diff --git a/docs/CONFIGURATION.md b/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
index f857afc..f0c0e8b 100644
--- a/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
+++ b/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ journalctl -u pulse-update
 ### Configuration
 Set `autoUpdateEnabled: true` in system.json or toggle in Settings UI.
 
-**Note**: Docker installations do not support automatic updates (use Docker's update mechanisms instead).
+**Note**: Docker installations do not support automatic updates (use Docker's update mechanisms instead). Operational procedures live in [operations/auto-update.md](operations/auto-update.md).
 
 ### Update Backups & History (v4.24.0+)
 
diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
index 1191437..7710d67 100644
--- a/docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/README.md
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ section groups related guides so you can jump straight to the material you need.
 
 - [operations/audit-log-rotation.md](operations/audit-log-rotation.md) – Rotate sensor proxy audit logs safely.
 - [operations/ADAPTIVE_POLLING_ROLLOUT.md](operations/ADAPTIVE_POLLING_ROLLOUT.md) – Step-by-step adaptive polling rollout guide.
+- [operations/auto-update.md](operations/auto-update.md) – Manage the automatic update timer/service.
 
 ## Reference
 
diff --git a/docs/operations/auto-update.md b/docs/operations/auto-update.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6055ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/operations/auto-update.md
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+# Pulse Automatic Update Runbook
+
+Automatic updates are handled by three systemd units that live on host-mode
+installations:
+
+| Component | Purpose | File |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `pulse-update.timer` | Schedules daily checks (02:00 + 0‑4 h jitter) | `/etc/systemd/system/pulse-update.timer` |
+| `pulse-update.service` | Runs a single update cycle when triggered | `/etc/systemd/system/pulse-update.service` |
+| `scripts/pulse-auto-update.sh` | Fetches release metadata, downloads binaries, restarts Pulse | `/opt/pulse/scripts/pulse-auto-update.sh` |
+
+> Docker and Kubernetes deployments do **not** use this flow—manage upgrades via
+> your orchestrator.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- `autoUpdateEnabled` must be `true` in `/var/lib/pulse/system.json` (or toggled in
+  **Settings → System → Updates → Automatic Updates**).
+- `pulse.service` must be healthy—the update service short-circuits if Pulse is
+  not running.
+- Host needs outbound HTTPS access to `github.com` and `objects.githubusercontent.com`.
+
+## Enable or Disable
+
+### From the UI
+1. Navigate to **Settings → System → Updates**.
+2. Toggle **Automatic Updates** on. The backend persists `autoUpdateEnabled:true`
+   and surfaces a reminder to enable the timer.
+3. On the host, run:
+   ```bash
+   sudo systemctl enable --now pulse-update.timer
+   sudo systemctl status pulse-update.timer --no-pager
+   ```
+4. To disable later, toggle the UI switch off **and** run
+   `sudo systemctl disable --now pulse-update.timer`.
+
+### From the CLI only
+```bash
+# Opt in
+sudo jq '.autoUpdateEnabled=true' /var/lib/pulse/system.json | sudo tee /var/lib/pulse/system.json >/dev/null
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl enable --now pulse-update.timer
+
+# Opt out
+sudo jq '.autoUpdateEnabled=false' /var/lib/pulse/system.json | sudo tee /var/lib/pulse/system.json >/dev/null
+sudo systemctl disable --now pulse-update.timer
+```
+> Editing `system.json` while Pulse is running is safe, but prefer the UI so
+> validation rules stay in place.
+
+## Trigger a Manual Run
+
+Use this when testing new releases or after changing firewall rules:
+
+```bash
+sudo systemctl start pulse-update.service
+sudo journalctl -u pulse-update -n 50
+```
+
+The oneshot service exits when the script finishes. A successful run logs the new
+version and writes an entry to `update-history.jsonl`.
+
+## Observability Checklist
+
+- **Timer status**: `systemctl list-timers pulse-update`
+- **History API**: `curl -s http://localhost:7655/api/updates/history | jq '.entries[0]'`
+- **Raw log**: `/var/log/pulse/update-*.log` (referenced inside the history entry’s
+  `log_path` field)
+- **Journal**: `journalctl -u pulse-update -f`
+- **Backups**: The script records `backup_path` in history (defaults to
+  `/etc/pulse.backup.<timestamp>`). Ensure the path exists before acknowledging
+  the rollout.
+
+## Failure Handling & Rollback
+
+1. Inspect the failing history entry:
+   ```bash
+   curl -s http://localhost:7655/api/updates/history?limit=1 | jq '.entries[0]'
+   ```
+   Common statuses: `failed`, `rolled_back`, `succeeded`.
+2. Review `/var/log/pulse/update-YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.log` for the stack trace.
+3. To revert, redeploy the previous release:
+   ```bash
+   sudo /opt/pulse/install.sh --version v4.30.0
+   ```
+   or use the main installer command from the update history output. The installer
+   restores the `backup_path` recorded earlier when you choose **Rollback** in the
+   UI.
+4. Confirm Pulse is healthy (`systemctl status pulse.service`) and that
+   `/api/updates/history` now contains a `rolled_back` entry referencing the same
+   `event_id`.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+| Symptom | Resolution |
+| --- | --- |
+| `Auto-updates disabled in configuration` in journal | Set `autoUpdateEnabled:true` (UI or edit `system.json`) and restart the timer. |
+| `pulse-update.timer` immediately exits | Ensure `systemd` knows about the units (`sudo systemctl daemon-reload`) and that `pulse.service` exists (installer may not have run with `--enable-auto-updates`). |
+| `github.com` errors / rate limit | The script retries via the release redirect. For proxied environments set `https_proxy` before the service runs. |
+| Update succeeds but Pulse stays on previous version | Check `journalctl -u pulse-update` for `restart failed`; Pulse only switches after the service restarts successfully. |
+| Timer enabled but no history entries | Verify time has passed since enablement (timer includes random delay) or start the service manually to seed the first run. |
+
+Document each run (success or rollback) in your change journal with the
+`event_id` from `/api/updates/history` so you can cross-reference audit trails.