diff --git a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
index 3051fb108..872dba2fe 100755
--- a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
+++ b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
@@ -1677,14 +1677,15 @@ verify_es_version_compatibility() {
 
     if [[ $is_airgap -eq 0 ]]; then
       echo "You can download the $next_step_so_version ISO image from https://download.securityonion.net/file/securityonion/securityonion-$next_step_so_version.iso"
+      echo "*** Once you have updated to $next_step_so_version, you can then run soup again to update to $(cat $UPDATE_DIR/VERSION). ***"
+      echo -e "\n##############################################################################################################################\n"
+      exit 160
     else
-      echo "You can use the following soup command to upgrade to $next_step_so_version;"
-      echo -e "  sudo BRANCH=$next_step_so_version soup\n"
-
+      echo "Starting automated intermediate upgrade to $next_step_so_version."
+      echo "After completion, the system will automatically attempt to upgrade to the latest version."
+      echo -e "\n##############################################################################################################################\n"
+      exec bash -c "BRANCH=$next_step_so_version soup -y; BRANCH=$next_step_so_version soup -y; BRANCH=reyesj2/elastic9-autosoup soup -y; BRANCH=reyesj2/elastic9-autosoup soup -y"
     fi
-    echo "*** Once you have updated to $next_step_so_version, you can then run soup again to update to $(cat $UPDATE_DIR/VERSION). ***"
-    echo -e "\n###############################################################################################################################\n"
-    exit 160
   fi
 
 }