diff --git a/assets/js/components/Version.vue b/assets/js/components/Version.vue
index 4d3ed861d..13c9f2d0a 100644
--- a/assets/js/components/Version.vue
+++ b/assets/js/components/Version.vue
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ export default {
 			return (
 				this.available && // available version already computed?
 				this.installed != "[[.Version]]" && // go template parsed?
-				this.installed != "0.0.1-alpha" && // make used?
+				this.installed != "0.0.0" && // make used?
 				this.available != this.installed
 			);
 		},
@@ -172,7 +172,9 @@ export default {
 			}
 		},
 		releaseNotesUrl: function (version) {
-			return `https://github.com/evcc-io/evcc/releases/tag/${version}`;
+			return version == "0.0.0"
+				? `https://github.com/evcc-io/evcc/releases`
+				: `https://github.com/evcc-io/evcc/releases/tag/${version}`;
 		},
 		openModal() {
 			const modal = Modal.getOrCreateInstance(document.getElementById("updateModal"));
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 4b78c976b..03f76d54f 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -259,9 +259,11 @@ func runRoot(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		site.DumpConfig()
 		site.Prepare(valueChan, pushChan)
 
-		// show and check version
-		valueChan <- util.Param{Key: "version", Val: server.FormattedVersion()}
-		go updater.Run(log, httpd, valueChan)
+		// show and check version, reduce api load during development
+		if server.Version != server.DevVersion {
+			valueChan <- util.Param{Key: "version", Val: server.FormattedVersion()}
+			go updater.Run(log, httpd, valueChan)
+		}
 
 		// expose sponsor to UI
 		if sponsor.Subject != "" {
diff --git a/server/version.go b/server/version.go
index 6d97b1ffc..d10346780 100644
--- a/server/version.go
+++ b/server/version.go
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ package server
 
 import "fmt"
 
+const DevVersion = "0.0.0"
+
 var (
 	// Version of executable
-	Version = "0.0.1-alpha"
+	Version = DevVersion
 
 	// Commit of executable
 	Commit = ""