diff --git a/app/Helpers/Update/UpdateTrait.php b/app/Helpers/Update/UpdateTrait.php
index 266db66e68..d4ea839c63 100644
--- a/app/Helpers/Update/UpdateTrait.php
+++ b/app/Helpers/Update/UpdateTrait.php
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ trait UpdateTrait
     /**
      * Parses the version check result in a human readable sentence.
      *
-     * @param int    $versionCheck
-     * @param string $version
+     * @param int   $versionCheck
+     * @param array $information
      *
      * @return string
      */
@@ -76,6 +76,16 @@ trait UpdateTrait
                     'date'         => $carbon->formatLocalized($monthAndDayFormat),
                 ]
             );
+            // append warning if beta or alpha.
+            $isBeta = $information['is_beta'] ?? false;
+            if (true === $isBeta) {
+                $return = sprintf('%s %s', $return, trans('firefly.update_version_beta'));
+            }
+
+            $isAlpha = $information['is_alpha'] ?? false;
+            if (true === $isAlpha) {
+                $return = sprintf('%s %s', $return, trans('firefly.update_version_alpha'));
+            }
         }
 
         if (0 === $versionCheck) {
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UpdateController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UpdateController.php
index 2006062fbb..ec2a0d7450 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UpdateController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UpdateController.php
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ class UpdateController extends Controller
         $latestRelease = '1.0';
         $resultString  = '';
         $versionCheck  = -2;
+        $channel       = app('fireflyconfig')->get('update_channel', 'stable')->data;
+
         try {
             $latestRelease = $this->getLatestRelease();
         } catch (FireflyException $e) {
@@ -143,6 +145,11 @@ class UpdateController extends Controller
         }
         app('fireflyconfig')->set('last_update_check', time());
 
-        return response()->json(['result' => $resultString]);
+        return response()->json(
+            [
+                'result'  => $resultString,
+                'channel' => $channel,
+            ]
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/Services/FireflyIIIOrg/Update/UpdateRequest.php b/app/Services/FireflyIIIOrg/Update/UpdateRequest.php
index c3101b985d..75e28e8cd9 100644
--- a/app/Services/FireflyIIIOrg/Update/UpdateRequest.php
+++ b/app/Services/FireflyIIIOrg/Update/UpdateRequest.php
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class UpdateRequest implements UpdateRequestInterface
      */
     public function getVersion(string $channel): array
     {
-        $uri = 'https://version.firefly-iii.org/index.json';
+        $uri = config('firefly.update_endpoint');
         Log::debug(sprintf('Going to call %s', $uri));
         try {
             $client = new Client();
diff --git a/app/Services/FireflyIIIOrg/Update/UpdateRequestInterface.php b/app/Services/FireflyIIIOrg/Update/UpdateRequestInterface.php
index ddd35cd3e9..5f18bc0836 100644
--- a/app/Services/FireflyIIIOrg/Update/UpdateRequestInterface.php
+++ b/app/Services/FireflyIIIOrg/Update/UpdateRequestInterface.php
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ interface UpdateRequestInterface
     /**
      * @param string $channel
      *
-     * @return string
+     * @return array
      * @throws FireflyException
      */
     public function getVersion(string $channel): array;
diff --git a/config/firefly.php b/config/firefly.php
index f0539ed78a..6584f95eaa 100644
--- a/config/firefly.php
+++ b/config/firefly.php
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ return [
     'disable_frame_header'         => env('DISABLE_FRAME_HEADER', false),
     'login_provider'               => envNonEmpty('LOGIN_PROVIDER', 'eloquent'),
     'cer_provider'                 => envNonEmpty('CER_PROVIDER', 'fixer'),
+    'update_endpoint'              => 'https://version.firefly-iii.org/index.json',
     'allowedMimes'                 => [
         /* plain files */
         'text/plain',
diff --git a/resources/lang/en_US/firefly.php b/resources/lang/en_US/firefly.php
index a8bb68791d..514a747afa 100644
--- a/resources/lang/en_US/firefly.php
+++ b/resources/lang/en_US/firefly.php
@@ -225,6 +225,8 @@ return [
     'admin_update_check_now_explain'             => 'If you press the button, Firefly III will see if your current version is the latest.',
     'check_for_updates_button'                   => 'Check now!',
     'update_new_version_alert'                   => 'A new version of Firefly III is available. You are running v:your_version, the latest version is v:new_version which was released on :date.',
+    'update_version_beta'                        => 'This version is a BETA version. You may run into issues.',
+    'update_version_alpha'                       => 'This version is a ALPHA version. You may run into issues.',
     'update_current_version_alert'               => 'You are running v:version, which is the latest available release.',
     'update_newer_version_alert'                 => 'You are running v:your_version, which is newer than the latest release, v:new_version.',
     'update_check_error'                         => 'An error occurred while checking for updates. Please view the log files.',