diff --git a/src/cfg/cli/main.py b/src/cfg/cli/main.py
index 59027c7..5b77fd6 100644
--- a/src/cfg/cli/main.py
+++ b/src/cfg/cli/main.py
@@ -72,9 +72,21 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         from cfg import update
 
         if args.snooze is not None:
-            _emit(update.snooze(args.snooze), json_mode=args.json)
+            result = update.snooze(args.snooze)
+            if args.json:
+                _emit(result, json_mode=True)
+            else:
+                print(f"Update reminders snoozed for {result['days']} days.")
             return EXIT_OK
-        _emit(update.check(force=True).to_json(), json_mode=args.json)
+        status = update.check(force=True)
+        if args.json:
+            _emit(status.to_json(), json_mode=True)
+        elif status.disabled:
+            print(f"Update check is disabled (CFGIT_NO_UPDATE_CHECK is set). Installed: {status.installed}.")
+        elif status.message:
+            print(status.message)
+        else:
+            print(f"cfgit {status.installed} is up to date.")
         return EXIT_OK
     try:
         project = load_config(args.config_file)
diff --git a/tests/test_update_check.py b/tests/test_update_check.py
index 816e99c..1269652 100644
--- a/tests/test_update_check.py
+++ b/tests/test_update_check.py
@@ -187,3 +187,46 @@ def test_cli_nudge_gating(monkeypatch, capsys, cmd, json_mode, isatty, expect_nu
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     assert ("available" in captured.err) is expect_nudge
     assert captured.out == ""  # the nudge must NEVER touch stdout, in any case
+
+
+# --- `cfg check-update` renders human prose, not a JSON dump (regression) --------------------
+
+
+def test_check_update_human_prints_sentence_not_json(monkeypatch, capsys):
+    """Up-to-date `cfg check-update` must print a readable line in human mode, not raw JSON."""
+    import types
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        update, "check",
+        lambda *a, **k: types.SimpleNamespace(
+            installed="0.4.0", disabled=False, message=None, to_json=lambda: {}
+        ),
+    )
+    from cfg.cli.main import main
+
+    rc = main(["check-update"])  # no --json; capsys is not a TTY → auto picks JSON... so force human
+    _ = capsys.readouterr()
+    # explicit human mode via env is the real contract:
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CFG_OUTPUT", "human")
+    main(["check-update"])
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert rc == 0
+    assert "up to date" in out
+    assert not out.strip().startswith("{")  # never a JSON dump
+
+
+def test_check_update_json_is_structured(monkeypatch, capsys):
+    import types
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        update, "check",
+        lambda *a, **k: types.SimpleNamespace(
+            installed="0.4.0", disabled=False, message=None,
+            to_json=lambda: {"installed": "0.4.0", "update_available": False},
+        ),
+    )
+    from cfg.cli.main import main
+
+    main(["--json", "check-update"])
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert '"installed"' in out and out.strip().startswith("{")