A method and computer-readable medium for upgrading an application program, and making an installer program aware that an application has been upgraded is disclosed. The method recognizes that an upgrade to the application has been initiated. The upgrade includes an identifier for the application to be upgraded, as well as information required for the installer to perform the upgrade. The installer program accesses the upgrade information, which includes instructions necessary for installing the upgrade. The installer program also accesses information related to the installed state of the application and related applications. The installer program determines whether or not the upgrade should be performed. If the upgrade should be performed, the installer program performs the upgrade and stores the fact that the application has been upgraded. If the application should not be upgraded, the installer program stores information reflecting the fact that the upgrade is available but not installed.