diff --git a/cmd/helm/plugin_update.go b/cmd/helm/plugin_update.go
index 4515acdbb..a5c955abb 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/plugin_update.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/plugin_update.go
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ limitations under the License.
 package main
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	multierror "github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"helm.sh/helm/v3/pkg/plugin"
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 type pluginUpdateOptions struct {
-	names []string
+	plugins []*plugin.Plugin
+	all     bool
 }
 
 func newPluginUpdateCmd(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
@@ -42,50 +43,66 @@ func newPluginUpdateCmd(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		ValidArgsFunction: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, toComplete string) ([]string, cobra.ShellCompDirective) {
 			return compListPlugins(toComplete, args), cobra.ShellCompDirectiveNoFileComp
 		},
+		Args: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return o.args(args)
+		},
 		PreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			return o.complete(args)
+			return o.findSelectedPlugins(args)
 		},
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return o.run(out)
 		},
 	}
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&o.all, "all", "a", false, "Update all installed plugins")
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func (o *pluginUpdateOptions) complete(args []string) error {
-	if len(args) == 0 {
-		return errors.New("please provide plugin name to update")
+func (o *pluginUpdateOptions) args(args []string) error {
+	if (o.all && len(args) > 0) || (!o.all && len(args) == 0) {
+		return errors.New("please provide plugin name to update or use --all")
 	}
-	o.names = args
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (o *pluginUpdateOptions) run(out io.Writer) error {
-	installer.Debug = settings.Debug
+func (o *pluginUpdateOptions) findSelectedPlugins(args []string) error {
 	debug("loading installed plugins from %s", settings.PluginsDirectory)
 	plugins, err := plugin.FindPlugins(settings.PluginsDirectory)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	var errorPlugins []string
 
-	for _, name := range o.names {
-		if found := findPlugin(plugins, name); found != nil {
-			if err := updatePlugin(found); err != nil {
-				errorPlugins = append(errorPlugins, fmt.Sprintf("Failed to update plugin %s, got error (%v)", name, err))
+	if o.all {
+		o.plugins = plugins
+	} else {
+		for _, name := range args {
+			if plugin := findPlugin(plugins, name); plugin != nil {
+				o.plugins = append(o.plugins, plugin)
 			} else {
-				fmt.Fprintf(out, "Updated plugin: %s\n", name)
+				err = multierror.Append(err, fmt.Errorf("plugin: %s not found", name))
 			}
-		} else {
-			errorPlugins = append(errorPlugins, fmt.Sprintf("Plugin: %s not found", name))
 		}
-	}
-	if len(errorPlugins) > 0 {
-		return errors.Errorf(strings.Join(errorPlugins, "\n"))
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (o *pluginUpdateOptions) run(out io.Writer) error {
+	installer.Debug = settings.Debug
+
+	var errs error
+	for _, plugin := range o.plugins {
+		name := plugin.Metadata.Name
+		if err := updatePlugin(plugin); err != nil {
+			errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to update plugin %s, got error (%w)", name, err))
+		} else {
+			fmt.Fprintf(out, "Updated plugin: %s\n", name)
+		}
+	}
+	return errs
+}
+
 func updatePlugin(p *plugin.Plugin) error {
 	exactLocation, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(p.Dir)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/helm/plugin_update_test.go b/cmd/helm/plugin_update_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f80fadbec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/helm/plugin_update_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+Copyright The Helm Authors.
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestPluginUpdateArgs(t *testing.T) {
+	o := pluginUpdateOptions{
+		all: true,
+	}
+	assert.Nil(t, o.args([]string{}))
+	assert.Error(t, o.args([]string{"foo"}))
+	o = pluginUpdateOptions{
+		all: false,
+	}
+	assert.Error(t, o.args([]string{}))
+	assert.Nil(t, o.args([]string{"foo"}))
+}
+
+func TestPluginFindSelectedPlugins(t *testing.T) {
+	settings.PluginsDirectory = "testdata/helmhome/helm/plugins"
+	o := pluginUpdateOptions{
+		all: true,
+	}
+	assert.Nil(t, o.findSelectedPlugins([]string{}))
+	assert.Len(t, o.plugins, 5)
+	var names []string
+	for _, plugin := range o.plugins {
+		names = append(names, plugin.Metadata.Name)
+	}
+	assert.ElementsMatch(t, []string{"args", "echo", "env", "exitwith", "fullenv"}, names)
+
+	o = pluginUpdateOptions{
+		all: false,
+	}
+	assert.Error(t, o.findSelectedPlugins([]string{"args", "foo"}))
+
+	o = pluginUpdateOptions{
+		all: false,
+	}
+	assert.Nil(t, o.findSelectedPlugins([]string{"args", "exitwith"}))
+	names = []string{}
+	for _, plugin := range o.plugins {
+		names = append(names, plugin.Metadata.Name)
+	}
+	assert.ElementsMatch(t, []string{"args", "exitwith"}, names)
+}