diff --git a/cli/bin/commands/skills.mjs b/cli/bin/commands/skills.mjs
index e15904104..db1c13633 100644
--- a/cli/bin/commands/skills.mjs
+++ b/cli/bin/commands/skills.mjs
@@ -2362,7 +2362,25 @@ async function downloadFile(url, dest, { fetchImpl = globalThis.fetch } = {}) {
   }
 }
 
+function printUpdateUsage() {
+  console.log(`Usage: impeccable update [options]
+
+Update installed impeccable skills to the latest version.
+
+Options:
+  --project, --user    Update the project-level or user-level install
+  -y, --yes            Skip confirmation prompts
+  --force              Overwrite existing hook manifests
+  --no-hooks           Refresh skills without installing or repairing hooks
+  -h, --help           Show this help message`);
+}
+
 async function update(flags = []) {
+  if (flags.includes('--help') || flags.includes('-h')) {
+    printUpdateUsage();
+    return;
+  }
+
   const yes = flags.includes('-y') || flags.includes('--yes');
   const force = flags.includes('--force');
   const installHooks = !flags.includes('--no-hooks');
diff --git a/tests/skills-cli.test.js b/tests/skills-cli.test.js
index 6524cea5a..5887258f8 100644
--- a/tests/skills-cli.test.js
+++ b/tests/skills-cli.test.js
@@ -864,6 +864,38 @@ describe('skills install/update: local universal bundle e2e', () => {
     expect(output).not.toContain('skills install                   Install impeccable skills');
   });
 
+  test('update --help is read-only and never downloads (#699)', () => {
+    const missingBundle = join(tmpdir(), 'imp-missing-bundle-699-does-not-exist');
+    const envBase = { ...process.env, IMPECCABLE_BUNDLE_PATH: missingBundle };
+
+    const tmp = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-test-update-help-699-'));
+    const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-home-update-help-699-'));
+    createFakeSkills(tmp, ['impeccable'], ['.claude']);
+    const skillPath = join(tmp, '.claude', 'skills', 'impeccable', 'SKILL.md');
+    const beforeContent = readFileSync(skillPath, 'utf8');
+
+    for (const args of ['update --help', 'update -h', 'skills update --help']) {
+      const output = run(args, { cwd: tmp, env: { ...envBase, HOME: home } });
+      expect(output).toContain('Usage: impeccable update');
+      expect(output).not.toContain('Checking for updates');
+      expect(output).not.toContain('Updating the');
+    }
+    expect(readFileSync(skillPath, 'utf8')).toBe(beforeContent);
+
+    rmSync(tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+
+    const emptyTmp = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-test-update-help-empty-699-'));
+    const emptyHome = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-home-update-help-empty-699-'));
+    const output = run('update --help', { cwd: emptyTmp, env: { ...envBase, HOME: emptyHome } });
+    expect(output).toContain('Usage: impeccable update');
+    expect(output).not.toContain('Run `npx impeccable install` to install first.');
+    expect(output).not.toContain('Checking for updates');
+
+    rmSync(emptyTmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    rmSync(emptyHome, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
   test('top-level install aliases the legacy skills install command', () => {
     const tmp = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-test-top-level-install-'));
     const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-home-top-level-install-'));