diff --git a/script.go b/script.go
index cb5b00f..414fa32 100644
--- a/script.go
+++ b/script.go
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ func CompareCmd(db *DB) script.Cmd {
 			}
 
 			tableName := args[0]
+			fileName := args[1]
 
 			txn := db.ReadTxn()
 			meta := db.GetTable(txn, tableName)
@@ -349,16 +350,16 @@ func CompareCmd(db *DB) script.Cmd {
 			tbl := AnyTable{Meta: meta}
 			header := tbl.TableHeader()
 
-			data, err := os.ReadFile(s.Path(args[1]))
+			data, err := os.ReadFile(s.Path(fileName))
 			if err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("ReadFile(%s): %w", args[1], err)
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("ReadFile(%s): %w", fileName, err)
 			}
 			lines := strings.Split(s.ExpandEnv(string(data), false), "\n")
 			lines = slices.DeleteFunc(lines, func(line string) bool {
 				return strings.TrimSpace(line) == ""
 			})
 			if len(lines) < 1 {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%q missing header line, e.g. %q", args[1], strings.Join(header, " "))
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%q missing header line, e.g. %q", fileName, strings.Join(header, " "))
 			}
 
 			columnNames, columnPositions := splitHeaderLine(lines[0])
@@ -370,6 +371,7 @@ func CompareCmd(db *DB) script.Cmd {
 			lines = lines[1:]
 			origLines := lines
 			timeoutChan := time.After(timeout)
+			var lastActual string
 
 			for {
 				lines = origLines
@@ -378,7 +380,10 @@ func CompareCmd(db *DB) script.Cmd {
 				equal := true
 				var diff bytes.Buffer
 				w := newTabWriter(&diff)
-				fmt.Fprintf(w, "  %s\n", joinByPositions(columnNames, columnPositions, false))
+				joined := joinByPositions(columnNames, columnPositions, false)
+				fmt.Fprintf(w, "  %s\n", joined)
+				var actual strings.Builder
+				fmt.Fprintf(&actual, "  %s\n", joined)
 
 				objs, watch := tbl.AllWatch(db.ReadTxn())
 				for obj := range objs {
@@ -387,6 +392,7 @@ func CompareCmd(db *DB) script.Cmd {
 					if grepRe != nil && !grepRe.Match([]byte(row)) {
 						continue
 					}
+					fmt.Fprintf(&actual, "%s\n", row)
 
 					if len(lines) == 0 {
 						equal = false
@@ -409,6 +415,7 @@ func CompareCmd(db *DB) script.Cmd {
 					fmt.Fprintf(w, "+ %s\n", line)
 					equal = false
 				}
+				lastActual = actual.String()
 				if equal {
 					return nil, nil
 				}
@@ -419,6 +426,10 @@ func CompareCmd(db *DB) script.Cmd {
 					return nil, s.Context().Err()
 
 				case <-timeoutChan:
+					if s.DoUpdate {
+						s.FileUpdates[fileName] = lastActual
+						return nil, nil
+					}
 					return nil, fmt.Errorf("table mismatch:\n%s", diff.String())
 
 				case <-watch: