diff --git a/cmd/gh/main.go b/cmd/gh/main.go
index b4ed862fd..242df7ed2 100644
--- a/cmd/gh/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gh/main.go
@@ -186,9 +186,17 @@ func printError(out io.Writer, err error, cmd *cobra.Command, debug bool) {
 }
 
 func shouldCheckForUpdate() bool {
-	isCIEnvironment := (os.Getenv("CI") != "") || (os.Getenv("BUILD_NUMBER") != "") || (os.Getenv("RUN_ID") != "")
-	isGlobalDisabled := os.Getenv("GH_NO_UPDATE_NOTIFIER") != ""
-	return updaterEnabled != "" && !isCompletionCommand() && utils.IsTerminal(os.Stderr) && !isCIEnvironment && !isGlobalDisabled
+	if os.Getenv("GH_NO_UPDATE_NOTIFIER") != "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	return updaterEnabled != "" && !isCI() && !isCompletionCommand() && utils.IsTerminal(os.Stderr)
+}
+
+// based on https://github.com/watson/ci-info/blob/HEAD/index.js
+func isCI() bool {
+	return os.Getenv("CI") != "" || // GitHub Actions, Travis CI, CircleCI, Cirrus CI, GitLab CI, AppVeyor, CodeShip, dsari
+		os.Getenv("BUILD_NUMBER") != "" || // Jenkins, TeamCity
+		os.Getenv("RUN_ID") != "" // TaskCluster, dsari
 }
 
 func isCompletionCommand() bool {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/root/help_topic.go b/pkg/cmd/root/help_topic.go
index 02218a818..d88109ad3 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/root/help_topic.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/root/help_topic.go
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ func NewHelpTopic(topic string) *cobra.Command {
 		CLICOLOR_FORCE: set to a value other than "0" to keep ANSI colors in output
 		even when the output is piped.
 
-		GH_NO_UPDATE_NOTIFIER: set to "1" to disable checking for updates.
+		GH_NO_UPDATE_NOTIFIER: set to any value to disable update notifications. By default, gh
+		checks for new releases once every 24 hours and displays an upgrade notice on standard
+		error if a newer version was found.
 	`)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{