diff --git a/lib/service/service.go b/lib/service/service.go
index b53d24dd61889..fab715c5db0cb 100644
--- a/lib/service/service.go
+++ b/lib/service/service.go
@@ -1282,7 +1282,16 @@ func NewTeleport(cfg *servicecfg.Config) (*TeleportProcess, error) {
 			process.logger.WarnContext(process.ExitContext(), "Use of external upgraders on control-plane instances is not recommended.")
 		}
 
-		if upgraderKind == types.UpgraderKindSystemdUnit {
+		switch upgraderKind {
+		case types.UpgraderKindTeleportUpdate:
+			driver, err := uw.NewSystemdUnitDriver(uw.SystemdUnitDriverConfig{})
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+			}
+			if err := driver.ForceNOP(process.ExitContext()); err != nil {
+				return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+			}
+		case types.UpgraderKindSystemdUnit:
 			process.RegisterFunc("autoupdates.endpoint.export", func() error {
 				conn, err := waitForInstanceConnector(process, process.logger)
 				if err != nil {
@@ -1310,9 +1319,8 @@ func NewTeleport(cfg *servicecfg.Config) (*TeleportProcess, error) {
 				process.logger.InfoContext(process.ExitContext(), "Exported autoupdates endpoint.", "addr", resolverAddr.String())
 				return nil
 			})
-		}
-
-		if upgraderKind != types.UpgraderKindTeleportUpdate {
+			fallthrough
+		default:
 			driver, err := uw.NewDriver(upgraderKind)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
diff --git a/lib/versioncontrol/upgradewindow/upgradewindow.go b/lib/versioncontrol/upgradewindow/upgradewindow.go
index 7f90a9d70d41c..6e9423b7c2487 100644
--- a/lib/versioncontrol/upgradewindow/upgradewindow.go
+++ b/lib/versioncontrol/upgradewindow/upgradewindow.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ const (
 
 	// unitScheduleFile is the name of the file to which the unit schedule is exported.
 	unitScheduleFile = "schedule"
+
+	// scheduleNOP is the name of the no-op schedule.
+	scheduleNOP = "nop"
 )
 
 // ExportFunc represents the ExportUpgradeWindows rpc exposed by auth servers.
@@ -313,6 +316,11 @@ type Driver interface {
 	// called if teleport experiences prolonged loss of auth connectivity, which may be an indicator
 	// that the control plane has been upgraded s.t. this agent is no longer compatible.
 	Reset(ctx context.Context) error
+
+	// ForceNOP sets the NOP schedule, ensuring that updates do not happen.
+	// This schedule was originally for testing, but now it also ensures that
+	// the teleport-update binary can disable all versions of the teleport-upgrader script.
+	ForceNOP(ctx context.Context) error
 }
 
 // NewDriver sets up a new export driver corresponding to the specified upgrader kind.
@@ -361,7 +369,15 @@ func (e *kubeDriver) Kind() string {
 }
 
 func (e *kubeDriver) Sync(ctx context.Context, rsp proto.ExportUpgradeWindowsResponse) error {
-	if rsp.KubeControllerSchedule == "" {
+	return trace.Wrap(e.setSchedule(ctx, rsp.KubeControllerSchedule))
+}
+
+func (e *kubeDriver) ForceNOP(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return trace.Wrap(e.setSchedule(ctx, scheduleNOP))
+}
+
+func (e *kubeDriver) setSchedule(ctx context.Context, schedule string) error {
+	if schedule == "" {
 		return e.Reset(ctx)
 	}
 
@@ -369,7 +385,7 @@ func (e *kubeDriver) Sync(ctx context.Context, rsp proto.ExportUpgradeWindowsRes
 		// backend.KeyFromString is intentionally used here instead of backend.NewKey
 		// because existing backend items were persisted without the leading /.
 		Key:   backend.KeyFromString(kubeSchedKey),
-		Value: []byte(rsp.KubeControllerSchedule),
+		Value: []byte(schedule),
 	})
 
 	return trace.Wrap(err)
@@ -411,7 +427,15 @@ func (e *systemdDriver) Kind() string {
 }
 
 func (e *systemdDriver) Sync(ctx context.Context, rsp proto.ExportUpgradeWindowsResponse) error {
-	if len(rsp.SystemdUnitSchedule) == 0 {
+	return trace.Wrap(e.setSchedule(ctx, rsp.SystemdUnitSchedule))
+}
+
+func (e *systemdDriver) ForceNOP(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return trace.Wrap(e.setSchedule(ctx, scheduleNOP))
+}
+
+func (e *systemdDriver) setSchedule(ctx context.Context, schedule string) error {
+	if len(schedule) == 0 {
 		// treat an empty schedule value as equivalent to a reset
 		return e.Reset(ctx)
 	}
@@ -423,7 +447,7 @@ func (e *systemdDriver) Sync(ctx context.Context, rsp proto.ExportUpgradeWindows
 	}
 
 	// export schedule file. if created it is set to 644, which is reasonable for a sensitive but non-secret config value.
-	if err := os.WriteFile(e.scheduleFile(), []byte(rsp.SystemdUnitSchedule), defaults.FilePermissions); err != nil {
+	if err := os.WriteFile(e.scheduleFile(), []byte(schedule), defaults.FilePermissions); err != nil {
 		return trace.Errorf("failed to write schedule file: %v", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/versioncontrol/upgradewindow/upgradewindow_test.go b/lib/versioncontrol/upgradewindow/upgradewindow_test.go
index 7b724708652f4..cff6aef4207c4 100644
--- a/lib/versioncontrol/upgradewindow/upgradewindow_test.go
+++ b/lib/versioncontrol/upgradewindow/upgradewindow_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/gravitational/trace"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/api/client/proto"
@@ -173,6 +174,15 @@ func TestSystemdUnitDriver(t *testing.T) {
 
 	require.Equal(t, "fake-schedule-3", string(sb))
 
+	// verify ForceNOP
+	err = driver.ForceNOP(ctx)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	sb, err = os.ReadFile(schedPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Equal(t, scheduleNOP, string(sb))
+
 	// verify that an empty schedule value is treated equivalent to a reset
 	err = driver.Sync(ctx, proto.ExportUpgradeWindowsResponse{})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -209,6 +219,10 @@ func (d *fakeDriver) Sync(ctx context.Context, rsp proto.ExportUpgradeWindowsRes
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (d *fakeDriver) ForceNOP(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return trace.NotImplemented("force-nop not used by exporter")
+}
+
 func (d *fakeDriver) Reset(ctx context.Context) error {
 	d.mu.Lock()
 	defer d.mu.Unlock()