Index: usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
+++ usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
@@ -2200,6 +2200,28 @@
 	done
 	fetch_tagsanity || return 1
 
+	# By comparing files tag and tag.new fetch_run can detect that
+	# there are no updates upstream and that there is no need for
+	# further processing, expediting fetch_run.  fetch_run can only
+	# be expedited subsequent to an uninterrupted fetch_run.
+	if [ ! -f fetch_run.pending ] && [ -f tag.new -a -f tag ] &&
+	    [ "$BASEDIR" = "/" ] && cmp -s tag.new tag; then
+		echo "No updates are available to fetch."
+		if [ -f fetch_create_manifest.out ]; then
+			echo "Updates available to install."
+			echo
+			cat fetch_create_manifest.out | ${PAGER}
+		else
+			echo
+			echo -n "No updates needed to update system to "
+			echo "${RELNUM}-p${RELPATCHNUM}."
+		fi
+		rm -f tag.new
+		return 0
+	fi
+	touch fetch_run.pending || return 1
+	rm -f fetch_create_manifest.out
+
 	# Fetch the latest INDEX-NEW and INDEX-OLD files.
 	fetch_metadata INDEX-NEW INDEX-OLD || return 1
 
@@ -2254,10 +2276,13 @@
 
 	# Create and populate install manifest directory; and report what
 	# updates are available.
-	fetch_create_manifest || return 1
+	fetch_create_manifest > fetch_create_manifest.out || return 1
+	cat fetch_create_manifest.out
 
 	# Warn about any upcoming EoL
 	fetch_warn_eol || return 1
+
+	rm -f fetch_run.pending
 }
 
 # If StrictComponents is not "yes", generate a new components list
@@ -3125,6 +3150,8 @@
 	# Rearrange bits to allow the installed updates to be rolled back
 	install_setup_rollback
 
+	rm -f fetch_create_manifest.out
+
 	echo " done."
 }
 
@@ -3192,6 +3219,7 @@
 
 # Actually rollback updates
 rollback_run () {
+	rm -f tag
 	echo -n "Uninstalling updates..."
 
 	# If there are updates waiting to be installed, remove them; we