diff --git a/phpBB/adm/style/acp_ext_list.html b/phpBB/adm/style/acp_ext_list.html
index 0aed0243d9..e0d432ccd3 100644
--- a/phpBB/adm/style/acp_ext_list.html
+++ b/phpBB/adm/style/acp_ext_list.html
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 			<td><strong>{enabled.META_DISPLAY_NAME}</strong></td>
 			<td style="text-align: center;">
 				<!-- IF enabled.S_VERSIONCHECK -->
-				<strong <!-- IF enabled.S_UP_TO_DATE -->style="color: #228822;"<!-- ELSE -->style="color: #BC2A4D;"<!-- ENDIF -->>{enabled.META_VERSION}</strong> [&nbsp;<a href="{enabled.U_VERSIONCHECK_FORCE}">{L_VERSIONCHECK_FORCE_UPDATE}</a>&nbsp;]
+				<strong <!-- IF enabled.S_UP_TO_DATE -->style="color: #228822;"<!-- ELSE -->style="color: #BC2A4D;"<!-- ENDIF -->>{enabled.META_VERSION}</strong>
+				<!-- ELSE -->
+				{enabled.META_VERSION}
 				<!-- ENDIF -->
 			</td>
 			<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="{enabled.U_DETAILS}">{L_DETAILS}</a></td>
@@ -49,7 +51,9 @@
 			<td><strong>{disabled.META_DISPLAY_NAME}</strong></td>
 			<td style="text-align: center;">
 				<!-- IF disabled.S_VERSIONCHECK -->
-				<strong <!-- IF disabled.S_UP_TO_DATE -->style="color: #228822;"<!-- ELSE -->style="color: #BC2A4D;"<!-- ENDIF -->>{disabled.META_VERSION}</strong> [&nbsp;<a href="{disabled.U_VERSIONCHECK_FORCE}">{L_VERSIONCHECK_FORCE_UPDATE}</a>&nbsp;]
+				<strong <!-- IF disabled.S_UP_TO_DATE -->style="color: #228822;"<!-- ELSE -->style="color: #BC2A4D;"<!-- ENDIF -->>{disabled.META_VERSION}</strong>
+				<!-- ELSE -->
+				{disabled.META_VERSION}
 				<!-- ENDIF -->
 			</td>
 			<td style="text-align: center;">
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_extensions.php b/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_extensions.php
index d2b3cb97f0..a91f6fba8b 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_extensions.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_extensions.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ class acp_extensions
 	private $user;
 	private $cache;
 	private $log;
+	private $request;
 
 	function main()
 	{
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ class acp_extensions
 		$this->template = $template;
 		$this->user = $user;
 		$this->cache = $cache;
+		$this->request = $request;
 		$this->log = $phpbb_log;
 
 		$user->add_lang(array('install', 'acp/extensions', 'migrator'));
@@ -304,7 +306,7 @@ class acp_extensions
 					'META_VERSION' => $meta['version'],
 				);
 
-				$updates = $this->version_check($md_manager);
+				$updates = $this->version_check($md_manager, $this->request->variable('versioncheck_force', false));
 
 				$enabled_extension_meta_data[$name]['S_UP_TO_DATE'] = empty($updates);
 				$enabled_extension_meta_data[$name]['S_VERSIONCHECK'] = true;
@@ -359,7 +361,7 @@ class acp_extensions
 					'META_VERSION' => $meta['version'],
 				);
 
-				$updates = $this->version_check($md_manager);
+				$updates = $this->version_check($md_manager, $this->request->variable('versioncheck_force', false));
 
 				$disabled_extension_meta_data[$name]['S_UP_TO_DATE'] = empty($updates);
 				$disabled_extension_meta_data[$name]['S_VERSIONCHECK'] = true;
@@ -417,7 +419,7 @@ class acp_extensions
 					'META_VERSION' => $meta['version'],
 				);
 
-				$updates = $this->version_check($md_manager);
+				$updates = $this->version_check($md_manager, $this->request->variable('versioncheck_force', false));
 
 				$available_extension_meta_data[$name]['S_UP_TO_DATE'] = empty($updates);
 				$available_extension_meta_data[$name]['S_VERSIONCHECK'] = true;
@@ -490,8 +492,9 @@ class acp_extensions
 		$version_helper = new \phpbb\version_helper($this->cache, $this->config, $this->user);
 		$version_helper->set_current_version($meta['version']);
 		$version_helper->set_file_location($version_check ['host'], $version_check ['directory'], $version_check ['filename']);
+		$version_helper->force_stability($this->config['extension_force_unstable'] ? 'unstable' : null);
 
-		return $updates = $version_helper->get_suggested_updates($force);
+		return $updates = $version_helper->get_suggested_updates($force, true);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/version_helper.php b/phpBB/phpbb/version_helper.php
index 5991744e76..968a57428f 100644
--- a/phpBB/phpbb/version_helper.php
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/version_helper.php
@@ -158,15 +158,16 @@ class version_helper
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Gets the latest version for the current branch the user is on
-	 *
-	 * @param bool $force_update Ignores cached data. Defaults to false.
-	 * @return string
-	 * @throws \RuntimeException
-	 */
-	public function get_latest_on_current_branch($force_update = false)
+	* Gets the latest version for the current branch the user is on
+	*
+	* @param bool $force_update Ignores cached data. Defaults to false.
+	* @param bool $force_cache Force the use of the cache. Override $force_update.
+	* @return string
+	* @throws \RuntimeException
+	*/
+	public function get_latest_on_current_branch($force_update = false, $force_cache = false)
 	{
-		$versions = $this->get_versions_matching_stability($force_update);
+		$versions = $this->get_versions_matching_stability($force_update, $force_cache);
 
 		$self = $this;
 		$current_version = $this->current_version;
@@ -188,15 +189,16 @@ class version_helper
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Obtains the latest version information
-	 *
-	 * @param bool $force_update Ignores cached data. Defaults to false.
-	 * @return string
-	 * @throws \RuntimeException
-	 */
-	public function get_suggested_updates($force_update = false)
+	* Obtains the latest version information
+	*
+	* @param bool $force_update Ignores cached data. Defaults to false.
+	* @param bool $force_cache Force the use of the cache. Override $force_update.
+	* @return string
+	* @throws \RuntimeException
+	*/
+	public function get_suggested_updates($force_update = false, $force_cache = false)
 	{
-		$versions = $this->get_versions_matching_stability($force_update);
+		$versions = $this->get_versions_matching_stability($force_update, $force_cache);
 
 		$self = $this;
 		$current_version = $this->current_version;
@@ -208,15 +210,16 @@ class version_helper
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Obtains the latest version information matching the stability of the current install
-	 *
-	 * @param bool $force_update Ignores cached data. Defaults to false.
-	 * @return string Version info
-	 * @throws \RuntimeException
-	 */
-	public function get_versions_matching_stability($force_update = false)
+	* Obtains the latest version information matching the stability of the current install
+	*
+	* @param bool $force_update Ignores cached data. Defaults to false.
+	* @param bool $force_cache Force the use of the cache. Override $force_update.
+	* @return string Version info
+	* @throws \RuntimeException
+	*/
+	public function get_versions_matching_stability($force_update = false, $force_cache = false)
 	{
-		$info = $this->get_versions($force_update);
+		$info = $this->get_versions($force_update, $force_cache);
 
 		if ($this->force_stability !== null)
 		{
@@ -227,19 +230,24 @@ class version_helper
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Obtains the latest version information
-	 *
-	 * @param bool $force_update Ignores cached data. Defaults to false.
-	 * @return string Version info, includes stable and unstable data
-	 * @throws \RuntimeException
-	 */
-	public function get_versions($force_update = false)
+	* Obtains the latest version information
+	*
+	* @param bool $force_update Ignores cached data. Defaults to false.
+	* @param bool $force_cache Force the use of the cache. Override $force_update.
+	* @return string Version info, includes stable and unstable data
+	* @throws \RuntimeException
+	*/
+	public function get_versions($force_update = false, $force_cache = false)
 	{
 		$cache_file = 'versioncheck_' . $this->host . $this->path . $this->file;
 
 		$info = $this->cache->get($cache_file);
 
-		if ($info === false || $force_update)
+		if ($info === false && $force_cache)
+		{
+			throw new \RuntimeException($this->user->lang('VERSIONCHECK_FAIL'));
+		}
+		else if ($info === false || $force_update)
 		{
 			$errstr = $errno = '';
 			$info = get_remote_file($this->host, $this->path, $this->file, $errstr, $errno);