diff --git a/src/Runner/Helpers/SettingsHelper.cs b/src/Runner/Helpers/SettingsHelper.cs
index 8a2094c403..2b5a20c579 100644
--- a/src/Runner/Helpers/SettingsHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Runner/Helpers/SettingsHelper.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ using System.Globalization;
 using System.IO;
 using System.IO.Pipelines;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Reflection;
 using System.Text.Json;
 using System.Text.Json.Nodes;
 using System.Threading;
@@ -125,7 +126,9 @@ namespace RunnerV2.Helpers
 
                                         break;
                                     case "check_for_updates":
-                                        UpdateSettingsHelper.TriggerUpdateCheck();
+                                        var version = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Version!;
+                                        var versionString = "v" + version.Major + "." + version.Minor + "." + version.Build;
+                                        UpdateSettingsHelper.TriggerUpdateCheck((version) => { PowerToys.Interop.Notifications.ShowUpdateAvailableNotification("PowerToys", "An update to PowerToys is available.\n" + versionString + " \u2192 " + version, "PTUpdateNotifyTag", "Update Now", "More info..."); });
                                         break;
                                     case "request_update_state_date":
                                         JsonObject response = [];
diff --git a/src/Runner/Program.cs b/src/Runner/Program.cs
index 968759e685..23aa722e15 100644
--- a/src/Runner/Program.cs
+++ b/src/Runner/Program.cs
@@ -52,8 +52,17 @@ internal sealed class Program
             case SpecialMode.CouldntToggleFileExplorerModulesNotification:
                 Environment.Exit(NotificationHelper.DisableToast(NotificationHelper.ToastType.CouldntToggleFileExplorerModules) ? 1 : 0);
                 return;
+            case SpecialMode.Win32ToastNotificationCOMServer:
+                PowerToys.Interop.Notifications.RunDesktopAppActivatorLoop();
+                return;
+            case SpecialMode.ReportSuccessfulUpdate:
+                PowerToys.Interop.Notifications.RemoveToastsByTag("PTUpdateNotifyTag");
+                PowerToys.Interop.Notifications.RemoveAllScheduledToasts();
+                PowerToys.Interop.Notifications.ShowToastWithActivation("PowerToys was updated successfully", "PowerToys", "PTUpdateNotifyTag");
+                return;
             default:
-                throw new NotImplementedException("Special modes are not implemented yet.");
+                Logger.LogError("Unexpected special mode detected");
+                return;
         }
 
         // If PowerToys restarted the old process may still be around
@@ -159,6 +168,16 @@ internal sealed class Program
     /// <returns>The <see cref="SpecialMode"/> the app should run in.</returns>
     private static SpecialMode ShouldRunInSpecialMode(string[] args)
     {
+        if (args.Contains("-ToastActivated"))
+        {
+            return SpecialMode.Win32ToastNotificationCOMServer;
+        }
+
+        if (args.Contains("-report_update_success"))
+        {
+            return SpecialMode.ReportSuccessfulUpdate;
+        }
+
         if (args.Length > 0 && args[0].StartsWith("powertoys://", StringComparison.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase))
         {
             Uri uri = new(args[0]);
diff --git a/src/Runner/Runner.cs b/src/Runner/Runner.cs
index eb2e0ee9c6..7d91f0b1fc 100644
--- a/src/Runner/Runner.cs
+++ b/src/Runner/Runner.cs
@@ -150,7 +150,14 @@ namespace RunnerV2
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                HandleMessage(msg.HWnd, msg.Message, (nint)msg.WParam, (nint)msg.LParam);
+                try
+                {
+                    HandleMessage(msg.HWnd, msg.Message, (nint)msg.WParam, (nint)msg.LParam);
+                }
+                catch (Exception e)
+                {
+                    Logger.LogError("Uncaught error in message handling: ", e);
+                }
             }
 
             Close();
diff --git a/src/Update/Program.cs b/src/Update/Program.cs
index deeb281c86..1c50d3349c 100644
--- a/src/Update/Program.cs
+++ b/src/Update/Program.cs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ internal sealed partial class Program
 
     private static async Task PerformUpdateNowStage1()
     {
-        UpdateSettingsHelper.TriggerUpdateCheck();
+        UpdateSettingsHelper.TriggerUpdateCheck((_) => { });
         UpdateSettingsHelper.UpdateInfo updateInfo = await UpdateSettingsHelper.GetUpdateAvailableInfo();
 
         if (updateInfo is not UpdateSettingsHelper.UpdateInfo.UpdateAvailable ua)
diff --git a/src/Update/UpdateSettingsHelper.cs b/src/Update/UpdateSettingsHelper.cs
index 3a2cb94092..ca81f2868a 100644
--- a/src/Update/UpdateSettingsHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Update/UpdateSettingsHelper.cs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ namespace Update
         private const string INSTALLERFILENAME = "powertoyssetup";
         private const string USERINSTALLERFILENAME = "powertoysusersetup";
 
-        public static void TriggerUpdateCheck()
+        public static void TriggerUpdateCheck(Action<string> doIfUpdateAvailable)
         {
             if (_updateThread is not null && _updateThread.IsAlive)
             {
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ namespace Update
                         break;
                     case UpdateInfo.UpdateAvailable ua:
                         ProcessUpdateAvailable(ua);
+                        doIfUpdateAvailable($"v{ua.AvailableVersion.Major}.{ua.AvailableVersion.Minor}.{ua.AvailableVersion.Build}");
                         break;
                     case UpdateInfo.NoUpdateAvailable:
                         ProcessNoUpdateAvailable();
@@ -86,11 +87,11 @@ namespace Update
                 return new UpdateInfo.NoUpdateAvailable();
             }
 
-            if (currentVersion is { Major: 0, Minor: 0 })
+            /*if (currentVersion is { Major: 0, Minor: 0 })
             {
                 // Pre-release or local build, skip update check
                 return new UpdateInfo.NoUpdateAvailable();
-            }
+            }*/
 
             try
             {
diff --git a/src/Version.props b/src/Version.props
index 2042a73fbd..885970918d 100644
--- a/src/Version.props
+++ b/src/Version.props
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <Version>0.0.1</Version>
+    <Version>0.1.1</Version>
     <DevEnvironment>Local</DevEnvironment>
 
     <!-- Forcing for every DLL on by default -->
diff --git a/src/common/ManagedCommon/Logger.cs b/src/common/ManagedCommon/Logger.cs
index 1e71e06969..924bf3bd2f 100644
--- a/src/common/ManagedCommon/Logger.cs
+++ b/src/common/ManagedCommon/Logger.cs
@@ -186,14 +186,20 @@ namespace ManagedCommon
 
         private static void Log(string message, string type, string memberName, string sourceFilePath, int sourceLineNumber)
         {
-            Trace.WriteLine("[" + DateTime.Now.TimeOfDay + "] [" + type + "] " + GetCallerInfo(memberName, sourceFilePath, sourceLineNumber));
-            Trace.Indent();
-            if (message != string.Empty)
+            try
             {
-                Trace.WriteLine(message);
-            }
+                Trace.WriteLine("[" + DateTime.Now.TimeOfDay + "] [" + type + "] " + GetCallerInfo(memberName, sourceFilePath, sourceLineNumber));
+                Trace.Indent();
+                if (message != string.Empty)
+                {
+                    Trace.WriteLine(message);
+                }
 
-            Trace.Unindent();
+                Trace.Unindent();
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+            }
         }
 
         private static string GetCallerInfo(string memberName, string sourceFilePath, int sourceLineNumber)
diff --git a/src/common/interop/Notifications.cpp b/src/common/interop/Notifications.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..35fda162ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/interop/Notifications.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#include "pch.h"
+#include "Notifications.h"
+#include "Notifications.g.cpp"
+#include "../notifications/notifications.h"
+
+namespace winrt::PowerToys::Interop::implementation
+{
+    using namespace winrt::Windows::Foundation;
+    void Notifications::ShowToast(hstring const& title, hstring const& content)
+    {
+        notifications::show_toast(title.c_str(), content.c_str());
+    }
+
+    void Notifications::RemoveToastsByTag(hstring const& tag)
+    {
+        notifications::remove_toasts_by_tag(tag.c_str());
+    }
+
+    void Notifications::RemoveAllScheduledToasts()
+    {
+        notifications::remove_all_scheduled_toasts();
+    }
+
+    void Notifications::ShowToastWithActivation(hstring const& title, hstring const& content, hstring const& tag)
+    {
+        notifications::toast_params params;
+        params.tag = tag.c_str();
+        notifications::show_toast(title.c_str(), content.c_str(), params);
+    }
+
+    void Notifications::ShowUpdateAvailableNotification(hstring const& title, hstring const& content, hstring const& tag, hstring const& updateNowString, hstring const& openOverviewString) {
+        notifications::toast_params params;
+        params.tag = tag.c_str();
+
+        notifications::show_toast_with_activations(std::move(content.c_str()),
+                                                   title.c_str(),
+                                    {},
+                                    { notifications::link_button{ updateNowString.c_str(),
+                                                   L"powertoys://update_now/" },
+                                      notifications::link_button{ openOverviewString.c_str(),
+                                                   L"powertoys://open_overview/" } },
+                                    std::move(params),
+                                    L"powertoys://open_overview/");
+    }
+
+    void Notifications::RunDesktopAppActivatorLoop()
+    {
+        notifications::run_desktop_app_activator_loop();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/common/interop/Notifications.h b/src/common/interop/Notifications.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f22cbf0e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/interop/Notifications.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#pragma once
+#include "Notifications.g.h"
+
+#include "../notifications/notifications.h"
+
+namespace winrt::PowerToys::Interop::implementation
+{
+    using namespace winrt::Windows::Foundation;
+
+    struct Notifications : NotificationsT<Notifications>
+    {
+        static void ShowToast(hstring const& title, hstring const& content);
+        static void RemoveToastsByTag(hstring const& tag);
+        static void RemoveAllScheduledToasts();
+        static void ShowToastWithActivation(hstring const& title, hstring const& content, hstring const& tag);
+        static void RunDesktopAppActivatorLoop();
+        static void ShowUpdateAvailableNotification(hstring const& title, hstring const& content, hstring const& tag, hstring const& updateNowString, hstring const& openOverviewString);
+    };
+}
+
+namespace winrt::PowerToys::Interop::factory_implementation
+{
+    struct Notifications : NotificationsT<Notifications, implementation::Notifications>
+    {
+    };
+}
diff --git a/src/common/interop/Notifications.idl b/src/common/interop/Notifications.idl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bffbf41366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/interop/Notifications.idl
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+namespace PowerToys
+{
+    namespace Interop
+    {
+        [default_interface] runtimeclass Notifications
+        {
+            static void ShowToast(String title, String content);
+            static void RemoveToastsByTag(String tag);
+            static void RemoveAllScheduledToasts();
+            static void ShowToastWithActivation(String title, String content, String tag);
+            static void RunDesktopAppActivatorLoop();
+            static void ShowUpdateAvailableNotification(String title, String content, String tag, String updateNowString, String openOverviewString);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+
diff --git a/src/common/interop/PowerToys.Interop.vcxproj b/src/common/interop/PowerToys.Interop.vcxproj
index 823957a4c7..5e2c91de35 100644
--- a/src/common/interop/PowerToys.Interop.vcxproj
+++ b/src/common/interop/PowerToys.Interop.vcxproj
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@
     <ClInclude Include="LayoutMapManaged.h">
       <DependentUpon>LayoutMapManaged.idl</DependentUpon>
     </ClInclude>
+    <ClInclude Include="Notifications.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="Package.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="pch.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="resource.h" />
@@ -144,6 +145,7 @@
     <ClCompile Include="LayoutMapManaged.cpp">
       <DependentUpon>LayoutMapManaged.idl</DependentUpon>
     </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="Notifications.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="Package.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="pch.cpp">
       <PrecompiledHeader>Create</PrecompiledHeader>
@@ -176,6 +178,7 @@
     <Midl Include="HotkeyManager.idl" />
     <Midl Include="KeyboardHook.idl" />
     <Midl Include="LayoutMapManaged.idl" />
+    <Midl Include="Notifications.idl" />
     <Midl Include="Package.idl" />
     <Midl Include="ThemeHelper.idl" />
     <Midl Include="TwoWayPipeMessageIPCManaged.idl" />
@@ -184,6 +187,9 @@
     <ProjectReference Include="..\logger\logger.vcxproj">
       <Project>{d9b8fc84-322a-4f9f-bbb9-20915c47ddfd}</Project>
     </ProjectReference>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\notifications\notifications.vcxproj">
+      <Project>{1d5be09d-78c0-4fd7-af00-ae7c1af7c525}</Project>
+    </ProjectReference>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets" />
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />