diff --git a/mktxp/cli/config/config.py b/mktxp/cli/config/config.py
index a759452..f7dd791 100755
--- a/mktxp/cli/config/config.py
+++ b/mktxp/cli/config/config.py
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ class MKTXPConfigKeys:
     FE_QUEUE_KEY = 'queue'
     FE_REMOTE_DHCP_ENTRY = 'remote_dhcp_entry'
 
+    FE_CHECK_FOR_UPDATES = 'check_for_updates'
+
     MKTXP_SOCKET_TIMEOUT = 'socket_timeout'
     MKTXP_INITIAL_DELAY = 'initial_delay_on_failure'
     MKTXP_MAX_DELAY = 'max_delay_on_failure'
@@ -127,7 +129,7 @@ class MKTXPConfigKeys:
     DEFAULT_MKTXP_TOTAL_MAX_SCRAPE_DURATION = 30
 
 
-    BOOLEAN_KEYS_NO = {ENABLED_KEY, SSL_KEY, NO_SSL_CERTIFICATE,
+    BOOLEAN_KEYS_NO = {ENABLED_KEY, SSL_KEY, NO_SSL_CERTIFICATE, FE_CHECK_FOR_UPDATES,
                        SSL_CERTIFICATE_VERIFY, FE_IPV6_FIREWALL_KEY, FE_IPV6_NEIGHBOR_KEY, FE_CONNECTION_STATS_KEY}
 
     # Feature keys enabled by default
@@ -157,7 +159,7 @@ class ConfigEntry:
                                                        MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_FIREWALL_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_MONITOR_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_ROUTE_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_WIRELESS_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_WIRELESS_CLIENTS_KEY,
                                                        MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_IP_CONNECTIONS_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_CONNECTION_STATS_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_CAPSMAN_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_CAPSMAN_CLIENTS_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_POE_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_NETWATCH_KEY,
                                                        MKTXPConfigKeys.MKTXP_USE_COMMENTS_OVER_NAMES, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_PUBLIC_IP_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_IPV6_FIREWALL_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_IPV6_NEIGHBOR_KEY,
-                                                       MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_USER_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_QUEUE_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_REMOTE_DHCP_ENTRY
+                                                       MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_USER_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_QUEUE_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_REMOTE_DHCP_ENTRY, MKTXPConfigKeys.FE_CHECK_FOR_UPDATES
                                                        ])
     MKTXPSystemEntry = namedtuple('MKTXPSystemEntry', [MKTXPConfigKeys.PORT_KEY, MKTXPConfigKeys.MKTXP_SOCKET_TIMEOUT,
                                                        MKTXPConfigKeys.MKTXP_INITIAL_DELAY, MKTXPConfigKeys.MKTXP_MAX_DELAY,
diff --git a/mktxp/cli/config/mktxp.conf b/mktxp/cli/config/mktxp.conf
index 161816b..8c0829b 100644
--- a/mktxp/cli/config/mktxp.conf
+++ b/mktxp/cli/config/mktxp.conf
@@ -53,4 +53,6 @@
     
     remote_dhcp_entry = None        # An MKTXP entry for remote DHCP info resolution (capsman/wireless)
 
-    use_comments_over_names = True  # when available, forces using comments over the interfaces names 
+    use_comments_over_names = True  # when available, forces using comments over the interfaces names
+
+    check_for_updates = False       # check for available ROS updates
diff --git a/mktxp/collector/resource_collector.py b/mktxp/collector/resource_collector.py
index e37fb6b..15b3d2d 100644
--- a/mktxp/collector/resource_collector.py
+++ b/mktxp/collector/resource_collector.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from mktxp.collector.base_collector import BaseCollector
 from mktxp.flow.processor.output import BaseOutputProcessor
 from mktxp.datasource.system_resource_ds import SystemResourceMetricsDataSource
+from mktxp.utils.utils import check_for_updates
 
 
 class SystemResourceCollector(BaseCollector):
@@ -61,6 +62,16 @@ class SystemResourceCollector(BaseCollector):
             cpu_frequency_metrics = BaseCollector.gauge_collector('system_cpu_frequency', 'Current CPU frequency', resource_records, 'cpu_frequency', ['version', 'board_name', 'cpu', 'architecture_name'])
             yield cpu_frequency_metrics
 
+            # Check for updates
+            if router_entry.config_entry.check_for_updates:
+                for record in resource_records:
+                    cur_version, newest_version = check_for_updates(record['version'])
+                    record['newest_version'] = str(newest_version)
+                    record['update_available'] = cur_version < newest_version
+
+                update_available_metrics = BaseCollector.gauge_collector('system_update_available', 'Is there a newer version available', resource_records, 'update_available', ['newest_version',])
+                yield update_available_metrics
+
 
     # Helpers
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/mktxp/utils/utils.py b/mktxp/utils/utils.py
index 3144610..ce9d9d3 100755
--- a/mktxp/utils/utils.py
+++ b/mktxp/utils/utils.py
@@ -11,14 +11,18 @@
 ## MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 ## GNU General Public License for more details.
 
-
+from functools import lru_cache
 import os, sys, shlex, tempfile, shutil, re
-import subprocess, hashlib
+import subprocess, hashlib, urllib
+import time
 from timeit import default_timer
 from collections.abc import Iterable
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from multiprocessing import Process, Event
 from datetime import timedelta
+from pkg_resources import packaging
+
 
 
 ''' Utilities / Helpers
@@ -270,3 +274,76 @@ class Benchmark:
         self.time = default_timer() - self.start
 
 
+# mapping of channels to RSS feeds
+CHANNEL_RSS_FEED_MAPPING = {
+    'development': 'https://mikrotik.com/development.rss',
+    'long-term': 'https://mikrotik.com/bugfix.rss',
+    'stable': 'https://mikrotik.com/current.rss',
+    'testing': 'https://mikrotik.com/candidate.rss',
+}
+
+
+def get_ttl_hash(seconds=3600):
+    """Return the same value withing `seconds` time period"""
+    return round(time.time() / seconds)
+
+
+@lru_cache(maxsize=5)
+def get_available_updates(channel, ttl_hash=get_ttl_hash()):
+    """Check the RSS feed for available updates for a given update channel.
+    This method fetches the RSS feed and returns all version from the parsed XML.
+    Version numbers are parsed into version.Version instances (part of setuptools)."""
+    del ttl_hash
+    rss_feed = CHANNEL_RSS_FEED_MAPPING[channel]
+
+    print(f'Fetching available ROS releases from {rss_feed}')
+    versions = []
+    with urllib.request.urlopen(rss_feed) as response:
+        result = response.read()
+        root = ET.fromstring(result)
+        channel = root[0]
+
+        for child in channel:
+            # iterate over all updates
+            if child.tag == 'item':
+                title, _, _, _, _, _ = child
+                # extract and parse the version number from title
+                version_text = re.findall(r'[\d+\.]+', title.text)[0]
+                version_number = packaging.version.parse(version_text)
+                versions.append(version_number)
+    return versions
+
+
+def parse_ros_version(string):
+    """Parse the version returned from the /system/resource command.
+    Returns a tuple: (<version>, <channel>).
+
+    >>> parse_ros_version('1.2.3 (stable)')
+    1.2.3, stable
+    """
+    version, channel = re.findall(r'([\d\.]+).*?([\w]+)', string)[0]
+    return packaging.version.parse(version), channel
+
+def check_for_updates(cur_version):
+    """Try to check if there is a newer version available.
+    If anything goes wrong, it returns the same version.
+    Returns a tuple: (<current version>, <newest version>)"""
+    error = False
+    try:
+        cur_version, channel = parse_ros_version(cur_version)
+        available_versions = get_available_updates(channel)
+        newest_version = sorted(available_versions)[-1]
+    except KeyError:
+        print(f'unknown update channel {channel}')
+        error = True
+    except urllib.error.HTTPError as err:
+        print(f'update feed returned: {str(err)}')
+        error = True
+    except Exception as err:
+        print(f'could not check for updates, because: {str(err)}')
+        error = True
+
+    if error:
+        return cur_version, cur_version
+
+    return cur_version, newest_version