diff --git a/build.cm b/build.cm
index e96fac3f..deb26dc6 100644
--- a/build.cm
+++ b/build.cm
@@ -771,9 +771,6 @@ Build.build_dynamic = function(pkg, target, buildtype, opts) {
     })
   }
 
-  if (total > 0)
-    os.print('  Building C modules ')
-
   arrfor(c_files, function(file) {
     var sym_name = shop.c_symbol_for_file(pkg, file)
     var dylib = Build.build_module_dylib(pkg, file, _target, {buildtype: _buildtype, extra_objects: support_objects, cflags: cached_cflags, verbose: _opts.verbose, force: _opts.force})
@@ -783,11 +780,10 @@ Build.build_dynamic = function(pkg, target, buildtype, opts) {
       failed = failed + 1
     }
     done = done + 1
-    os.print('.')
   })
 
   if (total > 0)
-    os.print(` ${text(done)}/${text(total)}${failed > 0 ? `, ${text(failed)} failed` : ''}\n`)
+    log.build(`  Building C modules (${text(done)} ok${failed > 0 ? `, ${text(failed)} failed` : ''})`)
 
   // Write manifest so runtime can find dylibs without the build module
   var mpath = manifest_path(pkg)
diff --git a/http.cm b/http.cm
index 3eb1c5e6..a28805f8 100644
--- a/http.cm
+++ b/http.cm
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ function parse_headers(raw) {
   }
 }
 
-// decode chunked transfer encoding
+// decode chunked transfer encoding (text version, for async responses)
 function decode_chunked(body_text) {
   var result = ""
   var pos = 0
@@ -475,6 +475,37 @@ function decode_chunked(body_text) {
   return result
 }
 
+// decode chunked transfer encoding (blob version, preserves binary data)
+function decode_chunked_blob(buf, body_start_bytes) {
+  var result = Blob()
+  var pos = body_start_bytes
+  var total_bytes = length(buf) / 8
+  var header_end = null
+  var header_blob = null
+  var header_text = null
+  var crlf_pos = null
+  var chunk_size = null
+  var chunk_data = null
+  while (pos < total_bytes) {
+    header_end = pos + 20
+    if (header_end > total_bytes) header_end = total_bytes
+    header_blob = buf.read_blob(pos * 8, header_end * 8)
+    stone(header_blob)
+    header_text = text(header_blob)
+    crlf_pos = search(header_text, CRLF)
+    if (crlf_pos == null) break
+    chunk_size = number(text(header_text, 0, crlf_pos), 16)
+    if (chunk_size == null || chunk_size == 0) break
+    pos = pos + crlf_pos + 2
+    chunk_data = buf.read_blob(pos * 8, (pos + chunk_size) * 8)
+    stone(chunk_data)
+    result.write_blob(chunk_data)
+    pos = pos + chunk_size + 2
+  }
+  stone(result)
+  return result
+}
+
 // receive_response requestor — async incremental receive
 var receive_response = function(callback, state) {
   var cancelled = false
@@ -650,6 +681,8 @@ var fetch = function(url) {
   var addrs = null
   var address = null
   var ok = true
+  var status_line = null
+  var status_code = null
 
   if (scheme_end != null) {
     scheme = lower(text(url, 0, scheme_end))
@@ -705,8 +738,16 @@ var fetch = function(url) {
   hdr_end = search(raw_text, CRLF + CRLF)
   if (hdr_end == null) return null
   header_text = text(raw_text, 0, hdr_end)
-  if (search(lower(header_text), "transfer-encoding: chunked") != null)
-    return decode_chunked(text(raw_text, hdr_end + 4))
+  status_line = text(header_text, 0, search(header_text, CRLF) || length(header_text))
+  status_code = number(text(status_line, 9, 12))
+  if (status_code == null || status_code < 200 || status_code >= 300) {
+    log.error("fetch: " + status_line)
+    disrupt
+  }
+  if (search(lower(header_text), "transfer-encoding: chunked") != null) {
+    body = decode_chunked_blob(buf, hdr_end + 4)
+    return body
+  }
   // Headers are ASCII so char offset = byte offset
   body_start_bits = (hdr_end + 4) * 8
   body = buf.read_blob(body_start_bits, length(buf))
diff --git a/internal/shop.cm b/internal/shop.cm
index 890c29e5..acb5ef1a 100644
--- a/internal/shop.cm
+++ b/internal/shop.cm
@@ -1021,19 +1021,41 @@ function ensure_package_dylibs(pkg) {
   var build_mod = use_cache['core/build']
   var target = null
   var c_files = null
+  var _all_ok = true
+  var _ri = 0
 
   if (build_mod) {
-    target = detect_host_target()
-    if (!target) return null
-
-    c_files = pkg_tools.get_c_files(_pkg, target, true)
-    if (!c_files || length(c_files) == 0) {
-      package_dylibs[_pkg] = []
-      return []
+    // Fast path: if manifest exists and all dylibs are present, skip build_dynamic
+    results = read_dylib_manifest(_pkg)
+    if (results != null) {
+      _all_ok = true
+      _ri = 0
+      while (_ri < length(results)) {
+        if (results[_ri].dylib && !fd.is_file(results[_ri].dylib)) {
+          _all_ok = false
+          break
+        }
+        _ri = _ri + 1
+      }
+      if (_all_ok) {
+        log.shop('manifest ok for ' + _pkg + ' (' + text(length(results)) + ' modules)')
+      } else {
+        results = null
+      }
     }
+    if (results == null) {
+      target = detect_host_target()
+      if (!target) return null
 
-    log.shop('ensuring C modules for ' + _pkg)
-    results = build_mod.build_dynamic(_pkg, target, 'release', {})
+      c_files = pkg_tools.get_c_files(_pkg, target, true)
+      if (!c_files || length(c_files) == 0) {
+        package_dylibs[_pkg] = []
+        return []
+      }
+
+      log.shop('ensuring C modules for ' + _pkg)
+      results = build_mod.build_dynamic(_pkg, target, 'release', {})
+    }
   } else {
     // No build module at runtime — read manifest from cell build
     results = read_dylib_manifest(_pkg)
@@ -1622,12 +1644,16 @@ function download_zip(pkg, commit_hash) {
   return _download()
 }
 
-// Get zip from cache, returns null if not cached
+// Get zip from cache, returns null if not cached or empty
 function get_cached_zip(pkg, commit_hash) {
   var cache_path = get_cache_path(pkg, commit_hash)
-  if (fd.is_file(cache_path))
-    return fd.slurp(cache_path)
-    
+  var data = null
+  if (fd.is_file(cache_path)) {
+    data = fd.slurp(cache_path)
+    stone(data)
+    if (length(data) > 0) return data
+    fd.remove(cache_path)
+  }
   return null
 }
 
@@ -1883,7 +1909,7 @@ Shop.sync_with_deps = function(pkg, opts) {
     if (visited[current]) continue
     visited[current] = true
 
-    log.console('  Fetching ' + current + '...')
+    log.build('  Fetching ' + current + '...')
     Shop.sync(current, opts)
 
     _read_deps = function() {
@@ -2082,15 +2108,15 @@ Shop.build_package_scripts = function(package)
       ok = ok + 1
     } disruption {
       push(errors, script)
-      log.console("  compile error: " + package + '/' + script)
+      log.build("  compile error: " + package + '/' + script)
     }
     _try()
   })
 
   if (length(errors) > 0) {
-    log.console('  Compiling scripts (' + text(ok) + ' ok, ' + text(length(errors)) + ' errors)')
+    log.build('  Compiling scripts (' + text(ok) + ' ok, ' + text(length(errors)) + ' errors)')
   } else if (ok > 0) {
-    log.console('  Compiling scripts (' + text(ok) + ' ok)')
+    log.build('  Compiling scripts (' + text(ok) + ' ok)')
   }
 
   return {ok: ok, errors: errors, total: length(scripts)}
diff --git a/log.ce b/log.ce
index f36d9a02..2efc84a8 100644
--- a/log.ce
+++ b/log.ce
@@ -371,6 +371,7 @@ function do_enable() {
   var sink = null
   var i = 0
   var already = false
+  var new_exclude = []
   if (length(args) < 2) {
     log.error("Usage: cell log enable <channel>")
     return
@@ -388,7 +389,7 @@ function do_enable() {
   }
   if (is_array(sink.channels) && length(sink.channels) == 1 && sink.channels[0] == "*") {
     if (is_array(sink.exclude)) {
-      var new_exclude = []
+      new_exclude = []
       arrfor(sink.exclude, function(ex) {
         if (ex != channel) push(new_exclude, ex)
       })
@@ -411,6 +412,7 @@ function do_disable() {
   var sink = null
   var i = 0
   var new_channels = []
+  var already_excluded = false
   if (length(args) < 2) {
     log.error("Usage: cell log disable <channel>")
     return
@@ -428,7 +430,7 @@ function do_disable() {
   }
   if (is_array(sink.channels) && length(sink.channels) == 1 && sink.channels[0] == "*") {
     if (!is_array(sink.exclude)) sink.exclude = []
-    var already_excluded = false
+    already_excluded = false
     arrfor(sink.exclude, function(ex) {
       if (ex == channel) already_excluded = true
     })
diff --git a/update.ce b/update.ce
index 7a00284a..05463e9f 100644
--- a/update.ce
+++ b/update.ce
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ var target_triple = null
 var follow_links = false
 var git_pull = false
 var i = 0
-var updated = 0
 var packages = null
 
 var run = function() {
@@ -54,7 +53,14 @@ var run = function() {
 if (target_pkg)
   target_pkg = shop.resolve_locator(target_pkg)
 
-function update_one(pkg) {
+if (target_pkg) {
+  update_single(target_pkg)
+} else {
+  update_all()
+}
+}
+
+function check_one(pkg) {
   var effective_pkg = pkg
   var link_target = null
   var lock = shop.load_lock()
@@ -62,59 +68,84 @@ function update_one(pkg) {
   var old_commit = old_entry ? old_entry.commit : null
   var info = shop.resolve_package_info(pkg)
   var new_entry = null
-  var old_str = null
 
   if (follow_links) {
     link_target = link.get_target(pkg)
     if (link_target) {
       effective_pkg = link_target
-      log.console("  Following link: " + pkg + " -> " + effective_pkg)
     }
   }
 
-  // For local packages with --git, pull first
   if (git_pull && info == 'local' && fd.is_dir(effective_pkg + '/.git')) {
-    log.console("  " + effective_pkg + " (git pull)")
+    log.build("  " + effective_pkg + " (git pull)")
     os.system('git -C "' + effective_pkg + '" pull')
   }
 
-  // Check for update (sets lock entry if changed)
   new_entry = shop.update(effective_pkg)
 
-  if (new_entry && new_entry.commit) {
-    old_str = old_commit ? text(old_commit, 0, 8) : "(new)"
-    log.console("  " + effective_pkg + " " + old_str + " -> " + text(new_entry.commit, 0, 8))
+  return {
+    pkg: pkg,
+    effective: effective_pkg,
+    old_commit: old_commit,
+    new_entry: new_entry,
+    changed: new_entry != null && new_entry.commit != null
   }
-
-  // Sync: fetch, extract, build
-  shop.sync(effective_pkg, {target: target_triple})
-
-  return new_entry
 }
 
-if (target_pkg) {
-  if (update_one(target_pkg)) {
-    log.console("Updated " + target_pkg + ".")
+function sync_one(effective_pkg) {
+  shop.sync(effective_pkg, {target: target_triple})
+}
+
+function update_single(pkg) {
+  var result = check_one(pkg)
+  var old_str = null
+  if (result.changed) {
+    old_str = result.old_commit ? text(result.old_commit, 0, 8) : "(new)"
+    log.console("==> Upgrading " + result.effective)
+    log.console("  " + old_str + " -> " + text(result.new_entry.commit, 0, 8))
+    log.console("==> Syncing " + result.effective)
+    sync_one(result.effective)
+    log.console("Updated " + result.effective + ".")
   } else {
-    log.console(target_pkg + " is up to date.")
+    log.console(pkg + " is up to date.")
   }
-} else {
+}
+
+function update_all() {
+  var results = []
+  var changed = []
+  var result = null
+
   packages = shop.list_packages()
-  log.console("Checking for updates (" + text(length(packages)) + " packages)...")
+  log.console("Checking for updates...")
 
   arrfor(packages, function(pkg) {
     if (pkg == 'core') return
-    if (update_one(pkg))
-      updated = updated + 1
+    result = check_one(pkg)
+    results[] = result
+    if (result.changed)
+      changed[] = result
   })
 
-  if (updated > 0) {
-    log.console("Updated " + text(updated) + " package(s).")
-  } else {
+  if (length(changed) == 0) {
     log.console("All packages are up to date.")
+    return
   }
+
+  log.console("==> Upgrading " + text(length(changed)) + " outdated package" + (length(changed) != 1 ? "s" : "") + ":")
+  arrfor(changed, function(r) {
+    var old_str = r.old_commit ? text(r.old_commit, 0, 8) : "(new)"
+    log.console("  " + r.effective + "  " + old_str + " -> " + text(r.new_entry.commit, 0, 8))
+  })
+
+  arrfor(changed, function(r) {
+    log.console("==> Syncing " + r.effective)
+    sync_one(r.effective)
+  })
+
+  log.console("Updated " + text(length(changed)) + " package(s).")
 }
-}
+
 run()
 
 $stop()