diff --git a/lib/gui/components/update-notifier/services/update-notifier.js b/lib/gui/components/update-notifier/services/update-notifier.js
index c0b1f447..ffafe4c5 100644
--- a/lib/gui/components/update-notifier/services/update-notifier.js
+++ b/lib/gui/components/update-notifier/services/update-notifier.js
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ const etcherLatestVersion = require('etcher-latest-version');
 
 module.exports = function($http, $q, ModalService, UPDATE_NOTIFIER_SLEEP_TIME, ManifestBindService, SettingsModel) {
 
+  /**
+   * @summary The current application version
+   * @constant
+   * @private
+   * @type {String}
+   */
+  const CURRENT_VERSION = ManifestBindService.get('version');
+
   /**
    * @summary Get the latest available Etcher version
    * @function
@@ -48,6 +56,14 @@ module.exports = function($http, $q, ModalService, UPDATE_NOTIFIER_SLEEP_TIME, M
         });
       }, (error, latestVersion) => {
         if (error) {
+
+          // The error status equals -1 if the request couldn't
+          // be made successfully, for example, because of a
+          // timeout on an unstable network connection.
+          if (error.status === -1) {
+            return resolve(CURRENT_VERSION);
+          }
+
           return reject(error);
         }
 
@@ -75,7 +91,7 @@ module.exports = function($http, $q, ModalService, UPDATE_NOTIFIER_SLEEP_TIME, M
    */
   this.isLatestVersion = () => {
     return this.getLatestVersion().then((version) => {
-      return semver.gte(ManifestBindService.get('version'), version);
+      return semver.gte(CURRENT_VERSION, version);
     });
   };