diff --git a/aider/main.py b/aider/main.py
index e092a93b4..7008bf943 100644
--- a/aider/main.py
+++ b/aider/main.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import openai
 from aider import __version__, models
 from aider.coders import Coder
 from aider.io import InputOutput
+from aider.versioncheck import check_version
 
 
 def get_git_root():
@@ -369,7 +370,9 @@ def main(args=None, input=None, output=None):
 
     io.tool_output(f"Aider v{__version__}")
 
-    if 'VSCODE_GIT_IPC_HANDLE' in os.environ:
+    check_version(io.tool_error)
+
+    if "VSCODE_GIT_IPC_HANDLE" in os.environ:
         args.pretty = False
         io.tool_output("VSCode terminal detected, pretty output has been disabled.")
 
diff --git a/aider/versioncheck.py b/aider/versioncheck.py
index 0cc082558..0d28e2e0f 100644
--- a/aider/versioncheck.py
+++ b/aider/versioncheck.py
@@ -1,23 +1,29 @@
-import requests
-import pkg_resources
-import aider
 import sys
-from pathlib import Path
 
-from aider.dump import dump
+import pkg_resources
+import requests
+
+import aider
+
 
 def check_version(print_cmd):
-    response = requests.get('https://pypi.org/pypi/aider-chat/json')
-    data = response.json()
-    latest_version = data['info']['version']
-    current_version = pkg_resources.get_distribution('aider-chat').version
+    try:
+        response = requests.get("https://pypi.org/pypi/aider-chat/json")
+        data = response.json()
+        latest_version = data["info"]["version"]
+        current_version = aider.__version__
 
-    if pkg_resources.parse_version(latest_version) <= pkg_resources.parse_version(current_version):
-        return
+        if pkg_resources.parse_version(latest_version) <= pkg_resources.parse_version(
+            current_version
+        ):
+            return
+
+        print_cmd(f"Newer version v{latest_version} is available. To upgrade, run:")
+        py = sys.executable
+        print_cmd(f"{py} -m pip install --upgrade aider-chat")
+    except Exception as err:
+        print_cmd(f"Error checking pypi for new version: {err}")
 
-    print_cmd(f"Newer version of `aider-chat` available: {latest_version}")
-    py = Path(sys.executable).name
-    print_cmd(f"To upgrade, run: {py} -m pip install --upgrade aider-chat")
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     check_version(print)