diff --git a/src/stage2/40_zimfw_version_check.zsh.erb b/src/stage2/40_zimfw_version_check.zsh.erb
index 97c3136..b7aa8af 100644
--- a/src/stage2/40_zimfw_version_check.zsh.erb
+++ b/src/stage2/40_zimfw_version_check.zsh.erb
@@ -1,18 +1,16 @@
 _zimfw_version_check() {
-  if (( _zprintlevel > 0 )); then
-    local -r ztarget=${ZIM_HOME}/.latest_version
-    # If .latest_version does not exist or was not modified in the last 30 days
-    if [[ -w ${ztarget:h} && ! -f ${ztarget}(#qNm-30) ]]; then
-      # Get latest version (get all `v*` tags from repo, delete `*v` from beginning,
-      # sort in descending `O`rder `n`umerically, and get the `[1]` first)
-      print -R ${${(On)${(f)"$(command git ls-remote --tags --refs \
-          https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw.git 'v*' 2>/dev/null)"}##*v}[1]} >! ${ztarget} &!
-    fi
-    if [[ -f ${ztarget} ]]; then
-      local -r zlatest_version=$(<${ztarget})
-      if [[ -n ${zlatest_version} && ${_zversion} != ${zlatest_version} ]]; then
-        print -u2 -PlR "%F{yellow}Latest zimfw version is %B${zlatest_version}%b. You're using version %B${_zversion}%b. Run %Bzimfw upgrade%b to upgrade.%f" ''
-      fi
+  if [[ ${1} -ne 0 || ! -f ${_zversion_target} ]]; then
+    # Get latest version (get all `v*` tags from repo, delete `*v` from beginning,
+    # sort in descending `O`rder `n`umerically, and get the `[1]` first)
+    local tags
+    tags=$(command git ls-remote --tags --refs https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw.git 'v*') || return 1
+    >! ${_zversion_target} <<<${${(On)${(f)tags}##*v}[1]} || return 1
+  fi
+  local -r zlatest_version=$(<${_zversion_target})
+  if [[ -n ${zlatest_version} && ${_zversion} != ${zlatest_version} ]]; then
+    if (( _zprintlevel > 0 )); then
+      print -u2 -PR "%F{yellow}Latest zimfw version is %B${zlatest_version}%b. You're using version %B${_zversion}%b. Run %Bzimfw upgrade%b to upgrade.%f"
     fi
+    return 1
   fi
 }
diff --git a/src/stage2/80_zimfw.zsh.erb b/src/stage2/80_zimfw.zsh.erb
index f36a008..b114ed5 100644
--- a/src/stage2/80_zimfw.zsh.erb
+++ b/src/stage2/80_zimfw.zsh.erb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 zimfw() {
   builtin emulate -L zsh -o EXTENDED_GLOB
-  local -r _zversion='<%= version %>' zusage="Usage: %B${0}%b <action> [%B-q%b|%B-v%b]
+  local -r _zversion='<%= version %>' _zversion_target=${ZIM_HOME}/.latest_version zusage="Usage: %B${0}%b <action> [%B-q%b|%B-v%b]
 
 Actions:
   %Bbuild%b           Build %B${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh%b and %B${ZIM_HOME}/login_init.zsh%b.
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Actions:
                   output, any on-pull output and skipped modules.
   %Bupgrade%b         Upgrade zimfw. Also does %Bcompile%b. Use %B-v%b to also see its output.
   %Bversion%b         Print zimfw version.
+  %Bversion-check%b   Check if a new version of zimfw is available.
 
 Options:
   %B-q%b              Quiet (yes to prompts and only outputs errors)
@@ -43,8 +44,11 @@ Options:
     esac
   fi
 
-  if ! zstyle -t ':zim' disable-version-check; then
-    _zimfw_version_check
+  if ! zstyle -t ':zim' disable-version-check && [[ ${1} != version-check ]]; then
+    # If .latest_version does not exist or was not modified in the last 30 days
+    [[ -f ${_zversion_target}(#qNm-30) ]]; local -r zversion_check_force=${?}
+    _zimfw_version_check ${zversion_check_force}
+    print
   fi
 
   local _zrestartmsg=' Restart your terminal for changes to take effect.'
@@ -85,6 +89,7 @@ Options:
       _zimfw_source_zimrc 2 && _zimfw_compile
       ;;
     version) print -PR ${_zversion} ;;
+    version-check) _zimfw_version_check 1 ;;
     *)
       print -u2 -PlR "%F{red}${0}: Unknown action ${1}%f" '' ${zusage}
       return 2
diff --git a/src/zimfw.zsh.erb b/src/zimfw.zsh.erb
index b6ff0ae..c38ff9c 100644
--- a/src/zimfw.zsh.erb
+++ b/src/zimfw.zsh.erb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ class Zim
       :clear_line, :ellipsis, :okay, :warn, :error, :done, :failed
 
   def initialize
-    @version = "1.11.3"
+    @version = "1.12.0-SNAPSHOT"
     @home = "${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}"
     @min_zsh_version = "5.2"
     # Matches {ssh,http,https,git}://{user@,}host/org/repo and {user@,}host:org/repo
diff --git a/zimfw.zsh b/zimfw.zsh
index 2fe7cfd..d489e01 100644
--- a/zimfw.zsh
+++ b/zimfw.zsh
@@ -383,21 +383,19 @@ _zimfw_list_unuseds() {
 }
 
 _zimfw_version_check() {
-  if (( _zprintlevel > 0 )); then
-    local -r ztarget=${ZIM_HOME}/.latest_version
-    # If .latest_version does not exist or was not modified in the last 30 days
-    if [[ -w ${ztarget:h} && ! -f ${ztarget}(#qNm-30) ]]; then
-      # Get latest version (get all `v*` tags from repo, delete `*v` from beginning,
-      # sort in descending `O`rder `n`umerically, and get the `[1]` first)
-      print -R ${${(On)${(f)"$(command git ls-remote --tags --refs \
-          https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw.git 'v*' 2>/dev/null)"}##*v}[1]} >! ${ztarget} &!
-    fi
-    if [[ -f ${ztarget} ]]; then
-      local -r zlatest_version=$(<${ztarget})
-      if [[ -n ${zlatest_version} && ${_zversion} != ${zlatest_version} ]]; then
-        print -u2 -PlR "%F{yellow}Latest zimfw version is %B${zlatest_version}%b. You're using version %B${_zversion}%b. Run %Bzimfw upgrade%b to upgrade.%f" ''
-      fi
+  if [[ ${1} -ne 0 || ! -f ${_zversion_target} ]]; then
+    # Get latest version (get all `v*` tags from repo, delete `*v` from beginning,
+    # sort in descending `O`rder `n`umerically, and get the `[1]` first)
+    local tags
+    tags=$(command git ls-remote --tags --refs https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw.git 'v*') || return 1
+    >! ${_zversion_target} <<<${${(On)${(f)tags}##*v}[1]} || return 1
+  fi
+  local -r zlatest_version=$(<${_zversion_target})
+  if [[ -n ${zlatest_version} && ${_zversion} != ${zlatest_version} ]]; then
+    if (( _zprintlevel > 0 )); then
+      print -u2 -PR "%F{yellow}Latest zimfw version is %B${zlatest_version}%b. You're using version %B${_zversion}%b. Run %Bzimfw upgrade%b to upgrade.%f"
     fi
+    return 1
   fi
 }
 
@@ -436,7 +434,7 @@ _zimfw_compile() {
 }
 
 _zimfw_info() {
-  print -R 'zimfw version:        '${_zversion}' (built at 2023-02-26 00:43:41 UTC, previous commit is 6a24459)'
+  print -R 'zimfw version:        '${_zversion}' (built at 2023-03-23 22:29:09 UTC, previous commit is 222c971)'
   print -R 'OSTYPE:               '${OSTYPE}
   print -R 'TERM:                 '${TERM}
   print -R 'TERM_PROGRAM:         '${TERM_PROGRAM}
@@ -823,7 +821,7 @@ esac
 
 zimfw() {
   builtin emulate -L zsh -o EXTENDED_GLOB
-  local -r _zversion='1.11.3' zusage="Usage: %B${0}%b <action> [%B-q%b|%B-v%b]
+  local -r _zversion='1.12.0-SNAPSHOT' _zversion_target=${ZIM_HOME}/.latest_version zusage="Usage: %B${0}%b <action> [%B-q%b|%B-v%b]
 
 Actions:
   %Bbuild%b           Build %B${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh%b and %B${ZIM_HOME}/login_init.zsh%b.
@@ -844,6 +842,7 @@ Actions:
                   output, any on-pull output and skipped modules.
   %Bupgrade%b         Upgrade zimfw. Also does %Bcompile%b. Use %B-v%b to also see its output.
   %Bversion%b         Print zimfw version.
+  %Bversion-check%b   Check if a new version of zimfw is available.
 
 Options:
   %B-q%b              Quiet (yes to prompts and only outputs errors)
@@ -866,8 +865,11 @@ Options:
     esac
   fi
 
-  if ! zstyle -t ':zim' disable-version-check; then
-    _zimfw_version_check
+  if ! zstyle -t ':zim' disable-version-check && [[ ${1} != version-check ]]; then
+    # If .latest_version does not exist or was not modified in the last 30 days
+    [[ -f ${_zversion_target}(#qNm-30) ]]; local -r zversion_check_force=${?}
+    _zimfw_version_check ${zversion_check_force}
+    print
   fi
 
   local _zrestartmsg=' Restart your terminal for changes to take effect.'
@@ -908,6 +910,7 @@ Options:
       _zimfw_source_zimrc 2 && _zimfw_compile
       ;;
     version) print -PR ${_zversion} ;;
+    version-check) _zimfw_version_check 1 ;;
     *)
       print -u2 -PlR "%F{red}${0}: Unknown action ${1}%f" '' ${zusage}
       return 2