diff --git a/src/qmd.ts b/src/qmd.ts
index 244578f8..7466a7ee 100755
--- a/src/qmd.ts
+++ b/src/qmd.ts
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ async function showStatus(): Promise<void> {
   closeDb();
 }
 
-async function updateCollections(): Promise<void> {
+async function updateCollections(pullFirst: boolean = false): Promise<void> {
   const db = getDb();
   // Collections are defined in YAML; no duplicate cleanup needed.
 
@@ -434,6 +434,65 @@ async function updateCollections(): Promise<void> {
     if (!col) continue;
     console.log(`${c.cyan}[${i + 1}/${collections.length}]${c.reset} ${c.bold}${col.name}${c.reset} ${c.dim}(${col.glob_pattern})${c.reset}`);
 
+    if (pullFirst) {
+      let isGitRepo = false;
+      try {
+        const insideWorkTree = execSync("git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree", {
+          cwd: col.pwd,
+          stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+          encoding: "utf-8",
+        }).trim();
+        isGitRepo = insideWorkTree === "true";
+      } catch {
+        isGitRepo = false;
+      }
+
+      if (!isGitRepo) {
+        console.log(`${c.dim}    Skipping git pull: not a git repository${c.reset}`);
+      } else {
+        let hasUpstream = true;
+        try {
+          execSync("git rev-parse --abbrev-ref --symbolic-full-name @{u}", {
+            cwd: col.pwd,
+            stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+            encoding: "utf-8",
+          }).trim();
+        } catch {
+          hasUpstream = false;
+        }
+
+        if (!hasUpstream) {
+          console.log(`${c.dim}    Skipping git pull: no upstream tracking branch${c.reset}`);
+        } else {
+          console.log(`${c.dim}    Running git pull --ff-only${c.reset}`);
+          try {
+            const output = execSync("git pull --ff-only", {
+              cwd: col.pwd,
+              stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
+              encoding: "utf-8",
+            });
+            if (output.trim()) {
+              console.log(output.trim().split('\n').map(l => `    ${l}`).join('\n'));
+            }
+          } catch (err: any) {
+            const output = err?.stdout ? String(err.stdout).trim() : "";
+            const errorOutput = err?.stderr ? String(err.stderr).trim() : "";
+
+            if (output) {
+              console.log(output.split('\n').map((l: string) => `    ${l}`).join('\n'));
+            }
+            if (errorOutput) {
+              console.log(errorOutput.split('\n').map((l: string) => `    ${l}`).join('\n'));
+            }
+
+            const exitCode = typeof err?.status === "number" ? err.status : 1;
+            console.log(`${c.yellow}✗ Git pull failed with exit code ${exitCode}${c.reset}`);
+            process.exit(exitCode);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
     // Execute custom update command if specified in YAML
     const yamlCol = getCollectionFromYaml(col.name);
     if (yamlCol?.update) {
@@ -2422,7 +2481,7 @@ if (fileURLToPath(import.meta.url) === process.argv[1] || process.argv[1]?.endsW
       break;
 
     case "update":
-      await updateCollections();
+      await updateCollections(!!cli.values.pull);
       break;
 
     case "embed":
diff --git a/test/cli.test.ts b/test/cli.test.ts
index b723e7de..bd92ec52 100644
--- a/test/cli.test.ts
+++ b/test/cli.test.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,40 @@ async function runQmd(
   return { stdout, stderr, exitCode };
 }
 
+async function runCommand(
+  command: string,
+  args: string[],
+  cwd: string,
+  env: Record<string, string> = {}
+): Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string; exitCode: number }> {
+  const proc = spawn(command, args, {
+    cwd,
+    env: { ...process.env, ...env },
+    stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
+  });
+
+  const stdoutPromise = new Promise<string>((resolve, reject) => {
+    let data = "";
+    proc.stdout?.on("data", (chunk: Buffer) => { data += chunk.toString(); });
+    proc.once("error", reject);
+    proc.stdout?.once("end", () => resolve(data));
+  });
+  const stderrPromise = new Promise<string>((resolve, reject) => {
+    let data = "";
+    proc.stderr?.on("data", (chunk: Buffer) => { data += chunk.toString(); });
+    proc.once("error", reject);
+    proc.stderr?.once("end", () => resolve(data));
+  });
+  const exitCode = await new Promise<number>((resolve, reject) => {
+    proc.once("error", reject);
+    proc.on("close", (code) => resolve(code ?? 1));
+  });
+  const stdout = await stdoutPromise;
+  const stderr = await stderrPromise;
+
+  return { stdout, stderr, exitCode };
+}
+
 // Get a fresh database path for isolated tests
 function getFreshDbPath(): string {
   testCounter++;
@@ -395,6 +429,46 @@ describe("CLI Update Command", () => {
     expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
     expect(stdout).toContain("Updating");
   });
+
+  test("supports --pull and skips repos without upstream", async () => {
+    const env = await createIsolatedTestEnv("update-pull");
+    const repoDir = join(testDir, `update-pull-repo-${Date.now()}`);
+    await mkdir(repoDir, { recursive: true });
+    await writeFile(join(repoDir, "README.md"), "# pull test\n");
+
+    const init = await runCommand("git", ["init"], repoDir);
+    expect(init.exitCode).toBe(0);
+
+    const add = await runCommand("git", ["add", "."], repoDir);
+    expect(add.exitCode).toBe(0);
+
+    const commit = await runCommand(
+      "git",
+      ["commit", "-m", "initial commit"],
+      repoDir,
+      {
+        GIT_AUTHOR_NAME: "QMD Test",
+        GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL: "qmd-test@example.com",
+        GIT_COMMITTER_NAME: "QMD Test",
+        GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL: "qmd-test@example.com",
+      }
+    );
+    expect(commit.exitCode).toBe(0);
+
+    const addCollection = await runQmd(
+      ["collection", "add", repoDir, "--name", "pull-test"],
+      { dbPath: env.dbPath, configDir: env.configDir }
+    );
+    expect(addCollection.exitCode).toBe(0);
+
+    const { stdout, exitCode } = await runQmd(
+      ["update", "--pull"],
+      { dbPath: env.dbPath, configDir: env.configDir }
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(stdout).toContain("Skipping git pull: no upstream tracking branch");
+  });
 });
 
 describe("CLI Add-Context Command", () => {