diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8c4011e0..02d6c2d2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@
     ],
     "win": {
       "target": [
-        "squirrel"
+        "squirrel",
+        "zip"
       ],
       "extraResources": [
         {
diff --git a/src/browser/containers/main.jsx b/src/browser/containers/main.jsx
index 52040a83..e876f4bf 100644
--- a/src/browser/containers/main.jsx
+++ b/src/browser/containers/main.jsx
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ export default React.createClass({
     store.dispatch(dialogActions.showRegisterRodeo());
 
     // no visual for this please
-    applicationControl.checkForUpdates();
+    if (local.get('enableAutoupdate') !== false) {
+      applicationControl.checkForUpdates();
+    }
 
     // try and start an instance of the python client
     client.guaranteeInstance();
diff --git a/src/browser/containers/preferences-viewer/layout.yml b/src/browser/containers/preferences-viewer/layout.yml
index acd00442..c2d0d449 100644
--- a/src/browser/containers/preferences-viewer/layout.yml
+++ b/src/browser/containers/preferences-viewer/layout.yml
@@ -308,6 +308,12 @@
       label: alwaysAskBeforeQuiting
       type: checkbox
       value: true
+    -
+      id: enableAutoupdate
+      key: enableAutoupdate
+      label: enableAutoupdate
+      type: checkbox
+      value: true
 -
   id: preferences-project
   label: project
diff --git a/src/browser/containers/text.yml b/src/browser/containers/text.yml
index f700c361..1aadc50f 100644
--- a/src/browser/containers/text.yml
+++ b/src/browser/containers/text.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ editingEnvironmentVariableExplanation: |
   Add or override environment variables
 editor: Editor
 emacs: Emacs
+enableAutoupdate: Enable Autoupdates
 enableStartingTutorial: Enable the Starting Tutorial
 environmentVariables: Environment Variables
 environmentVariableExplanation: |
diff --git a/src/node/kernels/python/client.js b/src/node/kernels/python/client.js
index 8f614f2f..e70efd32 100644
--- a/src/node/kernels/python/client.js
+++ b/src/node/kernels/python/client.js
@@ -410,6 +410,8 @@ class JupyterClient extends EventEmitter {
  * @returns {object}
  */
 function getPythonCommandOptions(options) {
+  log('info', 'getPythonCommandOptions', options);
+
   return {
     cwd: options.cwd,
     env: pythonLanguage.setDefaultEnvVars(options.env),
@@ -418,12 +420,18 @@ function getPythonCommandOptions(options) {
   };
 }
 
-function getPythonCmd(options) {
-  if (options.cmd === '<rodeo-builtin-miniconda>') {
-    return pythonLanguage.getPythonPath();
+function containsResourcesPath(str) {
+  return _.isString(str) && str.indexOf(process.resourcesPath) > -1;
+}
+
+function applyPythonCmd(options) {
+  if (options.cmd === '<rodeo-builtin-miniconda>' || containsResourcesPath(options.cmd)) {
+    options = _.cloneDeep(options);
+    options.env = pythonLanguage.setBuiltinDefaultEnvVars(options.env);
+    options.cmd = pythonLanguage.getPythonPath();
   }
 
-  return options.cmd;
+  return options;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -435,11 +443,21 @@ function getPythonCmd(options) {
  * @returns {ChildProcess}
  */
 function createPythonScriptProcess(options) {
+  log('info', 'createPythonScriptProcess', options);
+
   options = resolveHomeDirectoryOptions(options);
+
+  log('info', 'createPythonScriptProcess1', options);
+
+  options = applyPythonCmd(options);
+
+  log('info', 'createPythonScriptProcess2', options);
+
+
   const args = ['-c', listenScript, options.kernelName],
     cmdOptions = getPythonCommandOptions(options);
 
-  return processes.create(getPythonCmd(options), args, cmdOptions);
+  return processes.create(options.cmd, args, cmdOptions);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/node/kernels/python/language.js b/src/node/kernels/python/language.js
index 6a2e0de1..3d399c92 100644
--- a/src/node/kernels/python/language.js
+++ b/src/node/kernels/python/language.js
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
  */
 
 import _ from 'lodash';
-import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
 import envService from '../../services/env';
 
-const resourcesPath = process.resourcesPath;
+const resourcesPath = process.resourcesPath,
+  log = require('../../services/log').asInternal(__filename);
 
 /**
  * @param {object} args
@@ -21,12 +21,6 @@ function toPythonArgs(args) {
   }, {});
 }
 
-function addPath(envs, path) {
-  if (!_.includes(envs, path) && fs.existsSync(path)) {
-    envs.push(path);
-  }
-}
-
 function getCondaPath() {
   return path.join(resourcesPath, 'conda');
 }
@@ -40,35 +34,56 @@ function getStartKernelPath() {
 }
 
 function setDefaultEnvVars(env) {
-  if (_.isString(env.PATH) && process.platform === 'darwin') {
-    const splitter = ':',
-      envs = env.PATH.split(splitter);
 
-    addPath(envs, '/sbin');
-    addPath(envs, '/usr/sbin');
-    addPath(envs, '/usr/local/bin');
+  log('info', 'setDefaultEnvVars', env);
 
-    env.PATH = envs.join(splitter);
+  if (process.platform === 'darwin') {
+    envService.appendToPath(env, '/sbin');
+    envService.appendToPath(env, '/usr/sbin');
+    envService.appendToPath(env, '/usr/local/bin');
   }
 
-  return _.assign({
-    PYTHONUNBUFFERED: '1',
-    PYTHONIOENCODING: 'utf-8'
-  }, env);
+  return setPythonConstants(env);
+}
+
+function setBuiltinDefaultEnvVars(env) {
+  if (process.resourcesPath) {
+    log('info', 'setBuiltinDefaultEnvVars', env);
+
+    if (!env.PATH && !env.Path) {
+      throw new Error('MISSING PATH in setBuiltinDefaultEnvVars');
+    }
+
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda'));
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'bin'));
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Lib'));
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Lib', 'bin'));
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Scripts'));
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Scripts', 'bin'));
+
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'DLLs'), 'pythonPath');
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Lib'), 'pythonPath');
+    envService.appendToPath(env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Lib', 'site-packages'), 'pythonPath');
+  }
+
+  return env;
+}
+
+function setPythonConstants(env) {
+  if (!env.PYTHONUNBUFFERED) {
+    env.PYTHONUNBUFFERED = '1';
+  }
+
+  if (!env.PYTHONIOENCODING) {
+    env.PYTHONIOENCODING = 'utf-8';
+  }
+
+  return env;
 }
 
 function extendOwnEnv() {
   if (process.resourcesPath) {
     envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda'));
-    envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'bin'));
-    envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Lib'));
-    envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Lib', 'bin'));
-    envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Scripts'));
-    envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Scripts', 'bin'));
-
-    envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'DLLs'), 'pythonPath');
-    envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Lib'), 'pythonPath');
-    envService.appendToPath(process.env, path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'conda', 'Lib', 'site-packages'), 'pythonPath');
   }
 
   if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
@@ -77,13 +92,7 @@ function extendOwnEnv() {
     envService.appendToPath(process.env, '/usr/local/bin');
   }
 
-  if (!process.env.PYTHONUNBUFFERED) {
-    process.env.PYTHONUNBUFFERED = '1';
-  }
-
-  if (!process.env.PYTHONIOENCODING) {
-    process.env.PYTHONIOENCODING = 'utf-8';
-  }
+  return setPythonConstants(process.env);
 }
 
 export default {
@@ -91,6 +100,7 @@ export default {
   getStartKernelPath,
   getPythonPath,
   getCondaPath,
+  setBuiltinDefaultEnvVars,
   setDefaultEnvVars,
   toPythonArgs
 };