diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 12f2d6e..7a07642 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -175,12 +175,31 @@ pub enum BeansError
         old_location: String,
         old_content: String
     },
+    #[error("Failed to serialize JSON {instance:?} to location {location} ({error:})")]
+    VersionFileSerializeFailure
+    {
+        error: serde_json::Error,
+        instance: AdastralVersionFile,
+        location: String
+    },
     #[error("Failed to read version file at {location}. ({error:})")]
     VersionFileReadFailure
     {
         error: std::io::Error,
         location: String
     },
+    #[error("Failed to open version file at {location}. ({error:})")]
+    VersionFileOpenFailure
+    {
+        error: std::io::Error,
+        location: String
+    },
+    #[error("Failed to write version file at {location}. ({error:})")]
+    VersionFileWriteFailure
+    {
+        error: std::io::Error,
+        location: String
+    },
 
     #[error("Failed to serialize provided AppVarData to JSON. ({error:})")]
     AppVarDataSerializeFailure
diff --git a/src/version.rs b/src/version.rs
index 9aae6e3..1c06981 100644
--- a/src/version.rs
+++ b/src/version.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 use std::{backtrace::Backtrace,
           collections::HashMap,
-          fs::read_to_string,
-          io::Write};
+          fs::{read_to_string,
+               File},
+          io::{BufWriter,
+               Write}};
 
 use log::{debug,
           error,
@@ -42,6 +44,69 @@ pub fn get_current_version(sourcemods_location: Option<String>) -> Option<usize>
     }
 }
 
+/// set the version in the `.adastral` file in the sourcemod folder.
+/// will silently fail when install_state is not InstallType::Adastral, or the
+/// sourcemod isn't installed.
+pub fn set_current_version(
+    sourcemods_location: Option<String>,
+    new_version: usize
+) -> Result<(), BeansError>
+{
+    let install_state = helper::install_state(sourcemods_location.clone());
+    if install_state != InstallType::Adastral
+    {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+    match get_mod_location(sourcemods_location)
+    {
+        Some(smp_x) =>
+        {
+            // TODO generate BeansError instead of using panic
+            let location = format!("{}.adastral", smp_x);
+            let file = match helper::file_exists(location.clone())
+            {
+                false => match File::create(&location)
+                {
+                    Ok(v) => v,
+                    Err(e) =>
+                    {
+                        return Err(BeansError::VersionFileWriteFailure {
+                            location: location.clone(),
+                            error: e
+                        });
+                    }
+                },
+                true => match File::open(&location)
+                {
+                    Ok(v) => v,
+                    Err(e) =>
+                    {
+                        return Err(BeansError::VersionFileOpenFailure {
+                            location: location.clone(),
+                            error: e
+                        });
+                    }
+                }
+            };
+            let data = AdastralVersionFile {
+                version: format!("{new_version}")
+            };
+            debug!("[set_current_version] location: {location:}, content: {data:?}");
+            let mut writer = BufWriter::new(file);
+            match serde_json::to_writer(&mut writer, &data)
+            {
+                Ok(_) => Ok(()),
+                Err(e) => Err(BeansError::VersionFileSerializeFailure {
+                    location: location.clone(),
+                    instance: data.clone(),
+                    error: e
+                })
+            }
+        }
+        None => Ok(()) // silently fail
+    }
+}
+
 fn get_version_location(sourcemods_location: Option<String>) -> Option<String>
 {
     get_mod_location(sourcemods_location).map(|v| format!("{}.adastral", v))
diff --git a/src/workflows/update.rs b/src/workflows/update.rs
index d22be92..2ed7c83 100644
--- a/src/workflows/update.rs
+++ b/src/workflows/update.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ use crate::{BeansError,
             RunnerContext,
             appvar::AppVarData,
             butler,
-            helper};
+            helper,
+            version};
 
 pub struct UpdateWorkflow
 {
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ impl UpdateWorkflow
         };
 
         let remote_version = ctx.current_remote_version()?;
+        let (remote_version_ident, _) = ctx.latest_remote_version();
 
         ctx.prepare_symlink()?;
         let patch = match ctx.has_patch_available()
@@ -112,6 +114,9 @@ impl UpdateWorkflow
             return Err(e);
         }
 
+        info!("[UpdateWorkflow] Updating version file (.adastral)");
+        version::set_current_version(Some(ctx.sourcemod_path.clone()), remote_version_ident)?;
+
         ctx.gameinfo_perms()?;
 
         Self::post_update_msg();