diff -Nru update-notifier-3.164/data/update-motd-updates-available update-notifier-3.165/data/update-motd-updates-available
--- update-notifier-3.164/data/update-motd-updates-available	2015-11-13 11:18:38.000000000 +0000
+++ update-notifier-3.165/data/update-motd-updates-available	2016-01-27 21:54:39.000000000 +0000
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 # poor mans force
 if [ "$1" = "--force" ]; then
     NEED_UPDATE_CHECK=yes
+else
+    NEED_UPDATE_CHECK=no
 fi
 
 # check time when we did the last update check
@@ -26,30 +28,28 @@
 # let the actual update be asynchronous to avoid stalling apt-get
 cleanup() { rm -f "$tmpfile"; }
 
-(
-    # check if we have a list file or sources.list that needs checking
-    if [ -e "$stamp" ]; then
-        if [ "$(find "/$StateDir/$ListDir" "/$EtcDir/$SourceList" -type f -newer "$stamp" -print -quit)" ]; then
-            NEED_UPDATE_CHECK=yes
-        fi
-    else
-        if [ "$(find "/$StateDir/$ListDir" "/$EtcDir/$SourceList" -type f -print -quit)" ]; then
-            NEED_UPDATE_CHECK=yes
-        fi
+# check if we have a list file or sources.list that needs checking
+if [ -e "$stamp" ]; then
+    if [ "$(find "/$StateDir/$ListDir" "/$EtcDir/$SourceList" -type f -newer "$stamp" -print -quit)" ]; then
+        NEED_UPDATE_CHECK=yes
     fi
-    
-    tmpfile=""
-    trap cleanup EXIT
-    tmpfile=$(mktemp)
-
-    # output something for update-motd
-    if [ -n "$NEED_UPDATE_CHECK" ]; then
-        {
-
-            echo ""
-            /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check --human-readable
-            echo ""
-        } > "$tmpfile"
-        mv "$tmpfile" "$stamp"
+else
+    if [ "$(find "/$StateDir/$ListDir" "/$EtcDir/$SourceList" -type f -print -quit)" ]; then
+        NEED_UPDATE_CHECK=yes
     fi
-) &
+fi
+
+tmpfile=""
+trap cleanup EXIT
+tmpfile=$(mktemp)
+
+# output something for update-motd
+if [ "$NEED_UPDATE_CHECK" = "yes" ]; then
+    {
+
+        echo ""
+        /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check --human-readable
+        echo ""
+    } > "$tmpfile"
+    mv "$tmpfile" "$stamp"
+fi
diff -Nru update-notifier-3.164/debian/changelog update-notifier-3.165/debian/changelog
--- update-notifier-3.164/debian/changelog	2015-11-13 11:28:25.000000000 +0000
+++ update-notifier-3.165/debian/changelog	2016-01-27 22:04:45.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+update-notifier (3.165) xenial; urgency=medium
+
+  * data/update-motd-updates-available
+    - do not execute asynchronously as that causes problems with installers
+      and generally produces unexpected behavior by default (LP: #1527710).
+    - define NEEDS_CHECK to avoid unintentionally using value from inherrited
+      environment.
+
+ -- Scott Moser <smoser@ubuntu.com>  Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:04:44 -0500
+
 update-notifier (3.164) xenial; urgency=medium
 
   * debian/90-updates-available