diff --git a/orbit/changes/25987-installed-win-updates-only b/orbit/changes/25987-installed-win-updates-only
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0a6dbe8d06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/orbit/changes/25987-installed-win-updates-only
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Updated the 'windows_updates' Orbit table so that results are only returned iff there are non-installed windows updates.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windowsupdate.go b/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windows_update.go
similarity index 87%
rename from orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windowsupdate.go
rename to orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windows_update.go
index 82acadbed7..7dd4c28049 100644
--- a/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windowsupdate.go
+++ b/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windows_update.go
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ const (
 	HistoryTable
 )
 
+type windowsUpdatesSearcher interface {
+	QueryHistoryAll() ([]*windowsupdate.IUpdateHistoryEntry, error)
+	Search(criteria string) (*windowsupdate.ISearchResult, error)
+}
+
+type queryFuncType func(searcher windowsUpdatesSearcher) (interface{}, error)
+
 type Table struct {
 	logger    zerolog.Logger
 	queryFunc queryFuncType
@@ -55,16 +62,23 @@ func TablePlugin(mode tableMode, logger zerolog.Logger) *table.Plugin {
 	return table.NewPlugin(t.name, columns, t.generate)
 }
 
-func queryUpdates(searcher *windowsupdate.IUpdateSearcher) (interface{}, error) {
-	return searcher.Search("Type='Software'")
+func queryUpdates(searcher windowsUpdatesSearcher) (interface{}, error) {
+	searchResult, err := searcher.Search("Type='Software' AND IsInstalled=0")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// We only care about the results iff we got some updates
+	if searchResult != nil && len(searchResult.Updates) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	return searchResult, nil
 }
 
-func queryHistory(searcher *windowsupdate.IUpdateSearcher) (interface{}, error) {
+func queryHistory(searcher windowsUpdatesSearcher) (interface{}, error) {
 	return searcher.QueryHistoryAll()
 }
 
-type queryFuncType func(*windowsupdate.IUpdateSearcher) (interface{}, error)
-
 func (t *Table) generate(ctx context.Context, queryContext table.QueryContext) ([]map[string]string, error) {
 	var results []map[string]string
 
diff --git a/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windows_update_test.go b/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windows_update_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..88139ab6f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windows_update_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+//go:build windows
+// +build windows
+
+// based on github.com/kolide/launcher/pkg/osquery/tables
+package windowsupdatetable
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/orbit/pkg/windows/windowsupdate"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/orbit/pkg/table/tablehelpers"
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+type windowsUpdatesSearcherMock struct {
+	searchCriteria string
+	SearchResult   *windowsupdate.ISearchResult
+	History        []*windowsupdate.IUpdateHistoryEntry
+}
+
+func (wus *windowsUpdatesSearcherMock) Search(criteria string) (*windowsupdate.ISearchResult, error) {
+	wus.searchCriteria = criteria
+	return wus.SearchResult, nil
+}
+
+func (wus *windowsUpdatesSearcherMock) QueryHistoryAll() ([]*windowsupdate.IUpdateHistoryEntry, error) {
+	return wus.History, nil
+}
+
+func TestQueryUpdates(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("the right criteria is used", func(t *testing.T) {
+		searcher := &windowsUpdatesSearcherMock{}
+		_, err := queryUpdates(searcher)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		criteriaParts := strings.Split(searcher.searchCriteria, " AND ")
+		require.Contains(t, criteriaParts, "Type='Software'")
+		require.Contains(t, criteriaParts, "IsInstalled=0")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("only return results iff any updates", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testCases := []struct {
+			updates []*windowsupdate.IUpdate
+			isNil   bool
+		}{
+			{updates: nil, isNil: true},
+			{updates: []*windowsupdate.IUpdate{}, isNil: true},
+			{updates: []*windowsupdate.IUpdate{{}}, isNil: false},
+		}
+
+		for _, tt := range testCases {
+			searcher := &windowsUpdatesSearcherMock{
+				SearchResult: &windowsupdate.ISearchResult{
+					Updates: tt.updates,
+				},
+			}
+			r, err := queryUpdates(searcher)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equal(t, r == nil, tt.isNil)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func TestTable(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		queryFunc queryFuncType
+	}{
+		{name: "updates", queryFunc: queryUpdates},
+		{name: "history", queryFunc: queryHistory},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		tt := tt
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			table := Table{
+				logger:    zerolog.Nop(),
+				queryFunc: tt.queryFunc,
+			}
+
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 45*time.Second)
+			defer cancel()
+
+			// ci doesn't return data, but we can, at least, check that the underlying API doesn't error.
+			_, err := table.generate(ctx, tablehelpers.MockQueryContext(nil))
+			require.NoError(t, err, "generate")
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windowsupdate_test.go b/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windowsupdate_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index f4a74bb14f..0000000000
--- a/orbit/pkg/table/windowsupdatetable/windowsupdate_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-//go:build windows
-// +build windows
-
-// based on github.com/kolide/launcher/pkg/osquery/tables
-package windowsupdatetable
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"testing"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4/orbit/pkg/table/tablehelpers"
-	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-)
-
-func TestTable(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		name      string
-		queryFunc queryFuncType
-	}{
-		{name: "updates", queryFunc: queryUpdates},
-		{name: "history", queryFunc: queryHistory},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt
-		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
-
-			table := Table{
-				logger:    zerolog.Nop(),
-				queryFunc: tt.queryFunc,
-			}
-
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 45*time.Second)
-			defer cancel()
-
-			// ci doesn't return data, but we can, at least, check that the underlying API doesn't error.
-			_, err := table.generate(ctx, tablehelpers.MockQueryContext(nil))
-			require.NoError(t, err, "generate")
-		})
-	}
-}