diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
index 839fe6ae4..c987db53b 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 ### Added
 
-- `pi update` now lists each updated package with its npm version or git commit change, for example `npm:foo 1.2.0 -> 1.3.0`, and prints `Packages are already up to date` when nothing changed. `PackageManager.update()` reports each changed package as a new `result` progress event whose `message` holds that line ([#11707](https://github.com/earendil-works/pi/pull/11707))
+- `pi update` now lists each updated package with its npm version or git commit change, for example `npm:foo 1.2.0 -> 1.3.0`, and prints `Packages are already up to date` when nothing changed. When nothing changed but an update printed a warning, for example because npm left the old version installed after resolving stale registry metadata, it prints `No packages were updated, see the warnings above` instead; in offline mode it prints `Skipped package updates (offline mode)`. `PackageManager.update()` reports each changed package as a new `result` progress event whose `message` holds that line ([#11707](https://github.com/earendil-works/pi/pull/11707), [#11711](https://github.com/earendil-works/pi/pull/11711))
 
 ## [1.5.0] - 2026-11-02
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/package-manager.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/package-manager.ts
index b83381a9e..5fd93754e 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/package-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/package-manager.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ const NETWORK_TIMEOUT_MS = 10000;
 const UPDATE_CHECK_CONCURRENCY = 4;
 const GIT_UPDATE_CONCURRENCY = 4;
 
-function isOfflineModeEnabled(): boolean {
+/** Whether PI_OFFLINE is set; package installs and updates then skip all network access. */
+export function isOfflineModeEnabled(): boolean {
 	const value = process.env.PI_OFFLINE;
 	if (!value) return false;
 	return value === "1" || value.toLowerCase() === "true" || value.toLowerCase() === "yes";
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/package-manager-cli.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/package-manager-cli.ts
index 911d0c84f..93a8fd4f8 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/package-manager-cli.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/package-manager-cli.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import {
 } from "./config.ts";
 import type { InlineExtension } from "./core/extensions/types.ts";
 import { ModelRuntime } from "./core/model-runtime.ts";
-import { DefaultPackageManager } from "./core/package-manager.ts";
+import { DefaultPackageManager, isOfflineModeEnabled } from "./core/package-manager.ts";
 import { type AppMode, resolveProjectTrusted } from "./core/project-trust.ts";
 import { DefaultResourceLoader, formatPackageInstallWarning, isBuiltinExtension } from "./core/resource-loader.ts";
 import { SettingsManager } from "./core/settings-manager.ts";
@@ -1029,12 +1029,15 @@ export async function handlePackageCommand(
 
 	// Update result events describe a changed package, e.g. "npm:foo 1.2.0 -> 1.3.0".
 	const updatedPackages: string[] = [];
+	// Progress messages are warnings, e.g. npm reinstalled the old version from stale registry metadata.
+	let warningCount = 0;
 	packageManager.setProgressCallback((event) => {
 		if (event.type === "result" && event.action === "update" && event.message) {
 			updatedPackages.push(event.message);
 		} else if (event.type === "start") {
 			process.stdout.write(chalk.dim(`${event.message}\n`));
 		} else if (event.type === "progress" && event.message) {
+			warningCount++;
 			process.stdout.write(chalk.yellow(`${event.message}\n`));
 		}
 	});
@@ -1103,7 +1106,18 @@ export async function handlePackageCommand(
 				if (updateTargetIncludesExtensions(target)) {
 					const updateSource = target.type === "extensions" ? target.source : undefined;
 					await packageManager.update(updateSource);
-					if (updatedPackages.length === 0) {
+					// Only claim "up to date" when the update actually checked and nothing warned.
+					if (isOfflineModeEnabled()) {
+						console.log(chalk.yellow("Skipped package updates (offline mode)"));
+					} else if (updatedPackages.length === 0 && warningCount > 0) {
+						console.log(
+							chalk.yellow(
+								updateSource
+									? `${updateSource} was not updated, see the warnings above`
+									: "No packages were updated, see the warnings above",
+							),
+						);
+					} else if (updatedPackages.length === 0) {
 						console.log(
 							chalk.green(
 								updateSource ? `${updateSource} is already up to date` : "Packages are already up to date",
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/package-command-paths.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/package-command-paths.test.ts
index a12acd856..711cf3f96 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/package-command-paths.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/package-command-paths.test.ts
@@ -369,6 +369,54 @@ if (process.platform !== "win32") fs.chmodSync(piPath, 0o755);
 		}
 	});
 
+	/** Install `npm:fake-package` at `installedVersion` with an npm whose registry reports `registryVersion`. */
+	function prepareStaleNpmPackage(installedVersion: string, registryVersion: string): void {
+		const installedPath = join(agentDir, "npm", "node_modules", "fake-package");
+		mkdirSync(installedPath, { recursive: true });
+		writeFileSync(
+			join(installedPath, "package.json"),
+			JSON.stringify({ name: "fake-package", version: installedVersion }),
+		);
+		// `npm view` reports the newer version, but `npm install` succeeds without changing anything.
+		const fakeNpmPath = join(tempDir, "fake-stale-npm.cjs");
+		writeFileSync(
+			fakeNpmPath,
+			`if (process.argv.includes("view")) console.log(${JSON.stringify(JSON.stringify(registryVersion))});`,
+		);
+		writeFileSync(
+			join(agentDir, "settings.json"),
+			JSON.stringify({ packages: ["npm:fake-package"], npmCommand: [originalExecPath, fakeNpmPath] }),
+		);
+	}
+
+	it("does not report packages as up to date when npm left an older version installed", async () => {
+		prepareStaleNpmPackage("1.2.0", "1.3.0");
+		const logSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
+		const stdoutSpy = vi.spyOn(process.stdout, "write").mockImplementation(() => true);
+
+		await expect(main(["update", "--extensions"])).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+
+		const progress = stdoutSpy.mock.calls.map(([chunk]) => String(chunk)).join("");
+		const stdout = logSpy.mock.calls.map(([message]) => String(message)).join("\n");
+		expect(progress).toContain("npm:fake-package is still 1.2.0 (registry reports 1.3.0)");
+		expect(stdout).toContain("No packages were updated, see the warnings above");
+		expect(stdout).not.toContain("up to date");
+	});
+
+	it("does not report packages as up to date in offline mode", async () => {
+		prepareStaleNpmPackage("1.2.0", "1.3.0");
+		// main() writes both variables in offline mode; stubbing them lets afterEach restore them.
+		vi.stubEnv("PI_OFFLINE", "1");
+		vi.stubEnv("PI_SKIP_VERSION_CHECK", "1");
+		const logSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+		await expect(main(["update", "--extensions"])).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+
+		const stdout = logSpy.mock.calls.map(([message]) => String(message)).join("\n");
+		expect(stdout).toContain("Skipped package updates (offline mode)");
+		expect(stdout).not.toContain("up to date");
+	});
+
 	it("uses saved project trust during update", async () => {
 		mkdirSync(join(projectDir, ".pi"), { recursive: true });
 		const fakeNpmPath = join(tempDir, "fake-trusted-project-npm.cjs");