diff --git a/chocolatey-visualstudio.extension/extensions/New-VSProductReference.ps1 b/chocolatey-visualstudio.extension/extensions/New-VSProductReference.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8bf5e21e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chocolatey-visualstudio.extension/extensions/New-VSProductReference.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+function New-VSProductReference
+{
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    Param
+    (
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)] [string] $ChannelId,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)] [string] $ProductId
+    )
+
+    $props = @{
+        ChannelId = $ChannelId
+        ProductId = $ProductId
+    }
+
+    $obj = New-Object -TypeName PSObject -Property $props
+    return $obj
+}
diff --git a/chocolatey-visualstudio.extension/extensions/Start-VisualStudioModifyOperation.ps1 b/chocolatey-visualstudio.extension/extensions/Start-VisualStudioModifyOperation.ps1
index bea258ad..ac2637d4 100644
--- a/chocolatey-visualstudio.extension/extensions/Start-VisualStudioModifyOperation.ps1
+++ b/chocolatey-visualstudio.extension/extensions/Start-VisualStudioModifyOperation.ps1
@@ -194,16 +194,12 @@
 
             $argumentSet = $baseArgumentSet.Clone()
             $argumentSet['installPath'] = $productInfo.installationPath
+            $argumentSet['__internal_productReference'] = New-VSProductReference -ChannelId $productInfo.channelId -ProductId $productInfo.productid
             $argumentSets += $argumentSet
         }
     }
 
-    # todo: move this inside the foreach, so that we can take advantage of channelId
-    if ($Operation -ne 'uninstall')
-    {
-        Install-VSInstaller -PackageName $PackageName -PackageParameters $PackageParameters -ProductReference $ProductReference -Url $BootstrapperUrl -Checksum $BootstrapperChecksum -ChecksumType $BootstrapperChecksumType -Force
-    }
-
+    $installerUpdated = $false
     $overallExitCode = 0
     foreach ($argumentSet in $argumentSets)
     {
@@ -216,6 +212,23 @@
             Write-Debug "Modifying Visual Studio product: [productId = '$($argumentSet.productId)' channelId = '$($argumentSet.channelId)']"
         }
 
+        $thisProductReference = $ProductReference
+        if ($argumentSet.ContainsKey('__internal_productReference'))
+        {
+            $thisProductReference = $argumentSet['__internal_productReference']
+            $argumentSet.Remove('__internal_productReference')
+        }
+
+        if ($Operation -ne 'uninstall' -and -not $installerUpdated)
+        {
+            if ($PSCmdlet.ShouldProcess("Visual Studio Installer", "update"))
+            {
+                # TODO: download VS component manifest and determine required engine version
+                Install-VSInstaller -PackageName $PackageName -PackageParameters $PackageParameters -ProductReference $thisProductReference -Url $BootstrapperUrl -Checksum $BootstrapperChecksum -ChecksumType $BootstrapperChecksumType -Force
+                $installerUpdated = $true
+            }
+        }
+
         $silentArgs = ConvertTo-ArgumentString -InitialUnstructuredArguments @($Operation) -Arguments $argumentSet -Syntax 'Willow'
         $exitCode = -1
         if ($PSCmdlet.ShouldProcess("Executable: $InstallerPath", "Start with arguments: $silentArgs"))