diff --git a/cli/cmd/root.go b/cli/cmd/root.go
index 70abf7bd5..3a1f4d3e0 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/root.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/logger"
 	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/mizu"
 	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/mizu/fsUtils"
+	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/mizu/version"
+	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/uiUtils"
 )
 
 var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -15,14 +17,9 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Long: `A web traffic viewer for kubernetes
 Further info is available at https://github.com/up9inc/mizu`,
 	PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		if err := fsUtils.EnsureDir(mizu.GetMizuFolderPath()); err != nil {
-			logger.Log.Errorf("Failed to use mizu folder, %v", err)
-		}
-		logger.InitLogger()
 		if err := config.InitConfig(cmd); err != nil {
 			logger.Log.Fatal(err)
 		}
-
 		return nil
 	},
 }
@@ -31,8 +28,24 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSlice(config.SetCommandName, []string{}, fmt.Sprintf("Override values using --%s", config.SetCommandName))
 }
 
+func printNewVersionIfNeeded(versionChan chan string) {
+	versionMsg := <-versionChan
+	if versionMsg != "" {
+		logger.Log.Infof(uiUtils.Yellow, versionMsg)
+	}
+}
+
 // Execute adds all child commands to the root command and sets flags appropriately.
 // This is called by main.main(). It only needs to happen once to the tapCmd.
 func Execute() {
+	if err := fsUtils.EnsureDir(mizu.GetMizuFolderPath()); err != nil {
+		logger.Log.Errorf("Failed to use mizu folder, %v", err)
+	}
+	logger.InitLogger()
+
+	versionChan := make(chan string)
+	defer printNewVersionIfNeeded(versionChan)
+	go version.CheckNewerVersion(versionChan)
+
 	cobra.CheckErr(rootCmd.Execute())
 }
diff --git a/cli/cmd/tapRunner.go b/cli/cmd/tapRunner.go
index 933090ef7..e7341cc28 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/tapRunner.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/tapRunner.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/logger"
 	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/mizu/fsUtils"
 	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/mizu/goUtils"
-	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/mizu/version"
 	"github.com/up9inc/mizu/cli/telemetry"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ func RunMizuTap() {
 	} else {
 		namespacesStr = "all namespaces"
 	}
-	version.CheckNewerVersion()
+
 	logger.Log.Infof("Tapping pods in %s", namespacesStr)
 
 	if err, _ := updateCurrentlyTappedPods(kubernetesProvider, ctx, targetNamespaces); err != nil {
diff --git a/cli/mizu/version/versionCheck.go b/cli/mizu/version/versionCheck.go
index 85f929d14..eb479dd7a 100644
--- a/cli/mizu/version/versionCheck.go
+++ b/cli/mizu/version/versionCheck.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func CheckVersionCompatibility(port uint16) (bool, error) {
 	return false, nil
 }
 
-func CheckNewerVersion() {
+func CheckNewerVersion(versionChan chan string) {
 	logger.Log.Debugf("Checking for newer version...")
 	start := time.Now()
 	client := github.NewClient(nil)
@@ -88,11 +88,13 @@ func CheckNewerVersion() {
 	}
 	gitHubVersion := string(data)
 	gitHubVersion = gitHubVersion[:len(gitHubVersion)-1]
-	logger.Log.Debugf("Finished version validation, took %v", time.Since(start))
 
 	gitHubVersionSemVer := semver.SemVersion(gitHubVersion)
 	currentSemVer := semver.SemVersion(mizu.SemVer)
+	logger.Log.Debugf("Finished version validation, github version %v, current version %v, took %v", gitHubVersion, currentSemVer, time.Since(start))
+
 	if gitHubVersionSemVer.GreaterThan(currentSemVer) {
-		logger.Log.Infof(uiUtils.Yellow, fmt.Sprintf("Update available! %v -> %v (%v)", mizu.SemVer, gitHubVersion, *latestRelease.HTMLURL))
+		versionChan <- fmt.Sprintf("Update available! %v -> %v (%v)", mizu.SemVer, gitHubVersion, *latestRelease.HTMLURL)
 	}
+	versionChan <- ""
 }