diff --git a/src/appdb.js b/src/appdb.js
index c16f8e25c..5760e34fb 100644
--- a/src/appdb.js
+++ b/src/appdb.js
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     ISTATE_PENDING_UNINSTALL: 'pending_uninstall', // uninstallation
     ISTATE_PENDING_RESTORE: 'pending_restore', // restore to previous backup or on upgrade
     ISTATE_PENDING_UPDATE: 'pending_update', // update from installed state preserving data
-    ISTATE_PENDING_FORCE_UPDATE: 'pending_force_update', // update from any state preserving data
     ISTATE_PENDING_BACKUP: 'pending_backup', // backup the app
     ISTATE_ERROR: 'error', // error executing last pending_* command
     ISTATE_INSTALLED: 'installed', // app is installed
diff --git a/src/apps.js b/src/apps.js
index b38460ba5..b37f2d581 100644
--- a/src/apps.js
+++ b/src/apps.js
@@ -902,7 +902,10 @@ function update(appId, data, auditSource, callback) {
         downloadManifest(data.appStoreId, data.manifest, function (error, appStoreId, manifest) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
 
-            var updateConfig = { };
+            var updateConfig = {
+                skipNotification: data.force,
+                skipBackup: data.force
+            };
 
             error = manifestFormat.parse(manifest);
             if (error) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.BAD_FIELD, 'Manifest error:' + error.message));
@@ -948,7 +951,7 @@ function update(appId, data, auditSource, callback) {
                 updateConfig.memoryLimit = updateConfig.manifest.memoryLimit;
             }
 
-            appdb.setInstallationCommand(appId, data.force ? appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_FORCE_UPDATE : appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_UPDATE, { }, function (error) {
+            appdb.setInstallationCommand(appId, appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_UPDATE, { }, function (error) {
                 if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.BAD_STATE)); // might be a bad guess
                 if (error) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
diff --git a/src/apptask.js b/src/apptask.js
index 91abc989e..0cecff4b4 100644
--- a/src/apptask.js
+++ b/src/apptask.js
@@ -715,8 +715,6 @@ function update(app, updateConfig, progressCallback, callback) {
     // FIXME: this does not handle option changes (like multipleDatabases)
     var unusedAddons = _.omit(app.manifest.addons, Object.keys(updateConfig.manifest.addons));
 
-    const FORCED_UPDATE = (app.installationState === appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_FORCE_UPDATE);
-
     async.series([
         // this protects against the theoretical possibility of an app being marked for update from
         // a previous version of box code
@@ -724,7 +722,7 @@ function update(app, updateConfig, progressCallback, callback) {
         verifyManifest.bind(null, updateConfig.manifest),
 
         function (next) {
-            if (FORCED_UPDATE) return next(null);
+            if (updateConfig.skipBackup) return next(null);
 
             async.series([
                 progressCallback.bind(null, { percent: 15, message: 'Backing up app' }),
@@ -810,8 +808,7 @@ function update(app, updateConfig, progressCallback, callback) {
             debugApp(app, 'Error updating app: %s', error);
             updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, errorMessage: error.message, updateTime: new Date() }, callback.bind(null, error));
         } else {
-            // do not spam the notifcation view
-            if (FORCED_UPDATE) return callback();
+            if (updateConfig.skipNotification) return callback();
 
             eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_APP_UPDATE_FINISH, auditsource.APP_TASK, { app: app, success: true }, callback);
         }
@@ -929,7 +926,6 @@ function run(appId, args, progressCallback, callback) {
         case appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_CLONE: return install(app, args.restoreConfig || {}, progressCallback, callback);
         case appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_RESTORE: return install(app, args.restoreConfig || {}, progressCallback, callback);
         case appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_UPDATE: return update(app, args.updateConfig, progressCallback, callback);
-        case appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_FORCE_UPDATE: return update(app, args.updateConfig, progressCallback, callback);
         case appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_BACKUP: return backup(app, progressCallback, callback);
         case appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED: return handleRunCommand(app, progressCallback, callback);