diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 9e6ba66..2d8f91a 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## Pending
 
+### Fixes
+
+- Prevent startup update checks from crashing when installed package metadata is incomplete.
+
 
 ## 2026-05-10 - 2.16.0
 
diff --git a/ts/gitzone.cli.ts b/ts/gitzone.cli.ts
index 7b00379..d6fa53b 100644
--- a/ts/gitzone.cli.ts
+++ b/ts/gitzone.cli.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as plugins from "./plugins.js";
 import * as paths from "./paths.js";
 import { GitzoneConfig } from "./classes.gitzoneconfig.js";
 import { getRawCliMode } from "./helpers.climode.js";
+import { commitinfo } from "./00_commitinfo_data.js";
 
 const gitzoneSmartcli = new plugins.smartcli.Smartcli();
 
@@ -11,20 +12,29 @@ export let run = async () => {
 
   // get packageInfo
   const projectInfo = new plugins.projectinfo.ProjectInfo(paths.packageDir);
+  const projectInfoVersion = (projectInfo.npm as any)?.version;
+  const packageVersion =
+    typeof projectInfoVersion === "string" && projectInfoVersion.length > 0
+      ? projectInfoVersion
+      : commitinfo.version;
 
   // check for updates
   if (rawCliMode.checkUpdates) {
     const smartupdateInstance = new plugins.smartupdate.SmartUpdate();
-    await smartupdateInstance.check(
-      "gitzone",
-      projectInfo.npm.version,
-      "http://gitzone.gitlab.io/gitzone/changelog.html",
-    );
+    try {
+      await smartupdateInstance.check(
+        "gitzone",
+        packageVersion,
+        "http://gitzone.gitlab.io/gitzone/changelog.html",
+      );
+    } catch {
+      // Update checks must never block actual CLI commands.
+    }
   }
   if (rawCliMode.output === "human") {
     console.log("---------------------------------------------");
   }
-  gitzoneSmartcli.addVersion(projectInfo.npm.version);
+  gitzoneSmartcli.addVersion(packageVersion);
 
   // ======> Standard task <======