diff --git a/doc/classes/EditorSettings.xml b/doc/classes/EditorSettings.xml
index fc68dd0223..6721f6e0e4 100644
--- a/doc/classes/EditorSettings.xml
+++ b/doc/classes/EditorSettings.xml
@@ -1253,8 +1253,9 @@
 		<member name="network/connection/check_for_updates" type="int" setter="" getter="">
 			Specifies how the engine should check for updates.
 			- [b]Disable Update Checks[/b] will block the engine from checking updates (see also [member network/connection/network_mode]).
-			- [b]Check Newest Preview[/b] (default for preview versions) will check for the newest available development snapshot.
-			- [b]Check Newest Stable[/b] (default for stable versions) will check for the newest available stable version.
+			- [b]Auto[/b] (default) will check for newest stable or unstable version, depending on which version are you currently using. Switch to another option if you want to lock in.
+			- [b]Check Newest Preview[/b] will check for the newest available development snapshot.
+			- [b]Check Newest Stable[/b] will check for the newest available stable version.
 			- [b]Check Newest Patch[/b] will check for the latest available stable version, but only within the same minor version. E.g. if your version is [code]4.3.stable[/code], you will be notified about [code]4.3.1.stable[/code], but not [code]4.4.stable[/code].
 			All update modes will ignore builds with different major versions (e.g. Godot 4 -&gt; Godot 5).
 		</member>
diff --git a/editor/project_manager/engine_update_label.cpp b/editor/project_manager/engine_update_label.cpp
index f4d4cf0e98..035535e971 100644
--- a/editor/project_manager/engine_update_label.cpp
+++ b/editor/project_manager/engine_update_label.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "engine_update_label.h"
 
 #include "core/io/json.h"
+#include "core/version.h"
 #include "editor/editor_string_names.h"
 #include "editor/settings/editor_settings.h"
 #include "scene/main/http_request.h"
@@ -79,14 +80,16 @@ void EngineUpdateLabel::_http_request_completed(int p_result, int p_response_cod
 	}
 
 	UpdateMode update_mode = UpdateMode(int(EDITOR_GET("network/connection/check_for_updates")));
+	if (update_mode == UpdateMode::AUTO) {
+		if (_get_version_type(GODOT_VERSION_STATUS) == VersionType::STABLE) {
+			update_mode = UpdateMode::NEWEST_STABLE;
+		} else {
+			update_mode = UpdateMode::NEWEST_UNSTABLE;
+		}
+	}
 	bool stable_only = update_mode == UpdateMode::NEWEST_STABLE || update_mode == UpdateMode::NEWEST_PATCH;
 
-	const Dictionary current_version_info = Engine::get_singleton()->get_version_info();
-	int current_major = current_version_info.get("major", 0);
-	int current_minor = current_version_info.get("minor", 0);
-	int current_patch = current_version_info.get("patch", 0);
 	available_newer_version = String();
-
 	for (const Variant &data_bit : version_array) {
 		const Dictionary version_info = data_bit;
 
@@ -98,7 +101,7 @@ void EngineUpdateLabel::_http_request_completed(int p_result, int p_response_cod
 		}
 
 		int minor = version_bits[1].to_int();
-		if (version_bits[0].to_int() != current_major || minor < current_minor) {
+		if (version_bits[0].to_int() != GODOT_VERSION_MAJOR || minor < GODOT_VERSION_MINOR) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
@@ -107,11 +110,11 @@ void EngineUpdateLabel::_http_request_completed(int p_result, int p_response_cod
 			patch = version_bits[2].to_int();
 		}
 
-		if (minor == current_minor && patch < current_patch) {
+		if (minor == GODOT_VERSION_MINOR && patch < GODOT_VERSION_PATCH) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (update_mode == UpdateMode::NEWEST_PATCH && minor > current_minor) {
+		if (update_mode == UpdateMode::NEWEST_PATCH && minor > GODOT_VERSION_MINOR) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
@@ -126,7 +129,7 @@ void EngineUpdateLabel::_http_request_completed(int p_result, int p_response_cod
 		int release_index;
 		VersionType release_type = _get_version_type(release_string, &release_index);
 
-		if (minor > current_minor || patch > current_patch) {
+		if (minor > GODOT_VERSION_MINOR || patch > GODOT_VERSION_PATCH) {
 			if (stable_only && release_type != VersionType::STABLE) {
 				continue;
 			}
@@ -136,7 +139,7 @@ void EngineUpdateLabel::_http_request_completed(int p_result, int p_response_cod
 		}
 
 		int current_version_index;
-		VersionType current_version_type = _get_version_type(current_version_info.get("status", "unknown"), &current_version_index);
+		VersionType current_version_type = _get_version_type(GODOT_VERSION_STATUS, &current_version_index);
 
 		if (int(release_type) > int(current_version_type)) {
 			break;
diff --git a/editor/project_manager/engine_update_label.h b/editor/project_manager/engine_update_label.h
index a424064eda..57a2025098 100644
--- a/editor/project_manager/engine_update_label.h
+++ b/editor/project_manager/engine_update_label.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class EngineUpdateLabel : public LinkButton {
 public:
 	enum class UpdateMode {
 		DISABLED,
+		AUTO,
 		NEWEST_UNSTABLE,
 		NEWEST_STABLE,
 		NEWEST_PATCH,
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ private:
 	void _set_message(const String &p_message, const Color &p_color);
 	void _set_status(UpdateStatus p_status);
 
-	VersionType _get_version_type(const String &p_string, int *r_index) const;
+	VersionType _get_version_type(const String &p_string, int *r_index = nullptr) const;
 	String _extract_sub_string(const String &p_line) const;
 
 protected:
diff --git a/editor/settings/editor_settings.cpp b/editor/settings/editor_settings.cpp
index f747bd757f..be11a88c22 100644
--- a/editor/settings/editor_settings.cpp
+++ b/editor/settings/editor_settings.cpp
@@ -480,11 +480,8 @@ void EditorSettings::_load_defaults(Ref<ConfigFile> p_extra_config) {
 	EDITOR_SETTING(Variant::INT, PROPERTY_HINT_ENUM, "interface/editor/project_manager_screen", EditorSettings::InitialScreen::INITIAL_SCREEN_PRIMARY, project_manager_screen_hints)
 
 	{
-		EngineUpdateLabel::UpdateMode default_update_mode = EngineUpdateLabel::UpdateMode::NEWEST_UNSTABLE;
-		if (String(GODOT_VERSION_STATUS) == String("stable")) {
-			default_update_mode = EngineUpdateLabel::UpdateMode::NEWEST_STABLE;
-		}
-		EDITOR_SETTING_BASIC(Variant::INT, PROPERTY_HINT_ENUM, "network/connection/check_for_updates", int(default_update_mode), "Disable Update Checks,Check Newest Preview,Check Newest Stable,Check Newest Patch"); // Uses EngineUpdateLabel::UpdateMode.
+		const String update_hint = vformat("Disable Update Checks,Auto (%s),Check Newest Preview,Check Newest Stable,Check Newest Patch", (str_compare(GODOT_VERSION_STATUS, "stable") == 0) ? "Stable" : "Preview");
+		EDITOR_SETTING_BASIC(Variant::INT, PROPERTY_HINT_ENUM, "network/connection/check_for_updates", EngineUpdateLabel::UpdateMode::AUTO, update_hint);
 	}
 
 	EDITOR_SETTING_USAGE(Variant::BOOL, PROPERTY_HINT_NONE, "interface/editor/use_embedded_menu", false, "", PROPERTY_USAGE_DEFAULT | PROPERTY_USAGE_EDITOR_BASIC_SETTING)