diff --git a/src/db/repositories/system-config-repository.ts b/src/db/repositories/system-config-repository.ts
index d9276cc..4be9d8f 100644
--- a/src/db/repositories/system-config-repository.ts
+++ b/src/db/repositories/system-config-repository.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ type Db = LibSQLDatabase<typeof schema>;
 
 export const APP_CHECK_INTERVAL = 'app.check_interval';
 export const APP_CONCURRENT_DOWNLOADS = 'app.concurrent_downloads';
+export const YTDLP_LAST_UPDATED = 'ytdlp.last_updated';
 
 // ── Read / Write ──
 
diff --git a/src/server/routes/system.ts b/src/server/routes/system.ts
index 80ecbb9..7090e2d 100644
--- a/src/server/routes/system.ts
+++ b/src/server/routes/system.ts
@@ -5,15 +5,18 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto';
 import { eq } from 'drizzle-orm';
 import { appConfig } from '../../config/index';
-import type { SystemStatusResponse, ApiKeyResponse, AppSettingsResponse } from '../../types/api';
+import type { SystemStatusResponse, ApiKeyResponse, AppSettingsResponse, YtDlpStatusResponse, YtDlpUpdateResponse } from '../../types/api';
 import { systemConfig } from '../../db/schema/index';
 import { API_KEY_DB_KEY } from '../middleware/auth';
 import {
   getAppSettings,
+  getAppSetting,
   setAppSetting,
   APP_CHECK_INTERVAL,
   APP_CONCURRENT_DOWNLOADS,
+  YTDLP_LAST_UPDATED,
 } from '../../db/repositories/system-config-repository';
+import { getYtDlpVersion, updateYtDlp } from '../../sources/yt-dlp';
 import os from 'node:os';
 
 const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
@@ -179,4 +182,44 @@ export async function systemRoutes(fastify: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
 
     return response;
   });
+
+  // ── yt-dlp Status & Update ──
+
+  /**
+   * GET /api/v1/system/ytdlp/status — Current yt-dlp version and last-updated timestamp.
+   */
+  fastify.get('/api/v1/system/ytdlp/status', async (_request, _reply) => {
+    const db = fastify.db;
+    const [version, lastUpdated] = await Promise.all([
+      getYtDlpVersion(),
+      getAppSetting(db, YTDLP_LAST_UPDATED),
+    ]);
+
+    const response: YtDlpStatusResponse = { version, lastUpdated };
+    return response;
+  });
+
+  /**
+   * POST /api/v1/system/ytdlp/update — Trigger a yt-dlp update and persist the timestamp.
+   */
+  fastify.post('/api/v1/system/ytdlp/update', async (request, _reply) => {
+    const db = fastify.db;
+    const result = await updateYtDlp();
+
+    const lastUpdated = new Date().toISOString();
+    await setAppSetting(db, YTDLP_LAST_UPDATED, lastUpdated);
+
+    request.log.info(
+      { updated: result.updated, version: result.version, previousVersion: result.previousVersion },
+      '[system] yt-dlp update check completed'
+    );
+
+    const response: YtDlpUpdateResponse = {
+      updated: result.updated,
+      version: result.version,
+      previousVersion: result.previousVersion,
+      lastUpdated,
+    };
+    return response;
+  });
 }
diff --git a/src/types/api.ts b/src/types/api.ts
index 247f233..0ba6f94 100644
--- a/src/types/api.ts
+++ b/src/types/api.ts
@@ -80,3 +80,19 @@ export interface AppSettingsResponse {
 export type ChannelWithCounts = import('./index').Channel & {
   contentCounts: ContentCounts;
 };
+
+// ── yt-dlp Status ──
+
+/** Response shape for GET /api/v1/system/ytdlp/status. */
+export interface YtDlpStatusResponse {
+  version: string | null;
+  lastUpdated: string | null;
+}
+
+/** Response shape for POST /api/v1/system/ytdlp/update. */
+export interface YtDlpUpdateResponse {
+  updated: boolean;
+  version: string | null;
+  previousVersion: string | null;
+  lastUpdated: string;
+}