diff --git a/js/ui/extensionDownloader.js b/js/ui/extensionDownloader.js
index 306aaf14f..08ebc2fec 100644
--- a/js/ui/extensionDownloader.js
+++ b/js/ui/extensionDownloader.js
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ function gotExtensionZipFile(session, message, uuid, dir, callback, errback) {
 }
 
 function downloadExtensionUpdate(uuid) {
+    if (!Main.extensionManager.updatesSupported)
+        return;
+
     let dir = Gio.File.new_for_path(
         GLib.build_filenamev([global.userdatadir, 'extension-updates', uuid]));
 
@@ -126,6 +129,9 @@ function downloadExtensionUpdate(uuid) {
 }
 
 function checkForUpdates() {
+    if (!Main.extensionManager.updatesSupported)
+        return;
+
     let metadatas = {};
     Main.extensionManager.getUuids().forEach(uuid => {
         let extension = Main.extensionManager.lookup(uuid);
diff --git a/js/ui/extensionSystem.js b/js/ui/extensionSystem.js
index f2e8db79d..4fab0c334 100644
--- a/js/ui/extensionSystem.js
+++ b/js/ui/extensionSystem.js
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ var ExtensionManager = class {
         ExtensionDownloader.checkForUpdates();
     }
 
+    get updatesSupported() {
+        const appSys = Shell.AppSystem.get_default();
+        return appSys.lookup_app('org.gnome.Extensions.desktop') !== null;
+    }
+
     lookup(uuid) {
         return this._extensions.get(uuid);
     }
@@ -481,6 +486,9 @@ var ExtensionManager = class {
     }
 
     _installExtensionUpdates() {
+        if (!this.updatesSupported)
+            return;
+
         FileUtils.collectFromDatadirs('extension-updates', true, (dir, info) => {
             let fileType = info.get_file_type();
             if (fileType !== Gio.FileType.DIRECTORY)