diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0791c05..5b22377 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 - improved test runner function
 - switch to using [tmux-test](https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tmux-test)
   framework
+- add `bin/update_plugins` cli executable script
 
 ### v2.0.0, 2015-07-07
 - enable overriding default key bindings
diff --git a/bin/update_plugins b/bin/update_plugins
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..30a5646
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/update_plugins
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Script intended for use via the command line.
+#
+# `.tmux.conf` needs to be set for TPM. Tmux has to be installed on the system,
+# but does not need to be started in order to run this script.
+
+CURRENT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+SCRIPTS_DIR="$CURRENT_DIR/../scripts"
+PROGRAM_NAME="$0"
+
+if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
+	echo "usage:"
+	echo "  $PROGRAM_NAME all                   update all plugins"
+	echo "  $PROGRAM_NAME tmux-foo              update plugin 'tmux-foo'"
+	echo "  $PROGRAM_NAME tmux-bar tmux-baz     update multiple plugins"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+main() {
+	"$SCRIPTS_DIR/update_plugin.sh" --shell-echo "$*" # has correct exit code
+}
+main "$*"
+
diff --git a/scripts/update_plugin_prompt.sh b/bindings/update_plugins
similarity index 77%
rename from scripts/update_plugin_prompt.sh
rename to bindings/update_plugins
index 4f26951..8626a73 100755
--- a/scripts/update_plugin_prompt.sh
+++ b/bindings/update_plugins
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# when invoked with `prefix + U` this script:
+# Tmux key-binding script.
+# Scripts intended to be used via the command line are in `bin/` directory.
+
+# This script:
 # - shows a list of installed plugins
 # - starts a prompt to enter the name of the plugin that will be updated
 
 CURRENT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+SCRIPTS_DIR="$CURRENT_DIR/../scripts"
 
-source "$CURRENT_DIR/shared_functions.sh"
+source "$SCRIPTS_DIR/shared_functions.sh"
 
 display_plugin_update_list() {
 	local plugins="$(shared_get_tpm_plugins_list)"
@@ -31,10 +35,9 @@ display_plugin_update_list() {
 update_plugin_prompt() {
 	tmux command-prompt -p 'plugin update:' " \
 		send-keys C-c; \
-		run-shell '$CURRENT_DIR/update_plugin.sh %1'"
+		run-shell '$SCRIPTS_DIR/update_plugin_prompt_handler.sh %1'"
 }
 
-
 main() {
 	reload_tmux_environment
 	shared_set_tpm_path_constant
diff --git a/scripts/update_plugin.sh b/scripts/update_plugin.sh
index 8504606..4a3f8c6 100755
--- a/scripts/update_plugin.sh
+++ b/scripts/update_plugin.sh
@@ -1,39 +1,58 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+# this script handles core logic of updating plugins
+
 CURRENT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 
 source "$CURRENT_DIR/shared_functions.sh"
 
-empty() {
-	[ -z "$1" ]
+TMUX_ECHO_FLAG="$1"
+shift
+
+# True if invoked as tmux mapping or tmux command,
+# false if invoked via command line wrapper from `bin/` directory.
+use_tmux_echo() {
+	[ "$TMUX_ECHO_FLAG" == "--tmux-echo" ]
 }
 
-if_all() {
-	[ "$1" == "all" ]
-}
+if use_tmux_echo; then
+	# use tmux specific echo-ing
+	echo_ok() {
+		echo_message "$*"
+	}
 
-cancel() {
-	exit 0
-}
+	echo_err() {
+		echo_message "$*"
+	}
+else
+	echo_ok() {
+		echo "$*"
+	}
+
+	echo_err() {
+		fail_helper "$*"
+	}
+fi
 
 pull_changes() {
 	local plugin="$1"
-	local plugin_path=$(shared_plugin_path "$plugin")
-	cd $plugin_path &&
+	local plugin_path="$(shared_plugin_path "$plugin")"
+	cd "$plugin_path" &&
 		GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 git pull &&
 		GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 git submodule update --init --recursive
 }
 
 update() {
 	local plugin="$1"
-	echo_message "Updating \"$plugin\""
+	echo_ok "Updating \"$plugin\""
 	$(pull_changes "$plugin" > /dev/null 2>&1) &&
-		echo_message "  \"$plugin\" update success" ||
-		echo_message "  \"$plugin\" update fail"
+		echo_ok "  \"$plugin\" update success" ||
+		echo_err "  \"$plugin\" update fail"
 }
 
-
 update_all() {
+	echo_ok "Updating all plugins!"
+	echo_ok ""
 	local plugins="$(shared_get_tpm_plugins_list)"
 	for plugin in $plugins; do
 		local plugin_name="$(shared_plugin_name "$plugin")"
@@ -44,31 +63,25 @@ update_all() {
 	done
 }
 
-handle_plugin_update() {
-	local arg="$1"
-
-	if empty "$arg"; then
-		cancel
-
-	elif if_all "$arg"; then
-		echo_message "Updating all plugins!"
-		echo_message ""
-		update_all
-
-	elif plugin_already_installed "$arg"; then
-		update "$arg"
-
-	else
-		display_message "It seems this plugin is not installed: $arg"
-		cancel
-	fi
+update_plugins() {
+	local plugins="$*"
+	for plugin in $plugins; do
+		local plugin_name="$(shared_plugin_name "$plugin")"
+		if plugin_already_installed "$plugin_name"; then
+			update "$plugin_name"
+		else
+			echo_err "$plugin_name not installed!"
+		fi
+	done
 }
 
 main() {
-	local arg="$1"
 	shared_set_tpm_path_constant
-	handle_plugin_update "$arg"
-	reload_tmux_environment
-	end_message
+	if [ "$1" == "all" ]; then
+		update_all
+	else
+		update_plugins "$*"
+	fi
+	exit_value_helper
 }
-main "$1"
+main "$*"
diff --git a/scripts/update_plugin_prompt_handler.sh b/scripts/update_plugin_prompt_handler.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9a7dc10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/update_plugin_prompt_handler.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+CURRENT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+
+if [ $# -eq 0]; then
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+source "$CURRENT_DIR/shared_functions.sh"
+
+main() {
+	"$CURRENT_DIR/update_plugin.sh" --tmux-echo "$*"
+	reload_tmux_environment
+	end_message
+}
+main "$*"
diff --git a/tests/helpers/tpm.sh b/tests/helpers/tpm.sh
index ecf29e7..436330e 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/tpm.sh
+++ b/tests/helpers/tpm.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ script_run_helper() {
 	local script="$1"
 	local expected_output="$2"
 	local expected_exit_code="${3:-0}"
-	"$script" |
+	$script |
 		grep "$expected_output" >/dev/null 2>&1 && # grep -q flag quits the script early
 		[ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" -eq "$expected_exit_code" ]
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_plugin_update.sh b/tests/test_plugin_update.sh
index ac3d67a..93fced6 100755
--- a/tests/test_plugin_update.sh
+++ b/tests/test_plugin_update.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ manually_install_the_plugin() {
 	git clone --quiet https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tmux-example-plugin
 }
 
-test_plugin_installation() {
+# TMUX KEY-BINDING TESTS
+
+test_plugin_installation_via_tmux_key_binding() {
 	set_tmux_conf_helper <<- HERE
 	set -g @plugin "tmux-plugins/tmux-example-plugin"
 	run-shell "$TPM_DIR/tpm"
@@ -21,12 +23,33 @@ test_plugin_installation() {
 
 	manually_install_the_plugin
 
-	# opens tmux and test it with `expect`
 	"$CURRENT_DIR/expect_successful_update_of_all_plugins" ||
-		fail_helper "Tmux 'update all plugins' fails"
+		fail_helper "[key-binding] 'update all plugins' fails"
 
 	"$CURRENT_DIR/expect_successful_update_of_a_single_plugin" ||
-		fail_helper "Tmux 'update single plugin' fails"
+		fail_helper "[key-binding] 'update single plugin' fails"
+
+	teardown_helper
+}
+
+# SCRIPT TESTS
+
+test_plugin_installation_via_script() {
+	set_tmux_conf_helper <<- HERE
+	set -g @plugin "tmux-plugins/tmux-example-plugin"
+	run-shell "$TPM_DIR/tpm"
+	HERE
+
+	manually_install_the_plugin
+
+	script_run_helper "$TPM_DIR/bin/update_plugins" 'usage' 1 ||
+		fail_helper "[script] running update plugins without args should fail"
+
+	script_run_helper "$TPM_DIR/bin/update_plugins tmux-example-plugin" '"tmux-example-plugin" update success' ||
+		fail_helper "[script] plugin update fails"
+
+	script_run_helper "$TPM_DIR/bin/update_plugins all" '"tmux-example-plugin" update success' ||
+		fail_helper "[script] update all plugins fails"
 
 	teardown_helper
 }
diff --git a/tpm b/tpm
index 2c77317..6887b94 100755
--- a/tpm
+++ b/tpm
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ set_tpm_key_bindings() {
 	tmux bind-key "$install_key" run-shell "$BINDINGS_DIR/install_plugins"
 
 	local update_key=$(get_tmux_option "$update_key_option" "$default_update_key")
-	tmux bind-key "$update_key" run-shell "$SCRIPTS_DIR/update_plugin_prompt.sh"
+	tmux bind-key "$update_key" run-shell "$BINDINGS_DIR/update_plugins"
 
 	local clean_key=$(get_tmux_option "$clean_key_option" "$default_clean_key")
 	tmux bind-key "$clean_key" run-shell "$SCRIPTS_DIR/clean_plugins.sh"