diff --git a/packages/vscode-ide-companion/scripts/check-vscode-release.js b/packages/vscode-ide-companion/scripts/check-vscode-release.js
index 0298040a02..f2a45d1dd6 100755
--- a/packages/vscode-ide-companion/scripts/check-vscode-release.js
+++ b/packages/vscode-ide-companion/scripts/check-vscode-release.js
@@ -42,44 +42,54 @@ function checkRelease() {
     }
     const lastReleaseVersion = match[1];
     const lastReleaseCommit = match[2];
-    console.log(`Last release version: ${lastReleaseVersion}`);
-    console.log(`Last release commit hash: ${lastReleaseCommit}`);
 
     // Step 2: Check for new commits
-    execSync('git fetch origin main');
+    execSync('git fetch origin main', { stdio: 'pipe' });
     const gitLog = execSync(
-      `git log ${lastReleaseCommit}..origin/main -- packages/vscode-ide-companion`,
+      `git log ${lastReleaseCommit}..origin/main --invert-grep --grep="chore(release): bump version to" -- packages/vscode-ide-companion`,
       { encoding: 'utf-8' },
     ).trim();
 
-    if (gitLog) {
-      console.log(
-        '\nNew commits found since last release. A new release is needed.',
-      );
-      console.log('---');
-      console.log(gitLog);
-      console.log('---');
-    } else {
-      console.log(
-        '\nNo new commits found since last release. No release is necessary.',
-      );
-    }
-
     // Step 3: Check for dependency changes
     const noticesDiff = execSync(
       `git diff ${lastReleaseCommit}..origin/main -- packages/vscode-ide-companion/NOTICES.txt`,
       { encoding: 'utf-8' },
     ).trim();
+
+    if (gitLog) {
+      console.log('\n--- New Commits ---');
+      console.log(gitLog);
+      console.log('-------------------');
+    }
+
+    if (noticesDiff) {
+      console.log('\n--- Dependency Changes ---');
+      console.log(noticesDiff);
+      console.log('------------------------');
+    }
+
+    console.log('\n--- Summary ---');
+    if (gitLog) {
+      console.log(
+        'New commits found for `packages/vscode-ide-companion` since last release. A new release is needed.',
+      );
+    } else {
+      console.log(
+        'No new commits found since last release. No release is necessary.',
+      );
+    }
+
     if (noticesDiff) {
       console.log(
-        '\nDependencies have changed. The license review form will require extra details.',
+        'Dependencies have changed. The license review form will require extra details.',
       );
-      console.log('---');
-      console.log(noticesDiff);
-      console.log('---');
     } else {
-      console.log('\nNo dependency changes found.');
+      console.log('No dependency changes found.');
     }
+
+    console.log(`Last release version: ${lastReleaseVersion}`);
+    console.log(`Last release commit hash: ${lastReleaseCommit}`);
+    console.log('---------------');
   } catch (error) {
     console.error('Error checking for release:', error.message);
     process.exit(1);
diff --git a/packages/vscode-ide-companion/src/extension.test.ts b/packages/vscode-ide-companion/src/extension.test.ts
index ef99ae670e..49b1b76d43 100644
--- a/packages/vscode-ide-companion/src/extension.test.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode-ide-companion/src/extension.test.ts
@@ -209,17 +209,34 @@ describe('activate', () => {
         ide: IDE_DEFINITIONS.cloudshell,
       },
       { ide: IDE_DEFINITIONS.firebasestudio },
-    ])('does not show the notification for $ide.name', async ({ ide }) => {
-      vi.mocked(detectIdeFromEnv).mockReturnValue(ide);
-      vi.mocked(context.globalState.get).mockReturnValue(undefined);
-      const showInformationMessageMock = vi.mocked(
-        vscode.window.showInformationMessage,
-      );
+    ])(
+      'does not show install or update messages for $ide.name',
+      async ({ ide }) => {
+        vi.mocked(detectIdeFromEnv).mockReturnValue(ide);
+        vi.mocked(context.globalState.get).mockReturnValue(undefined);
+        vi.spyOn(global, 'fetch').mockResolvedValue({
+          ok: true,
+          json: async () => ({
+            results: [
+              {
+                extensions: [
+                  {
+                    versions: [{ version: '1.2.0' }],
+                  },
+                ],
+              },
+            ],
+          }),
+        } as Response);
+        const showInformationMessageMock = vi.mocked(
+          vscode.window.showInformationMessage,
+        );
 
-      await activate(context);
+        await activate(context);
 
-      expect(showInformationMessageMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    });
+        expect(showInformationMessageMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      },
+    );
 
     it('should not show an update notification if the version is older', async () => {
       vi.spyOn(global, 'fetch').mockResolvedValue({
diff --git a/packages/vscode-ide-companion/src/extension.ts b/packages/vscode-ide-companion/src/extension.ts
index 0bfab851f9..387ef90df5 100644
--- a/packages/vscode-ide-companion/src/extension.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode-ide-companion/src/extension.ts
@@ -20,11 +20,9 @@ const INFO_MESSAGE_SHOWN_KEY = 'geminiCliInfoMessageShown';
 export const DIFF_SCHEME = 'gemini-diff';
 
 /**
- * IDE environments where the installation greeting is hidden.  In these
- * environments we either are pre-installed and the installation message is
- * confusing or we just want to be quiet.
+ * In these environments the companion extension is installed and managed by the IDE instead of the user.
  */
-const HIDE_INSTALLATION_GREETING_IDES: ReadonlySet<IdeInfo['name']> = new Set([
+const MANAGED_EXTENSION_SURFACES: ReadonlySet<IdeInfo['name']> = new Set([
   IDE_DEFINITIONS.firebasestudio.name,
   IDE_DEFINITIONS.cloudshell.name,
 ]);
@@ -37,6 +35,7 @@ let log: (message: string) => void = () => {};
 async function checkForUpdates(
   context: vscode.ExtensionContext,
   log: (message: string) => void,
+  isManagedExtensionSurface: boolean,
 ) {
   try {
     const currentVersion = context.extension.packageJSON.version;
@@ -81,7 +80,11 @@ async function checkForUpdates(
     // The versions are sorted by date, so the first one is the latest.
     const latestVersion = extension?.versions?.[0]?.version;
 
-    if (latestVersion && semver.gt(latestVersion, currentVersion)) {
+    if (
+      !isManagedExtensionSurface &&
+      latestVersion &&
+      semver.gt(latestVersion, currentVersion)
+    ) {
       const selection = await vscode.window.showInformationMessage(
         `A new version (${latestVersion}) of the Gemini CLI Companion extension is available.`,
         'Update to latest version',
@@ -105,7 +108,11 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
   log = createLogger(context, logger);
   log('Extension activated');
 
-  checkForUpdates(context, log);
+  const isManagedExtensionSurface = MANAGED_EXTENSION_SURFACES.has(
+    detectIdeFromEnv().name,
+  );
+
+  checkForUpdates(context, log, isManagedExtensionSurface);
 
   const diffContentProvider = new DiffContentProvider();
   const diffManager = new DiffManager(log, diffContentProvider);
@@ -148,11 +155,10 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
     log(`Failed to start IDE server: ${message}`);
   }
 
-  const infoMessageEnabled = !HIDE_INSTALLATION_GREETING_IDES.has(
-    detectIdeFromEnv().name,
-  );
-
-  if (!context.globalState.get(INFO_MESSAGE_SHOWN_KEY) && infoMessageEnabled) {
+  if (
+    !context.globalState.get(INFO_MESSAGE_SHOWN_KEY) &&
+    !isManagedExtensionSurface
+  ) {
     void vscode.window.showInformationMessage(
       'Gemini CLI Companion extension successfully installed.',
     );