diff --git a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/server/listener/NodeInitializerListener.java b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/server/listener/NodeInitializerListener.java
index ed45f43b..fe00fa95 100644
--- a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/server/listener/NodeInitializerListener.java
+++ b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/server/listener/NodeInitializerListener.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import bubble.service.device.DeviceService;
 import bubble.service.device.StandardFlexRouterService;
 import bubble.service.stream.AppDataCleaner;
 import bubble.service.stream.AppPrimerService;
+import bubble.service.upgrade.BubbleJarUpgradeService;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 import org.cobbzilla.util.io.FileUtil;
 import org.cobbzilla.wizard.server.RestServer;
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ public class NodeInitializerListener extends RestServerLifecycleListenerBase<Bub
                 c.getBean(StandardFlexRouterService.class).start();
                 c.getBean(DeviceService.class).initDeviceSecurityLevels();
                 c.getBean(AppDataCleaner.class).start();
+                c.getBean(BubbleJarUpgradeService.class).start();
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/upgrade/BubbleJarUpgradeService.java b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/upgrade/BubbleJarUpgradeService.java
index d34708a8..ccaf0112 100644
--- a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/upgrade/BubbleJarUpgradeService.java
+++ b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/upgrade/BubbleJarUpgradeService.java
@@ -4,49 +4,47 @@
  */
 package bubble.service.upgrade;
 
+import bubble.dao.account.AccountDAO;
 import bubble.dao.cloud.BubbleBackupDAO;
+import bubble.model.account.Account;
 import bubble.model.cloud.BackupStatus;
 import bubble.model.cloud.BubbleBackup;
 import bubble.model.cloud.BubbleVersionInfo;
-import bubble.notify.upgrade.JarUpgradeNotification;
 import bubble.server.BubbleConfiguration;
 import bubble.service.backup.BackupService;
 import bubble.service.boot.JarUpgradeMonitor;
 import bubble.service.boot.StandardSelfNodeService;
-import bubble.service.notify.NotificationService;
-import lombok.Cleanup;
 import lombok.Getter;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
-import org.cobbzilla.util.http.HttpUtil;
-import org.cobbzilla.util.io.FileUtil;
+import org.cobbzilla.util.daemon.SimpleDaemon;
 import org.cobbzilla.wizard.cache.redis.RedisService;
+import org.joda.time.DateTime;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
 
 import java.io.File;
-import java.io.InputStream;
 
-import static bubble.ApiConstants.*;
-import static bubble.model.cloud.notify.NotificationType.upgrade_request;
+import static bubble.ApiConstants.HOME_DIR;
 import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.MINUTES;
 import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS;
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.RandomStringUtils.randomAlphanumeric;
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.daemon.ZillaRuntime.now;
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.daemon.ZillaRuntime.shortError;
-import static org.cobbzilla.util.io.FileUtil.*;
+import static org.cobbzilla.util.io.FileUtil.abs;
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.system.Sleep.sleep;
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.time.TimeUtil.DATE_FORMAT_YYYY_MM_DD_HH_mm_ss_SSS;
 import static org.cobbzilla.wizard.cache.redis.RedisService.EX;
+import static org.cobbzilla.wizard.server.RestServerBase.reportError;
 
 @Service @Slf4j
-public class BubbleJarUpgradeService {
+public class BubbleJarUpgradeService extends SimpleDaemon {
 
     private static final long PRE_UPGRADE_BACKUP_TIMEOUT = MINUTES.toMillis(20);
 
     @Autowired private BubbleConfiguration configuration;
     @Autowired private BackupService backupService;
     @Autowired private BubbleBackupDAO backupDAO;
-    @Autowired private NotificationService notificationService;
+    @Autowired private AccountDAO accountDAO;
     @Autowired private RedisService redis;
     @Autowired private StandardSelfNodeService selfNodeService;
 
@@ -60,10 +58,32 @@ public class BubbleJarUpgradeService {
 
     public String getNodeForKey(String key) { return getNodeUpgradeRequests().get(key); }
 
+    @Getter private final long sleepTime = MINUTES.toMillis(59);
+
+    // todo: make this configurable
+    public static final int UPGRADE_HOUR_OF_DAY = 4;
+
+    @Override protected void process() {
+        final DateTime dateTime = new DateTime(now());
+        if (dateTime.hourOfDay().get() != UPGRADE_HOUR_OF_DAY) return;
+        final Account account = accountDAO.getFirstAdmin();
+        if (account == null) return;
+
+        if (account.getAutoUpdatePolicy().jarUpdates()) {
+            log.info("process: automatic-upgrading bubble jar...");
+            try {
+                upgrade();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                reportError("upgrade error: " + shortError(e), e);
+                log.error("process: upgrade error: " + shortError(e));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     // set to 'false' for faster debugging of upgrade process
     private static final boolean BACKUP_BEFORE_UPGRADE = true;
 
-    public void upgrade() {
+    public synchronized void upgrade() {
         if (!configuration.getJarUpgradeAvailable()) {
             log.warn("upgrade: No upgrade available, returning");
             return;