diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 73db3f73..964d3a76 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1694,6 +1694,7 @@ Q3OBJ = \
   $(B)/client/sdl_snd.o \
   \
   $(B)/client/con_log.o \
+  $(B)/client/sys_autoupdater.o \
   $(B)/client/sys_main.o
 
 ifdef MINGW
@@ -2230,6 +2231,7 @@ Q3DOBJ = \
   $(B)/ded/null_snddma.o \
   \
   $(B)/ded/con_log.o \
+  $(B)/ded/sys_autoupdater.o \
   $(B)/ded/sys_main.o
 
 ifeq ($(ARCH),x86)
diff --git a/code/sys/sys_autoupdater.c b/code/sys/sys_autoupdater.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..56873d4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/sys/sys_autoupdater.c
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*
+The code in this file is in the public domain. The rest of ioquake3
+is licensed until the GPLv2. Do not mingle code, please!
+*/
+
+#ifdef USE_AUTOUPDATER
+#  ifndef AUTOUPDATER_BIN
+#    error The build system should have defined AUTOUPDATER_BIN
+#  endif
+
+#  ifdef _WIN32
+#    define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN 1
+#    include <windows.h>
+#  else
+#    include <unistd.h>
+#  endif
+
+#  include <stdio.h>
+#  include <string.h>
+#endif
+
+void Sys_LaunchAutoupdater(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+#ifdef USE_AUTOUPDATER
+	#ifdef _WIN32
+	{
+		/* We don't need the Unix pipe() tapdance here because Windows lets children wait on parent processes. */
+		PROCESS_INFORMATION procinfo;
+		char cmdline[128];
+		sprintf(cmdline, AUTOUPDATER_BIN " --waitpid %u", (unsigned int) GetCurrentProcessId());
+		if (CreateProcessA(AUTOUPDATER_BIN, cmdline, NULL, NULL, FALSE, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, &procinfo))
+		{
+			/* close handles now so child cleans up immediately if nothing to do */
+			CloseHandle(procinfo.hProcess);
+			CloseHandle(procinfo.hThread);
+		}
+	}
+	#else
+	int updater_pipes[2];
+	if (pipe(updater_pipes) == 0)
+	{
+		pid_t pid = fork();
+		if (pid == -1)  /* failure, oh well. */
+		{
+			close(updater_pipes[0]);
+			close(updater_pipes[1]);
+		}
+		else if (pid == 0)  /* child process */
+		{
+			close(updater_pipes[1]);  /* don't need write end. */
+			if (dup2(updater_pipes[0], 3) != -1)
+			{
+				char pidstr[64];
+				char *ptr = strrchr(argv[0], '/');
+				if (ptr)
+					*ptr = '\0';
+				chdir(argv[0]);
+				#ifdef __APPLE__
+				chdir("../..");  /* put this at base of app bundle so paths make sense later. */
+				#endif
+				snprintf(pidstr, sizeof (pidstr), "%lld", (long long) getppid());
+				execl(AUTOUPDATER_BIN, AUTOUPDATER_BIN, "--waitpid", pidstr, NULL);
+			}
+			_exit(0);  /* oh well. */
+		}
+		else   /* parent process */
+		{
+			/* leave the write end open until we terminate so updater can block on it. */
+			close(updater_pipes[0]);
+		}
+	}
+	#endif
+#endif
+
+	(void) argc; (void) argv;  /* possibly unused. Pacify compilers. */
+}
+
diff --git a/code/sys/sys_main.c b/code/sys/sys_main.c
index 5f1d4fc4..44d74f92 100644
--- a/code/sys/sys_main.c
+++ b/code/sys/sys_main.c
@@ -31,15 +31,6 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
-#ifdef USE_AUTOUPDATER
-#ifdef _WIN32
-#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN 1
-#include <windows.h>
-#else
-#include <unistd.h>
-#endif
-#endif
-
 #ifndef DEDICATED
 #ifdef USE_LOCAL_HEADERS
 #	include "SDL.h"
@@ -668,62 +659,8 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
 	int   i;
 	char  commandLine[ MAX_STRING_CHARS ] = { 0 };
 
-#ifdef USE_AUTOUPDATER
-{
-	#ifndef AUTOUPDATER_BIN
-	#error The build system should have defined AUTOUPDATER_BIN
-	#endif
-
-	#ifdef _WIN32
-	{
-		/* We don't need the Unix pipe() tapdance here because Windows lets children wait on parent processes. */
-		PROCESS_INFORMATION procinfo;
-		char cmdline[128];
-		Com_sprintf(cmdline, sizeof (cmdline), AUTOUPDATER_BIN " --waitpid %u", (unsigned int) GetCurrentProcessId());
-		if (CreateProcessA(AUTOUPDATER_BIN, cmdline, NULL, NULL, FALSE, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, &procinfo))
-		{
-			/* close handles now so child cleans up immediately if nothing to do */
-			CloseHandle(procinfo.hProcess);
-			CloseHandle(procinfo.hThread);
-		}
-	}
-	#else
-	int updater_pipes[2];
-	if (pipe(updater_pipes) == 0)
-	{
-		pid_t pid = fork();
-		if (pid == -1)  /* failure, oh well. */
-		{
-			close(updater_pipes[0]);
-			close(updater_pipes[1]);
-		}
-		else if (pid == 0)  /* child process */
-		{
-			close(updater_pipes[1]);  /* don't need write end. */
-			if (dup2(updater_pipes[0], 3) != -1)
-			{
-				char pidstr[64];
-				char *ptr = strrchr(argv[0], '/');
-				if (ptr)
-					*ptr = '\0';
-				chdir(argv[0]);
-				#ifdef __APPLE__
-				chdir("../..");  /* put this at base of app bundle so paths make sense later. */
-				#endif
-				snprintf(pidstr, sizeof (pidstr), "%lld", (long long) getppid());
-				execl(AUTOUPDATER_BIN, AUTOUPDATER_BIN, "--waitpid", pidstr, NULL);
-			}
-			_exit(0);  /* oh well. */
-		}
-		else   /* parent process */
-		{
-			/* leave the write end open until we terminate so updater can block on it. */
-			close(updater_pipes[0]);
-		}
-	}
-	#endif
-}
-#endif
+	extern void Sys_LaunchAutoupdater(int argc, char **argv);
+	Sys_LaunchAutoupdater(argc, argv);
 
 #ifndef DEDICATED
 	// SDL version check