diff --git a/app/models/remote_theme.rb b/app/models/remote_theme.rb
index d19f800c827..10190ff064d 100644
--- a/app/models/remote_theme.rb
+++ b/app/models/remote_theme.rb
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ class RemoteTheme < ActiveRecord::Base
     self.joined_remotes.where("last_error_text IS NOT NULL").pluck("themes.name", "themes.id")
   end
 
+  def out_of_date?
+    commits_behind > 0 || remote_version != local_version
+  end
+
   def update_remote_version
     return unless is_git?
     importer = ThemeStore::GitImporter.new(remote_url, private_key: private_key, branch: branch)
diff --git a/lib/tasks/themes.rake b/lib/tasks/themes.rake
index 88b85080afa..644c536e3aa 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/themes.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/themes.rake
@@ -58,9 +58,15 @@ def update_themes
       remote_theme = theme.remote_theme
       next if remote_theme.blank? || remote_theme.remote_url.blank?
 
-      puts "Updating '#{theme.name}' for '#{RailsMultisite::ConnectionManagement.current_db}'..."
-      remote_theme.update_from_remote
-      theme.save!
+      print "Checking '#{theme.name}' for '#{RailsMultisite::ConnectionManagement.current_db}'... "
+      remote_theme.update_remote_version
+      if remote_theme.out_of_date?
+        puts "updating from #{remote_theme.local_version[0..7]} to #{remote_theme.remote_version[0..7]}"
+        remote_theme.update_from_remote
+        theme.save!
+      else
+        puts "up to date"
+      end
 
       raise RemoteTheme::ImportError.new(remote_theme.last_error_text) if remote_theme.last_error_text.present?
     rescue => e