 
 	document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {
 		injectNotice();
 	});
 
+	if (cfg.autoIntercept) {
+		setupInterception();
+	}
+
+	/* ── Phase 2: auto-run on the Update click ──────────────────────────────
+	 * Wrap window.Joomla.submitbutton so clicking the toolbar Update button
+	 * first runs the backup modal, then continues the original update once the
+	 * backup succeeds. submitbutton is synchronous, so we can't pause it — we
+	 * swallow the update task, run the async backup, and re-issue the original
+	 * task ourselves on success. The notice's "Back up now" button remains a
+	 * fallback for any flow that doesn't route through submitbutton. */
+	function setupInterception() {
+		if (!wrapSubmit()) {
+			document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', wrapSubmit);
+		}
+	}
+
+	function wrapSubmit() {
+		var J = window.Joomla;
+
+		if (!J || typeof J.submitbutton !== 'function' || J.submitbutton.__msbWrapped) {
+			return !!(J && J.submitbutton && J.submitbutton.__msbWrapped);
+		}
+
+		var original = J.submitbutton;
+
+		var wrapped = function (task) {
+			if (!backedUp && !running && isUpdateTask(task)) {
+				var args = arguments;
+				runBackup().then(function (ok) {
+					if (ok) {
+						original.apply(window.Joomla, args);
+					}
+				});
+
+				return;
+			}
+
+			return original.apply(window.Joomla, arguments);
+		};
+
+		wrapped.__msbWrapped = true;
+		J.submitbutton = wrapped;
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	/* Only the actual "apply the update" tasks — never Find Updates / Clear
+	 * Cache (update.find / update.purge) which also start with "update". */
+	function isUpdateTask(task) {
+		return task === 'update.update' || task === 'update.install';
+	}
+
 	function injectNotice() {
 		var host = document.querySelector('main') || document.querySelector('#content') || document.body;
 
@@ -175,6 +229,7 @@
 			   synchronous onExtensionBeforeUpdate backup is skipped. */
 			try { await post({ task: 'ajax.preupdateAck' }); } catch (ignore) {}
 
+			backedUp = true;
 			ui.title.textContent = L.complete || 'Backup complete — safe to update.';
 			setProgress(ui, 100, '');
 
@@ -187,6 +242,8 @@
 			}
 
 			setTimeout(function () { ui.overlay.remove(); }, 1500);
+
+			return true;
 		} catch (err) {
 			ui.title.textContent = (L.failed || 'Backup failed') + ': ' + err.message;
 			ui.bar.style.background = '#dc3545';
@@ -194,6 +251,8 @@
 			if (runBtn) {
 				runBtn.disabled = false;
 			}
+
+			return false;
 		} finally {
 			running = false;
 			window.removeEventListener('beforeunload', guard);
diff --git a/source/packages/plg_system_mokosuitebackup/src/Extension/MokoSuiteBackup.php b/source/packages/plg_system_mokosuitebackup/src/Extension/MokoSuiteBackup.php
index 21690564..07146b69 100644
--- a/source/packages/plg_system_mokosuitebackup/src/Extension/MokoSuiteBackup.php
+++ b/source/packages/plg_system_mokosuitebackup/src/Extension/MokoSuiteBackup.php
@@ -198,9 +198,10 @@ final class MokoSuiteBackup extends CMSPlugin implements SubscriberInterface
 		$doc->getWebAssetManager()->useScript('core');
 
 		$doc->addScriptOptions('plg_system_mokosuitebackup.preupdate', [
-			'ajaxUrl'   => Route::_('index.php?option=com_mokosuitebackup&format=json', false),
-			'token'     => Session::getFormToken(),
-			'profileId' => (int) $params->get('default_profile', 1),
+			'ajaxUrl'       => Route::_('index.php?option=com_mokosuitebackup&format=json', false),
+			'token'         => Session::getFormToken(),
+			'profileId'     => (int) $params->get('default_profile', 1),
+			'autoIntercept' => (bool) (int) $params->get('preupdate_auto_intercept', 0),
 			'labels'    => [
 				'notice'    => Text::_('PLG_SYSTEM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_UPDATE_NOTICE'),
 				'backupNow' => Text::_('PLG_SYSTEM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_BACKUP_NOW'),