diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 864409c..2b64347 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2025-03-26 - 2.6.0 - feat(setup)
+Add --force update flag to setup script and update installation instructions
+
+- Implemented --force option in setup.sh to force-update Node.js binary and dependencies
+- Updated readme.md to document the --force flag and revised update steps
+- Modified ts/cli.ts update command to pass the --force flag to setup.sh
+
 ## 2025-03-26 - 2.5.2 - fix(installer)
 Improve Node.js binary detection, dependency management, and SNMPv3 fallback logic
 
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index bf99923..d43d9c1 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -227,8 +227,15 @@ sudo nupst update
 This will:
 1. Pull the latest changes from the git repository
 2. Run the installation scripts
-3. Refresh the systemd service configuration
-4. Restart the service if it was running
+3. Force-update Node.js and all dependencies, even if they already exist
+4. Refresh the systemd service configuration
+5. Restart the service if it was running
+
+You can also manually run the setup script with the force flag to update Node.js and dependencies without updating the application code:
+
+```bash
+bash setup.sh --force
+```
 
 ## Security
 
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index 70fb6b8..1bf1fc5 100644
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,22 @@
 
 # NUPST Setup Script
 # Downloads the appropriate Node.js binary for the current platform
+# and installs production dependencies
+
+# Parse command line arguments
+FORCE_UPDATE=0
+
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case $arg in
+    --force|-f)
+      FORCE_UPDATE=1
+      shift
+      ;;
+    *)
+      # Unknown option
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
 
 # Find the directory where this script is located
 SCRIPT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )"
@@ -74,8 +90,9 @@ case "$OS" in
 esac
 
 # Check if we already have the Node.js binary
-if [ -f "$SCRIPT_DIR/vendor/$NODE_DIR/bin/node" ]; then
+if [ -f "$SCRIPT_DIR/vendor/$NODE_DIR/bin/node" ] && [ $FORCE_UPDATE -eq 0 ]; then
   echo "Node.js binary already exists for $OS-$ARCH. Skipping download."
+  echo "Use --force or -f to force update Node.js."
 else
   echo "Downloading Node.js v$NODE_VERSION for $OS-$ARCH..."
   
diff --git a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
index dea7a37..f0b02c9 100644
--- a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
+++ b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@serve.zone/nupst',
-  version: '2.5.2',
+  version: '2.6.0',
   description: 'Node.js UPS Shutdown Tool for SNMP-enabled UPS devices'
 }
diff --git a/ts/cli.ts b/ts/cli.ts
index 9d051d3..48d13fc 100644
--- a/ts/cli.ts
+++ b/ts/cli.ts
@@ -418,9 +418,9 @@ Options:
         console.log('│ Running install.sh to update NUPST...');
         execSync(`cd ${installDir} && bash ./install.sh`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
         
-        // 3. Run the setup.sh script 
-        console.log('│ Running setup.sh to update dependencies...');
-        execSync(`cd ${installDir} && bash ./setup.sh`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+        // 3. Run the setup.sh script with force flag to update Node.js and dependencies
+        console.log('│ Running setup.sh to update Node.js and dependencies...');
+        execSync(`cd ${installDir} && bash ./setup.sh --force`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
         
         // 4. Refresh the systemd service
         console.log('│ Refreshing systemd service...');