diff --git a/dvc/command/base.py b/dvc/command/base.py
index 0a1f88e66..4725cbbe3 100644
--- a/dvc/command/base.py
+++ b/dvc/command/base.py
@@ -38,10 +38,13 @@ def append_doc_link(help_message, path):
 class CmdBase(object):
     def __init__(self, args):
         from dvc.repo import Repo
+        from dvc.updater import Updater
 
         self.repo = Repo()
         self.config = self.repo.config
         self.args = args
+        updater = Updater(self.repo.dvc_dir)
+        updater.check()
 
     @property
     def default_targets(self):
diff --git a/dvc/repo/__init__.py b/dvc/repo/__init__.py
index 0182b8ac8..5b86d1ce7 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/__init__.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ class Repo(object):
         from dvc.scm import SCM
         from dvc.cache import Cache
         from dvc.data_cloud import DataCloud
-        from dvc.updater import Updater
         from dvc.repo.metrics import Metrics
         from dvc.scm.tree import WorkingTree
         from dvc.repo.tag import Tag
@@ -76,7 +75,6 @@ class Repo(object):
 
         self.cache = Cache(self)
         self.cloud = DataCloud(self)
-        self.updater = Updater(self.dvc_dir)
 
         self.metrics = Metrics(self)
         self.tag = Tag(self)
@@ -84,8 +82,6 @@ class Repo(object):
 
         self._ignore()
 
-        self.updater.check()
-
     def __repr__(self):
         return "Repo: '{root_dir}'".format(root_dir=self.root_dir)
 
@@ -121,12 +117,16 @@ class Repo(object):
         return self.cache.local.unprotect(PathInfo(target))
 
     def _ignore(self):
+        from dvc.updater import Updater
+
+        updater = Updater(self.dvc_dir)
+
         flist = [
             self.state.state_file,
             self.lock.lock_file,
             self.config.config_local_file,
-            self.updater.updater_file,
-            self.updater.lock.lock_file,
+            updater.updater_file,
+            updater.lock.lock_file,
         ] + self.state.temp_files
 
         if self.cache.local.cache_dir.startswith(self.root_dir):
diff --git a/tests/func/test_updater.py b/tests/func/test_updater.py
index b2d2adfab..3cd275804 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_updater.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_updater.py
@@ -1,43 +1,51 @@
 import os
+import mock
+import pytest
 
-from tests.basic_env import TestDvc
+from dvc.updater import Updater
 
 
-class TestUpdater(TestDvc):
-    def test(self):
-        # NOTE: only test on travis CRON to avoid generating too much logs
-        travis = os.getenv("TRAVIS") == "true"
-        if not travis:
-            return
+@pytest.fixture
+def updater(dvc_repo):
+    return Updater(dvc_repo.dvc_dir)
 
-        cron = os.getenv("TRAVIS_EVENT_TYPE") == "cron"
-        if not cron:
-            return
 
-        env = os.environ.copy()
-        if os.getenv("CI"):
-            del os.environ["CI"]
+def test_updater(updater):
+    # NOTE: only test on travis CRON to avoid generating too much logs
+    travis = os.getenv("TRAVIS") == "true"
+    if not travis:
+        return
 
-        self.dvc.updater.check()
-        self.dvc.updater.check()
-        self.dvc.updater.check()
+    cron = os.getenv("TRAVIS_EVENT_TYPE") == "cron"
+    if not cron:
+        return
 
-        os.environ = env.copy()
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+    if env.get("CI"):
+        del env["CI"]
 
-    def test_check_version_newer(self):
-        self.dvc.updater.latest = "0.20.8"
-        self.dvc.updater.current = "0.21.0"
+    with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, env):
+        updater.check()
+        updater.check()
+        updater.check()
 
-        self.assertFalse(self.dvc.updater._is_outdated())
 
-    def test_check_version_equal(self):
-        self.dvc.updater.latest = "0.20.8"
-        self.dvc.updater.current = "0.20.8"
+def test_check_version_newer(updater):
+    updater.latest = "0.20.8"
+    updater.current = "0.21.0"
 
-        self.assertFalse(self.dvc.updater._is_outdated())
+    assert not updater._is_outdated()
 
-    def test_check_version_outdated(self):
-        self.dvc.updater.latest = "0.21.0"
-        self.dvc.updater.current = "0.20.8"
 
-        self.assertTrue(self.dvc.updater._is_outdated())
+def test_check_version_equal(updater):
+    updater.latest = "0.20.8"
+    updater.current = "0.20.8"
+
+    assert not updater._is_outdated()
+
+
+def test_check_version_outdated(updater):
+    updater.latest = "0.21.0"
+    updater.current = "0.20.8"
+
+    assert updater._is_outdated()
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_updater.py b/tests/unit/test_updater.py
index 119b53380..d387e1476 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_updater.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_updater.py
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import os
 import json
-import mock
 
 from dvc import __version__
-from tests.basic_env import TestDvc
+from dvc.updater import Updater
 
 
 class MockResponse(object):
@@ -27,13 +26,15 @@ def mocked_requests_get(*args, **kwargs):
     return MockResponse({"version": __version__}, 200)
 
 
-class TestUpdater(TestDvc):
-    @mock.patch("requests.get", side_effect=mocked_requests_get)
-    def test_fetch(self, mock_get):
-        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(self.dvc.updater.updater_file))
-        self.dvc.updater.fetch(detach=False)
-        mock_get.assert_called_once()
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(self.dvc.updater.updater_file))
-        with open(self.dvc.updater.updater_file, "r") as fobj:
-            info = json.load(fobj)
-        self.assertEqual(info["version"], __version__)
+def test_fetch(dvc_repo, mocker):
+    updater = Updater(dvc_repo.dvc_dir)
+    assert not os.path.exists(updater.updater_file)
+
+    mock_get = mocker.patch("requests.get", side_effect=mocked_requests_get)
+    updater.fetch(detach=False)
+    mock_get.assert_called_once_with(Updater.URL, timeout=Updater.TIMEOUT_GET)
+
+    assert os.path.isfile(updater.updater_file)
+    with open(updater.updater_file, "r") as fobj:
+        info = json.load(fobj)
+    assert info["version"] == __version__