diff --git a/InvenTree/InvenTree/tasks.py b/InvenTree/InvenTree/tasks.py
index e34c7e8c21..61b6885b03 100644
--- a/InvenTree/InvenTree/tasks.py
+++ b/InvenTree/InvenTree/tasks.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+import re
 import json
 import requests
 import logging
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ def schedule_task(taskname, **kwargs):
             **kwargs
         )
 
-        
+
 def delete_successful_tasks():
     """
     Delete successful task logs
@@ -49,6 +50,12 @@ def check_for_updates():
     Check if there is an update for InvenTree
     """
 
+    try:
+        import common.models
+        import InvenTree.version
+    except AppRegistryNotReady:
+        return
+
     response = requests.get('https://api.github.com/repos/inventree/inventree/releases/latest')
 
     if not response.status_code == 200:
@@ -57,12 +64,33 @@ def check_for_updates():
 
     data = json.loads(response.text)
 
-    print("Response:")
-    print(data)
-    # TODO 
+    tag = data.get('tag_name', None)
 
-    return data
+    if not tag:
+        logger.warning(f"'tag_name' missing from GitHub response")
+        return
 
+    match = re.match(r"^.*(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+).*$", tag)
 
-def test(x):
-    print(f"Running at task! {x}")
\ No newline at end of file
+    if not len(match.groups()) == 3:
+        logger.warning(f"Version '{tag}' did not match expected pattern")
+        return
+
+    try:
+        latest_version = [int(x) for x in match.groups()]
+    except (ValueError):
+        logger.warning(f"Version '{tag}' not integer format")
+        return
+
+    if not len(latest_version) == 3:
+        logger.warning(f"Version '{tag}' is not correct format")
+        return
+
+    logger.info(f"Latest InvenTree version: '{tag}'")
+
+    # Save the version to the database
+    common.models.InvenTreeSetting.set_setting(
+        'INVENTREE_LATEST_VERSION',
+        tag,
+        None
+    )
diff --git a/InvenTree/InvenTree/tests.py b/InvenTree/InvenTree/tests.py
index 96f32e7f57..1cb382e338 100644
--- a/InvenTree/InvenTree/tests.py
+++ b/InvenTree/InvenTree/tests.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 
 from .validators import validate_overage, validate_part_name
 from . import helpers
+from . import version
 
 from mptt.exceptions import InvalidMove
 
@@ -269,3 +270,15 @@ class TestSerialNumberExtraction(TestCase):
 
         with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
             e("10, a, 7-70j", 4)
+
+
+class TestVersionNumber(TestCase):
+
+    def test_tuple(self):
+
+        v = version.inventreeVersionTuple()
+        self.assertEqual(len(v), 3)
+
+        s = '.'.join(v)
+
+        self.assertTrue(s in version.inventreeVersion())
diff --git a/InvenTree/InvenTree/version.py b/InvenTree/InvenTree/version.py
index 4d3d546789..6aa5c2616c 100644
--- a/InvenTree/InvenTree/version.py
+++ b/InvenTree/InvenTree/version.py
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ Provides information on the current InvenTree version
 
 import subprocess
 import django
+import re
 
 import common.models
 
+
 INVENTREE_SW_VERSION = "0.1.8 pre"
 
 # Increment this number whenever there is a significant change to the API that any clients need to know about
@@ -23,6 +25,27 @@ def inventreeVersion():
     return INVENTREE_SW_VERSION
 
 
+def inventreeVersionTuple():
+    """ Return the InvenTree version string as (maj, min, sub) tuple """
+
+    match = re.match(r"^.*(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+).*$", INVENTREE_SW_VERSION)
+
+    return [int(g) for g in match.groups()]
+
+
+def versionTupleToInt(version):
+    """
+    Convert a version tuple (x, y, z) to an integer.
+    This simple integer can then be used for direct version comparison
+    """
+
+    n = version[0] * 1000 * 1000
+    n += version[1] * 1000
+    n += version[2]
+
+    return n
+    
+
 def inventreeApiVersion():
     return INVENTREE_API_VERSION
 
diff --git a/InvenTree/common/models.py b/InvenTree/common/models.py
index 06c06bde05..23e0773605 100644
--- a/InvenTree/common/models.py
+++ b/InvenTree/common/models.py
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ class InvenTreeSetting(models.Model):
             create: If True, create a new setting if the specified key does not exist.
         """
 
-        if not user.is_staff:
+        if user is not None and not user.is_staff:
             return
 
         try: