diff --git a/osu.Desktop/Overlays/VersionManager.cs b/osu.Desktop/Overlays/VersionManager.cs
index 716ec91155..f33cd6eac2 100644
--- a/osu.Desktop/Overlays/VersionManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Desktop/Overlays/VersionManager.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ using osu.Framework.Graphics.Textures;
 using osu.Game.Graphics;
 using OpenTK;
 using OpenTK.Graphics;
+using System.Net.Http;
 
 namespace osu.Desktop.Overlays
 {
@@ -115,7 +116,16 @@ namespace osu.Desktop.Overlays
 
         private async void updateChecker()
         {
-            updateManager = await UpdateManager.GitHubUpdateManager(@"https://github.com/ppy/osu", @"osulazer", null, null, true);
+            try
+            {
+                updateManager = await UpdateManager.GitHubUpdateManager(@"https://github.com/ppy/osu", @"osulazer", null, null, true);
+            }
+            catch(HttpRequestException)
+            {
+                //check again every 30 minutes.
+                Scheduler.AddDelayed(updateChecker, 60000 * 30);
+                return;
+            }
 
             if (!updateManager.IsInstalledApp)
                 return;
diff --git a/osu.Desktop/osu.Desktop.csproj b/osu.Desktop/osu.Desktop.csproj
index 2ab913d706..d85671f5be 100644
--- a/osu.Desktop/osu.Desktop.csproj
+++ b/osu.Desktop/osu.Desktop.csproj
@@ -137,6 +137,16 @@
     </Reference>
     <Reference Include="System" />
     <Reference Include="System.Drawing" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Net.Http" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Net.Http.Extensions, Version=2.2.29.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
+      <HintPath>..\packages\Microsoft.Net.Http.2.2.29\lib\net45\System.Net.Http.Extensions.dll</HintPath>
+      <Private>True</Private>
+    </Reference>
+    <Reference Include="System.Net.Http.Primitives, Version=4.2.29.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
+      <HintPath>..\packages\Microsoft.Net.Http.2.2.29\lib\net45\System.Net.Http.Primitives.dll</HintPath>
+      <Private>True</Private>
+    </Reference>
+    <Reference Include="System.Net.Http.WebRequest" />
     <Reference Include="System.Windows.Forms" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -219,7 +229,6 @@
   <ItemGroup>
     <Content Include="lazer.ico" />
   </ItemGroup>
-  <ItemGroup />
   <Import Project="$(MSBuildBinPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
   <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it.
        Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
diff --git a/osu.Desktop/packages.config b/osu.Desktop/packages.config
index 5fc8e82bfd..e203f3042a 100644
--- a/osu.Desktop/packages.config
+++ b/osu.Desktop/packages.config
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Licensed under the MIT Licence - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ppy/osu/maste
 -->
 <packages>
   <package id="DeltaCompressionDotNet" version="1.0.0" targetFramework="net45" />
+  <package id="Microsoft.Net.Http" version="2.2.29" targetFramework="net45" />
   <package id="Mono.Cecil" version="0.9.6.1" targetFramework="net45" />
   <package id="Splat" version="1.6.2" targetFramework="net45" />
   <package id="squirrel.windows" version="1.5.2" targetFramework="net45" />