diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index ae55c1e10..d3c4dbcb9 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -54,6 +54,28 @@ These files are generated copies. Update the source skill definitions instead, t
 Write GitHub Actions and release automation logic in Go when it needs JSON parsing, workflow polling, state transitions, or non-trivial branching.
 Shell scripts are acceptable only as thin wrappers or simple command sequences.
 
+## Dispatcher Release Inputs
+
+The global dispatcher has its own release version in `cli/dispatcher-contract.json`.
+When changing dispatcher release inputs, update `dispatcherVersion` in the same PR.
+Pull request CI runs `check-dispatcher-version-bump` and fails if dispatcher inputs changed
+without a dispatcher version increase.
+
+The authoritative dispatcher release input list is `dispatcherReleaseInputPatterns` in
+`cli/internal/automation/dispatcher_version_bump_guard.go`.
+Dispatcher release inputs include these non-exhaustive examples:
+
+- `cli/cmd/dispatcher/main.go`
+- `cli/dispatcher-contract.json`
+- `cli/internal/cli/dispatcher*.go`
+- `cli/internal/update/*.go`
+- `scripts/install.ps1`
+
+Do not bump `dispatcherContractVersion` unless the dispatcher contract itself changes.
+Do not raise Unity package `MINIMUM_REQUIRED_DISPATCHER_VERSION` or pin-file
+`minimumDispatcherVersion` just because the dispatcher implementation changed; those should
+advance only when the package must require a newly published dispatcher.
+
 ## Windows Compatibility Guardrails
 
 Most day-to-day development happens on macOS, but this project must keep working on Windows.
diff --git a/cli/dispatcher-contract.json b/cli/dispatcher-contract.json
index f1a164c23..754305f65 100644
--- a/cli/dispatcher-contract.json
+++ b/cli/dispatcher-contract.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
   "schemaVersion": 1,
-  "dispatcherVersion": "3.0.1-beta.6",
+  "dispatcherVersion": "3.0.1-beta.7",
   "dispatcherContractVersion": 1
 }
diff --git a/cli/internal/cli/dispatcher.go b/cli/internal/cli/dispatcher.go
index d92a507a9..dee4c7a36 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cli/dispatcher.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cli/dispatcher.go
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ func enforceDispatcherFreshness(ctx context.Context, pin dispatcherPin, stderr i
 		return true, 1
 	}
 
+	// Why: optional update failures should not retry and redraw installer progress on every command.
+	markDispatcherSelfUpdateChecked()
 	writeFormat(stderr, "warning: dispatcher self-update skipped: %v\n", err)
 	return false, 0
 }
diff --git a/cli/internal/cli/dispatcher_test.go b/cli/internal/cli/dispatcher_test.go
index ec96b817b..924f11210 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cli/dispatcher_test.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cli/dispatcher_test.go
@@ -229,8 +229,8 @@ func TestEnforceDispatcherFreshnessRequiresManualUpdateWhenSelfUpdateDisabled(t
 	}
 }
 
-func TestEnforceDispatcherFreshnessDoesNotMarkFailedOptionalUpdateChecked(t *testing.T) {
-	// Verifies transient optional update failures stay retryable on the next command.
+func TestEnforceDispatcherFreshnessMarksFailedOptionalUpdateChecked(t *testing.T) {
+	// Verifies transient optional update failures are throttled until the next check interval.
 	cacheRoot := t.TempDir()
 	t.Setenv(dispatcherCacheDirEnvName, cacheRoot)
 
@@ -238,7 +238,9 @@ func TestEnforceDispatcherFreshnessDoesNotMarkFailedOptionalUpdateChecked(t *tes
 	defer func() {
 		dispatcherRunUpdate = previousRunner
 	}()
+	runnerCalls := 0
 	dispatcherRunUpdate = func(context.Context) error {
+		runnerCalls++
 		return errors.New("network unavailable")
 	}
 
@@ -255,8 +257,24 @@ func TestEnforceDispatcherFreshnessDoesNotMarkFailedOptionalUpdateChecked(t *tes
 		t.Fatalf("freshness output mismatch: %s", stderr.String())
 	}
 	statePath := filepath.Join(cacheRoot, dispatcherUpdateStateFileName)
-	if _, err := os.Stat(statePath); !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		t.Fatalf("expected no update state after failed optional update, got err=%v", err)
+	if _, err := os.Stat(statePath); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected update state after failed optional update: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	stderr.Reset()
+	handled, code = enforceDispatcherFreshness(
+		context.Background(),
+		dispatcherPin{MinimumDispatcherVersion: dispatcherVersion},
+		&stderr)
+
+	if handled || code != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("second freshness result mismatch: handled=%t code=%d", handled, code)
+	}
+	if runnerCalls != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("optional update should be throttled after failure, got %d calls", runnerCalls)
+	}
+	if stderr.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no throttled optional update output, got: %s", stderr.String())
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cli/internal/cli/update_test.go b/cli/internal/cli/update_test.go
index a6ac48177..5152b237a 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cli/update_test.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cli/update_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TestUpdateCommandForDarwinUsesDirectInstaller(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestUpdateCommandForWindowsUsesPowerShellInstaller(t *testing.T) {
-	// Verifies dispatcher update calls the same Windows installer script on the matching channel.
+	// Verifies dispatcher update calls the Windows installer script quietly on the matching channel.
 	commandName, args, err := updateCommandForOS("windows")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("updateCommandForOS failed: %v", err)
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ func TestUpdateCommandForWindowsUsesPowerShellInstaller(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(joinedArgs, "$env:ULOOP_VERSION='"+expectedReleaseTag+"'") {
 		t.Fatalf("installer version missing: %s", joinedArgs)
 	}
+	if !strings.Contains(joinedArgs, "$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'") {
+		t.Fatalf("installer progress suppression missing: %s", joinedArgs)
+	}
 	if strings.Contains(joinedArgs, "npm") {
 		t.Fatalf("update command still references npm: %s", joinedArgs)
 	}
@@ -127,7 +130,7 @@ func TestUpdateCommandForDarwinNormalizesProjectRunnerReleaseTag(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestUpdateCommandForWindowsUsesRequestedVersion(t *testing.T) {
-	// Verifies Windows dispatcher update can target the minimum release version requested by Unity.
+	// Verifies Windows dispatcher update can quietly target the minimum release version requested by Unity.
 	commandName, args, err := updateCommandForOSWithOptions("windows", updateOptions{
 		targetVersion: "3.0.0",
 	})
@@ -145,6 +148,9 @@ func TestUpdateCommandForWindowsUsesRequestedVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(joinedArgs, "$env:ULOOP_VERSION='dispatcher-v3.0.0'") {
 		t.Fatalf("installer version missing: %s", joinedArgs)
 	}
+	if !strings.Contains(joinedArgs, "$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'") {
+		t.Fatalf("installer progress suppression missing: %s", joinedArgs)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestParseUpdateOptionsNormalizesVersionPrefix(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/internal/update/command.go b/cli/internal/update/command.go
index 3be110930..1e4990c22 100644
--- a/cli/internal/update/command.go
+++ b/cli/internal/update/command.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func CommandForOS(goos string, options Options) (Command, error) {
 			"-ExecutionPolicy",
 			"Bypass",
 			"-Command",
-			fmt.Sprintf("$env:ULOOP_VERSION=%s; irm %s | iex", shellQuote(updateSelector), shellQuote(scriptURL)),
+			fmt.Sprintf("$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'; $env:ULOOP_VERSION=%s; irm %s | iex", shellQuote(updateSelector), shellQuote(scriptURL)),
 		}}, nil
 	default:
 		return Command{}, errors.New(UnsupportedOSMessage)