./bitwarden.sh update -> Update not needed

[olluz]

Self-host installation scripts issue

• I understand this repository only tracks self-host installation scripts and any other issues should be reported in bitwarden/server

Steps To Reproduce

./bitwarden.sh update

Expected Result

Bitwarden is updated.

Actual Result

"Update not needed."

Screenshots or Videos

bitwarden@bitwarden:/opt/bitwarden$ ./bitwarden.sh update

---

| |__ () |__ ____ _ _ __ _| | ___ _ __
| ' | | \ \ /\ / / | '__/ _ |/ _ \ '
| |) | | | \ V V / (| | | | (| | / | | |
|_./||_| _/_/ _,|| _,_|_|| ||

Open source password management solutions
Copyright 2015-2025, Bitwarden, Inc.
https://bitwarden.com, https://github.com/bitwarden

===================================================

bitwarden.sh version 2025.9.0
Docker version 29.0.2, build 8108357
Docker Compose version v2.40.3

Update not needed
bitwarden@bitwarden:/opt/bitwarden$ curl -Lso bitwarden.sh "https://func.bitwarden.com/api/dl/?app=self-host&platform=linux" && chmod 700 bitwarden.sh
bitwarden@bitwarden:/opt/bitwarden$ ./bitwarden.sh update

---

| |__ () |__ ____ _ _ __ _| | ___ _ __
| ' | | \ \ /\ / / | '__/ _ |/ _ \ '
| |) | | | \ V V / (| | | | (| | / | | |
|_./||_| _/_/ _,|| _,_|_|| ||

Open source password management solutions
Copyright 2015-2025, Bitwarden, Inc.
https://bitwarden.com, https://github.com/bitwarden

===================================================

bitwarden.sh version 2025.11.0
Docker version 29.0.2, build 8108357
Docker Compose version v2.40.3

Additional Context

I'm surprised that the "update" is actually not updating. Only if I download a newer version of the script.
Is that the intended behaviour ?
I would expect the script to check if there is an updated version available online and then act accordingly.
If you really want to handle it in this way you should cover this in your documentation.

Build Version

2025.9.0

Environment

Self-Hosted

Environment Details

irrelevant

Issue Tracking Info

• I understand that work is tracked outside of Github. A PR will be linked to this issue should one be opened to address it, but Bitwarden doesn't use fields like "assigned", "milestone", or "project" to track progress.

[bitwarden-bot]

Thank you for reporting this issue! We've added this to our internal tracking system.
ID: PM-28661
Link (for internal use): https://bitwarden.atlassian.net/browse/PM-28661

[rmcdowell-bitwarden]

Hi there,

I am unable to reproduce this issue, it has been escalated for further investigation. If you have more information that can help us, please add it below.

Thanks!

[Jniklas2]

@olluz since the versions are hardcoded into the script (look here: https://github.com/bitwarden/self-host/blob/main/bitwarden.sh#L67-L70) it's required to update update the script before it can update the instance. And bitwarden tests new versions of the server and the webclient internally, before allowing self-hosted instances to update.

Also the bitwarden docs say, you should first run ./bitwarden.sh updateself and then ./bitwarden.sh update (here: https://bitwarden.com/help/updating-on-premise/). There they also write, that the self-hosted instances may lag a little bit behind cloud instances.