diff --git a/.changes/fix-updater-installer-args-deserialization.md b/.changes/fix-updater-installer-args-deserialization.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6456f65f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/fix-updater-installer-args-deserialization.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"updater": patch
+---
+
+Fix deserialization of `windows > installerArgs` config field.
diff --git a/.changes/fix-updater-installmode.md b/.changes/fix-updater-installmode.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac20ee7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/fix-updater-installmode.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"updater": patch
+---
+
+On Windows, fallback to `passive` install mode when not defined in config.
diff --git a/plugins/updater/src/config.rs b/plugins/updater/src/config.rs
index aea6a547..6847363c 100644
--- a/plugins/updater/src/config.rs
+++ b/plugins/updater/src/config.rs
@@ -64,13 +64,29 @@ impl Default for WindowsUpdateInstallMode {
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
 pub struct WindowsConfig {
     /// Additional arguments given to the NSIS or WiX installer.
-    #[serde(default, alias = "installer-args")]
+    #[serde(
+        default,
+        alias = "installer-args",
+        deserialize_with = "deserialize_os_string"
+    )]
     pub installer_args: Vec<OsString>,
-    /// Updating mode, see [`WindowsUpdateInstallMode`] for more info.
+    /// Updating mode, defaults to `passive` mode.
+    ///
+    /// See [`WindowsUpdateInstallMode`] for more info.
     #[serde(default, alias = "install-mode")]
     pub install_mode: WindowsUpdateInstallMode,
 }
 
+fn deserialize_os_string<'de, D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Vec<OsString>, D::Error>
+where
+    D: Deserializer<'de>,
+{
+    Ok(Vec::<String>::deserialize(deserializer)?
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(OsString::from)
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>())
+}
+
 /// Updater configuration.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Deserialize, Default)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
diff --git a/plugins/updater/src/lib.rs b/plugins/updater/src/lib.rs
index 8c0ea2cb..e060827d 100644
--- a/plugins/updater/src/lib.rs
+++ b/plugins/updater/src/lib.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     html_favicon_url = "https://github.com/tauri-apps/tauri/raw/dev/app-icon.png"
 )]
 
-use std::ffi::{OsStr, OsString};
+use std::ffi::OsString;
 
 use tauri::{
     plugin::{Builder as PluginBuilder, TauriPlugin},
@@ -136,21 +136,18 @@ impl Builder {
     pub fn installer_args<I, S>(mut self, args: I) -> Self
     where
         I: IntoIterator<Item = S>,
-        S: AsRef<OsStr>,
+        S: Into<OsString>,
     {
-        let args = args
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|a| a.as_ref().to_os_string())
-            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        let args = args.into_iter().map(|a| a.into()).collect::<Vec<_>>();
         self.installer_args.extend_from_slice(&args);
         self
     }
 
     pub fn installer_arg<S>(mut self, arg: S) -> Self
     where
-        S: AsRef<OsStr>,
+        S: Into<OsString>,
     {
-        self.installer_args.push(arg.as_ref().to_os_string());
+        self.installer_args.push(arg.into());
         self
     }
 
diff --git a/plugins/updater/src/updater.rs b/plugins/updater/src/updater.rs
index a77d0af5..52b33e21 100644
--- a/plugins/updater/src/updater.rs
+++ b/plugins/updater/src/updater.rs
@@ -176,21 +176,18 @@ impl UpdaterBuilder {
 
     pub fn installer_arg<S>(mut self, arg: S) -> Self
     where
-        S: AsRef<OsStr>,
+        S: Into<OsString>,
     {
-        self.installer_args.push(arg.as_ref().to_os_string());
+        self.installer_args.push(arg.into());
         self
     }
 
     pub fn installer_args<I, S>(mut self, args: I) -> Self
     where
         I: IntoIterator<Item = S>,
-        S: AsRef<OsStr>,
+        S: Into<OsString>,
     {
-        let args = args
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|a| a.as_ref().to_os_string())
-            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        let args = args.into_iter().map(|a| a.into()).collect::<Vec<_>>();
         self.installer_args.extend_from_slice(&args);
         self
     }
@@ -543,6 +540,13 @@ impl Update {
             |p| format!("{p}\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe"),
         );
 
+        let install_mode = self
+            .config
+            .windows
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|w| w.install_mode.clone())
+            .unwrap_or_default();
+
         for path in paths {
             let found_path = path?.path();
             // we support 2 type of files exe & msi for now
@@ -555,17 +559,11 @@ impl Update {
                 installer_path.push("\"");
 
                 let installer_args = [
-                    self.config
-                        .windows
-                        .as_ref()
-                        .map(|w| {
-                            w.install_mode
-                                .nsis_args()
-                                .iter()
-                                .map(|a| OsStr::new(a))
-                                .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-                        })
-                        .unwrap_or_default(),
+                    install_mode
+                        .nsis_args()
+                        .iter()
+                        .map(OsStr::new)
+                        .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
                     self.installer_args
                         .iter()
                         .map(|a| a.as_os_str())
@@ -600,17 +598,11 @@ impl Update {
                 msi_path.push("\"\"\"");
 
                 let installer_args = [
-                    self.config
-                        .windows
-                        .as_ref()
-                        .map(|w| {
-                            w.install_mode
-                                .msiexec_args()
-                                .iter()
-                                .map(|a| OsStr::new(a))
-                                .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-                        })
-                        .unwrap_or_default(),
+                    install_mode
+                        .msiexec_args()
+                        .iter()
+                        .map(OsStr::new)
+                        .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
                     self.installer_args
                         .iter()
                         .map(|a| a.as_os_str())
diff --git a/plugins/updater/tests/app-updater/tauri.conf.json b/plugins/updater/tests/app-updater/tauri.conf.json
index 6eb919ef..4c891ab9 100644
--- a/plugins/updater/tests/app-updater/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/plugins/updater/tests/app-updater/tauri.conf.json
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
       "endpoints": ["http://localhost:3007"],
       "pubkey": "dW50cnVzdGVkIGNvbW1lbnQ6IG1pbmlzaWduIHB1YmxpYyBrZXk6IEUwNDRGMjkwRjg2MDhCRDAKUldUUWkyRDRrUEpFNEQ4SmdwcU5PaXl6R2ZRUUNvUnhIaVkwVUltV0NMaEx6VTkrWVhpT0ZqeEEK",
       "windows": {
-        "installMode": "quiet"
+        "installMode": "quiet",
+        "installerArgs": ["/NS"]
       }
     }
   },