diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fee70a49..f90888c6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -50,9 +50,16 @@ window or tab.
 Updating
 --------
 
-Pull the latest changes and update submodules.
+Run `zprezto-update` to automatically check if there is an update to zprezto.
+If there are no file conflicts, zprezto its submodules will be automatically
+be updated. If there are conflicts you will instructed to go
+into the `$ZPREZTODIR` directory and resolve them yourself.
 
-    git pull && git submodule update --init --recursive
+To pull the latest changes and update submodules manually:
+
+    cd $ZPREZTODIR
+    git pull
+    git submodule update --init --recursive
 
 Usage
 -----
diff --git a/init.zsh b/init.zsh
index 74d9edde..b2a79c83 100644
--- a/init.zsh
+++ b/init.zsh
@@ -17,6 +17,52 @@ if ! autoload -Uz is-at-least || ! is-at-least "$min_zsh_version"; then
 fi
 unset min_zsh_version
 
+# zprezto convenience updater
+# The function is surrounded by ( ) instead of { } so it starts in a subshell
+# and won't affect the environment of the calling shell
+function zprezto-update () (
+  function cannot-fast-forward {
+    local STATUS="$1"
+    [[ "${STATUS}" ]] && printf "%s\n" "${STATUS}"
+    printf "Unable to fast-forward the changes. You can fix this by "
+    printf "running\ncd '%s' and then\n'git pull' " "${ZPREZTODIR}"
+    printf "to manually pull and possibly merge in changes\n"
+  }
+  cd -q -- "${ZPREZTODIR}" || return 7
+  local orig_branch="$(git symbolic-ref HEAD 2>/dev/null | cut -d '/' -f 3)"
+  if [[ "$orig_branch" == "master" ]]; then
+    git fetch || return "$?"
+    local UPSTREAM=$(git rev-parse '@{u}')
+    local LOCAL=$(git rev-parse @)
+    local REMOTE=$(git rev-parse "$UPSTREAM")
+    local BASE=$(git merge-base @ "$UPSTREAM")
+    if [[ $LOCAL == $REMOTE ]]; then
+      printf "There are no updates.\n"
+      return 0
+    elif [[ $LOCAL == $BASE ]]; then
+      printf "There is an update availible. Trying to pull.\n\n"
+      if git pull --ff-only; then
+        printf "Syncing submodules\n"
+        git submodule update --recursive
+        return $?
+      else
+        cannot-fast-forward
+        return 1
+      fi
+    elif [[ $REMOTE == $BASE ]]; then
+      cannot-fast-forward "Commits in master that aren't in upstream."
+      return 1
+    else
+      cannot-fast-forward "Upstream and local have diverged."
+      return 1
+    fi
+  else
+    printf "zprezto install at '%s' is not on the master branch " "${ZPREZTODIR}"
+    printf "(you're on '%s')\nUnable to automatically update.\n" "${orig_branch}"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  return 1
+)
 #
 # Module Loader
 #