diff --git a/dosagelib/cmd.py b/dosagelib/cmd.py
index b6c766b7d..134d3749f 100644
--- a/dosagelib/cmd.py
+++ b/dosagelib/cmd.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
-# Copyright (C) 2004-2008 Tristan Seligmann and Jonathan Jacobs
-# Copyright (C) 2012-2014 Bastian Kleineidam
-# Copyright (C) 2015-2022 Tobias Gruetzmacher
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2004 Tristan Seligmann and Jonathan Jacobs
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2012 Bastian Kleineidam
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2015 Tobias Gruetzmacher
 import argparse
 import os
 import platform
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ def display_version(verbose):
     if verbose:
         # search for updates
         from .updater import check_update
-        result, value = check_update()
-        if result:
+        try:
+            value = check_update()
             if value:
                 version, url = value
                 if url is None:
@@ -139,13 +139,8 @@ def display_version(verbose):
                 attrs = {'version': version, 'app': AppName,
                     'url': url, 'currentversion': __version__}
                 print(text % attrs)
-        else:
-            if value is None:
-                value = 'invalid update file syntax'
-            text = ('An error occured while checking for an '
-                    'update of %(app)s: %(error)s.')
-            attrs = {'error': value, 'app': AppName}
-            print(text % attrs)
+        except (IOError, KeyError) as err:
+            print(f'An error occured while checking for an update of {AppName}: {err!r}')
     return 0
 
 
diff --git a/dosagelib/updater.py b/dosagelib/updater.py
index 99218489d..3ef4ac512 100644
--- a/dosagelib/updater.py
+++ b/dosagelib/updater.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
-# Copyright (C) 2004-2008 Tristan Seligmann and Jonathan Jacobs
-# Copyright (C) 2012-2014 Bastian Kleineidam
-# Copyright (C) 2015-2020 Tobias Gruetzmacher
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2004 Tristan Seligmann and Jonathan Jacobs
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2012 Bastian Kleineidam
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2015 Tobias Gruetzmacher
 import os
-
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+import re
+from typing import Any
 
 import dosagelib
 from . import http
@@ -18,35 +18,34 @@ EXTPRIO = {
 }
 
 
-def check_update():
+def check_update() -> None | tuple[str, None | str]:
     """Return the following values:
-       (False, errmsg) - online version could not be determined
-       (True, None) - user has newest version
-       (True, (version, url string)) - update available
-       (True, (version, None)) - current version is newer than online version
+       throws exception - online version could not be determined
+       None - user has newest version
+       (version, url string) - update available
+       (version, None) - current version is newer than online version
     """
     version, value = get_online_version()
-    if version is None:
-        # value is an error message
-        return False, value
     if version == dosagelib.__version__:
         # user has newest version
-        return True, None
+        return None
     if is_newer_version(version):
         # value is an URL linking to the update package
-        return True, (version, value)
+        return (version, value)
     # user is running a local or development version
-    return True, (version, None)
+    return (version, None)
 
 
-def asset_key(asset):
+def asset_key(asset: dict[str, Any]) -> int:
     return EXTPRIO.get(os.path.splitext(asset['browser_download_url'])[1], 99)
 
 
-def get_online_version():
+def get_online_version() -> tuple[str, None | str]:
     """Download update info and parse it."""
-    page = http.default_session.get(UPDATE_URL).json()
-    version = page.get('tag_name', None)
+    response = http.default_session.get(UPDATE_URL)
+    response.raise_for_status()
+    page = response.json()
+    version = page['tag_name']
 
     url = None
     try:
@@ -58,6 +57,12 @@ def get_online_version():
     return version, url
 
 
-def is_newer_version(version):
+def version_nums(ver: str) -> tuple[int, ...]:
+    """Extract all numeric "sub-parts" of a version string. Not very exact, but
+       works for our use case."""
+    return tuple(int(s) for s in re.split(r'\D+', ver + '0'))
+
+
+def is_newer_version(version) -> bool:
     """Check if given version is newer than current version."""
-    return LooseVersion(version) > LooseVersion(dosagelib.__version__)
+    return version_nums(version) > version_nums(dosagelib.__version__)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 923f77874..af7c92ea0 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -52,16 +52,16 @@ dev = [
     "pytest-cov",
     "pytest-xdist",
     "responses",
-    "setup-cfg-fmt",
 ]
 lint = [
-    "flake8<6",
+    "flake8~=6.0",
     "flake8-2020",
     "flake8-breakpoint",
     "flake8-bugbear",
     "flake8-coding",
     "flake8-commas",
     "flake8-comprehensions",
+    "flake8-deprecated",
     "flake8-eradicate",
     "flake8-fixme",
     "flake8-functions",
diff --git a/tests/test_dosage.py b/tests/test_dosage.py
index 9b810a79e..b0c4d4179 100644
--- a/tests/test_dosage.py
+++ b/tests/test_dosage.py
@@ -82,7 +82,15 @@ class TestDosage:
             json={})
         cmd_ok('--version', '-v')
         out = capfd.readouterr().out
-        assert 'invalid update file' in out
+        assert 'KeyError' in out
+
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_update_rate_limit(self, capfd):
+        responses.add(responses.GET, re.compile(r'https://api\.github\.com/'),
+            status=403)
+        cmd_ok('--version', '-v')
+        out = capfd.readouterr().out
+        assert 'HTTPError' in out
 
     def test_display_help(self):
         for option in ("-h", "--help"):