diff --git a/lib/hexo/default_config.js b/lib/hexo/default_config.js
index 8c529ac7bf..dae0beebc4 100644
--- a/lib/hexo/default_config.js
+++ b/lib/hexo/default_config.js
@@ -61,8 +61,10 @@ module.exports = {
   // Date / Time format
   date_format: 'YYYY-MM-DD',
   time_format: 'HH:mm:ss',
-  // Use post date for updated date instead of file modification date when front-matter provides no updated date
-  use_date_for_updated: false,
+  updated_option: 'mtime',
+  // * mtime: file modification date (default)
+  // * date: use_date_for_updated
+  // * empty: no more update
   // Pagination
   per_page: 10,
   pagination_dir: 'page',
diff --git a/lib/models/page.js b/lib/models/page.js
index 2f357765d6..fad83b28d6 100644
--- a/lib/models/page.js
+++ b/lib/models/page.js
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ module.exports = ctx => {
     },
     updated: {
       type: Moment,
-      default: moment,
       language: ctx.config.languages,
       timezone: ctx.config.timezone
     },
diff --git a/lib/models/post.js b/lib/models/post.js
index a6775f3cb6..3b2caba770 100644
--- a/lib/models/post.js
+++ b/lib/models/post.js
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ module.exports = ctx => {
     },
     updated: {
       type: Moment,
-      default: moment,
       language: ctx.config.languages,
       timezone: ctx.config.timezone
     },
diff --git a/lib/plugins/processor/asset.js b/lib/plugins/processor/asset.js
index 731a042b4f..1674903fa5 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/processor/asset.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/processor/asset.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ module.exports = ctx => {
     const { path } = file;
     const doc = Page.findOne({source: path});
     const { config } = ctx;
-    const { timezone: timezoneCfg, use_date_for_updated } = config;
+    const { timezone: timezoneCfg, use_date_for_updated, updated_option } = config;
 
     if (file.type === 'skip' && doc) {
       return;
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ module.exports = ctx => {
 
       if (data.updated) {
         if (timezoneCfg) data.updated = timezone(data.updated, timezoneCfg);
-      } else if (use_date_for_updated) {
+      } else if (use_date_for_updated || updated_option === 'date') {
         data.updated = data.date;
+      } else if (updated_option === 'empty') {
+        delete data.updated;
       } else {
         data.updated = stats.mtime;
       }
diff --git a/lib/plugins/processor/post.js b/lib/plugins/processor/post.js
index f3e50546ef..2b60adc12f 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/processor/post.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/processor/post.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ module.exports = ctx => {
     const { path } = file.params;
     const doc = Post.findOne({source: file.path});
     const { config } = ctx;
-    const { timezone: timezoneCfg, use_date_for_updated } = config;
+    const { timezone: timezoneCfg, use_date_for_updated, updated_option } = config;
     let categories, tags;
 
     if (file.type === 'skip' && doc) {
@@ -85,8 +85,10 @@ module.exports = ctx => {
 
       if (data.updated) {
         if (timezoneCfg) data.updated = timezone(data.updated, timezoneCfg);
-      } else if (use_date_for_updated) {
+      } else if (use_date_for_updated || updated_option === 'date') {
         data.updated = data.date;
+      } else if (updated_option === 'empty') {
+        delete data.updated;
       } else {
         data.updated = stats.mtime;
       }
diff --git a/test/scripts/helpers/open_graph.js b/test/scripts/helpers/open_graph.js
index 28ea49e894..da22b10ffa 100644
--- a/test/scripts/helpers/open_graph.js
+++ b/test/scripts/helpers/open_graph.js
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ describe('open_graph', () => {
       meta({property: 'og:site_name', content: hexo.config.title}),
       meta({property: 'og:locale', content: 'en_US'}),
       meta({property: 'article:published_time', content: post.date.toISOString()}),
-      meta({property: 'article:modified_time', content: post.updated.toISOString()}),
+      // page.updated will no longer exist by default
+      // See https://github.com/hexojs/hexo/pull/4278
+      // meta({property: 'article:modified_time', content: post.updated.toISOString()}),
       meta({property: 'article:author', content: hexo.config.author}),
       meta({property: 'article:tag', content: 'optimize'}),
       meta({property: 'article:tag', content: 'web'}),
diff --git a/test/scripts/models/page.js b/test/scripts/models/page.js
index 7d2f60ecfe..da6a520009 100644
--- a/test/scripts/models/page.js
+++ b/test/scripts/models/page.js
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ describe('Page', () => {
 
     data.title.should.eql('');
     data.date.valueOf().should.gte(now);
-    data.updated.valueOf().should.gte(now);
     data.comments.should.be.true;
     data.layout.should.eql('page');
     data._content.should.eql('');
     data.raw.should.eql('');
+    should.not.exist(data.updated);
     should.not.exist(data.content);
     should.not.exist(data.excerpt);
     should.not.exist(data.more);
diff --git a/test/scripts/models/post.js b/test/scripts/models/post.js
index 25a2897f77..419e99a0bd 100644
--- a/test/scripts/models/post.js
+++ b/test/scripts/models/post.js
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ describe('Post', () => {
     }).then(data => {
       data.title.should.eql('');
       data.date.valueOf().should.gte(now);
-      data.updated.valueOf().should.gte(now);
       data.comments.should.be.true;
       data.layout.should.eql('post');
       data._content.should.eql('');
       data.link.should.eql('');
       data.raw.should.eql('');
       data.published.should.be.true;
+      should.not.exist(data.updated);
       should.not.exist(data.content);
       should.not.exist(data.excerpt);
       should.not.exist(data.more);
diff --git a/test/scripts/processors/asset.js b/test/scripts/processors/asset.js
index 78256560b9..c77bf83f84 100644
--- a/test/scripts/processors/asset.js
+++ b/test/scripts/processors/asset.js
@@ -281,14 +281,65 @@ describe('asset', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it('page - use the date for updated if use_date_for_updated is set', async () => {
+  it('page - use the date for updated if updated_option = date', async () => {
+    const body = [
+      'date: 2011-4-5 14:19:19',
+      '---'
+    ].join('\n');
+
     const file = newFile({
       path: 'hello.njk',
       type: 'create',
       renderable: true
     });
 
-    hexo.config.use_date_for_updated = true;
+    hexo.config.updated_option = 'date';
+
+    await writeFile(file.source, body);
+    await process(file);
+    const stats = await stat(file.source);
+    const page = Page.findOne({source: file.path});
+
+    page.updated.toDate().should.eql(page.date.toDate());
+    page.updated.toDate().should.not.eql(stats.mtime);
+
+    await Promise.all([
+      page.remove(),
+      unlink(file.source)
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('page - use the status if updated_option = mtime', async () => {
+    const file = newFile({
+      path: 'hello.njk',
+      type: 'create',
+      renderable: true
+    });
+
+    hexo.config.updated_option = 'mtime';
+
+    await writeFile(file.source, '');
+    await process(file);
+    const stats = await stat(file.source);
+    const page = Page.findOne({source: file.path});
+
+    page.date.toDate().should.eql(stats.ctime);
+    page.updated.toDate().should.eql(stats.mtime);
+
+    await Promise.all([
+      page.remove(),
+      unlink(file.source)
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('page - updated shouldn\'t exists if updated_option = empty', async () => {
+    const file = newFile({
+      path: 'hello.njk',
+      type: 'create',
+      renderable: true
+    });
+
+    hexo.config.updated_option = 'empty';
 
     await writeFile(file.source, '');
     await process(file);
@@ -296,7 +347,64 @@ describe('asset', () => {
     const page = Page.findOne({source: file.path});
 
     page.date.toDate().should.eql(stats.ctime);
+    should.not.exist(page.updated);
+
+    await Promise.all([
+      page.remove(),
+      unlink(file.source)
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('page - use_date_for_updated as fallback', async () => {
+    const body = [
+      'date: 2011-4-5 14:19:19',
+      '---'
+    ].join('\n');
+
+    const file = newFile({
+      path: 'hello.njk',
+      type: 'create',
+      renderable: true
+    });
+
+    hexo.config.use_date_for_updated = true;
+
+    await writeFile(file.source, body);
+    await process(file);
+    const stats = await stat(file.source);
+    const page = Page.findOne({source: file.path});
+
+    page.updated.toDate().should.eql(page.date.toDate());
+    page.updated.toDate().should.not.eql(stats.mtime);
+
+    await Promise.all([
+      page.remove(),
+      unlink(file.source)
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('page - ignore updated_option when use_date_for_updated is set', async () => {
+    const body = [
+      'date: 2011-4-5 14:19:19',
+      '---'
+    ].join('\n');
+
+    const file = newFile({
+      path: 'hello.njk',
+      type: 'create',
+      renderable: true
+    });
+
+    hexo.config.use_date_for_updated = true;
+    hexo.config.updated_option = 'mtime';
+
+    await writeFile(file.source, body);
+    await process(file);
+    const stats = await stat(file.source);
+    const page = Page.findOne({source: file.path});
+
     page.updated.toDate().should.eql(page.date.toDate());
+    page.updated.toDate().should.not.eql(stats.mtime);
 
     await Promise.all([
       page.remove(),
diff --git a/test/scripts/processors/post.js b/test/scripts/processors/post.js
index d37a96c70e..11f26de2bc 100644
--- a/test/scripts/processors/post.js
+++ b/test/scripts/processors/post.js
@@ -507,7 +507,88 @@ describe('post', () => {
     unlink(file.source);
   });
 
-  it('post - use date when no updated and use_date_for_updated', async () => {
+  it('post - use the date for updated if updated_option = date', async () => {
+    const body = [
+      'date: 2011-4-5 14:19:19',
+      'title: "Hello world"',
+      '---'
+    ].join('\n');
+
+    const file = newFile({
+      path: 'foo.html',
+      published: true,
+      type: 'create',
+      renderable: true
+    });
+
+    hexo.config.updated_option = 'date';
+
+    await writeFile(file.source, body);
+    const stats = await file.stat();
+    await process(file);
+    const post = Post.findOne({source: file.path});
+
+    post.updated.toDate().setMilliseconds(0).should.eql(post.date.toDate().setMilliseconds(0));
+    post.updated.toDate().setMilliseconds(0).should.not.eql(stats.mtime.setMilliseconds(0));
+
+    post.remove();
+    unlink(file.source);
+  });
+
+  it('post - use the status of the source file if updated_option = mtime', async () => {
+    const body = [
+      'date: 2011-4-5 14:19:19',
+      'title: "Hello world"',
+      '---'
+    ].join('\n');
+
+    const file = newFile({
+      path: 'foo.html',
+      published: true,
+      type: 'create',
+      renderable: true
+    });
+
+    hexo.config.updated_option = 'mtime';
+
+    await writeFile(file.source, body);
+    const stats = await file.stat();
+    await process(file);
+    const post = Post.findOne({source: file.path});
+
+    post.updated.toDate().setMilliseconds(0).should.eql(stats.mtime.setMilliseconds(0));
+    post.updated.toDate().setMilliseconds(0).should.not.eql(post.date.toDate().setMilliseconds(0));
+
+    post.remove();
+    unlink(file.source);
+  });
+
+  it('post - updated shouldn\'t exists if updated_option = empty', async () => {
+    const body = [
+      'title: "Hello world"',
+      '---'
+    ].join('\n');
+
+    const file = newFile({
+      path: 'foo.html',
+      published: true,
+      type: 'create',
+      renderable: true
+    });
+
+    hexo.config.updated_option = 'empty';
+
+    await writeFile(file.source, body);
+    await process(file);
+    const post = Post.findOne({source: file.path});
+
+    should.not.exist(post.updated);
+
+    post.remove();
+    unlink(file.source);
+  });
+
+  it('post - use use_date_for_updated as a fallback', async () => {
     const body = [
       'title: "Hello world"',
       '---'
@@ -534,6 +615,35 @@ describe('post', () => {
     unlink(file.source);
   });
 
+  it('post - ignore updated_option when use_date_for_updated is set', async () => {
+    const body = [
+      'date: 2011-4-5 14:19:19',
+      'title: "Hello world"',
+      '---'
+    ].join('\n');
+
+    const file = newFile({
+      path: 'foo.html',
+      published: true,
+      type: 'create',
+      renderable: true
+    });
+
+    hexo.config.use_date_for_updated = true;
+    hexo.config.updated_option = 'mtime';
+
+    await writeFile(file.source, body);
+    const stats = await file.stat();
+    await process(file);
+    const post = Post.findOne({source: file.path});
+
+    post.updated.toDate().setMilliseconds(0).should.eql(post.date.toDate().setMilliseconds(0));
+    post.updated.toDate().setMilliseconds(0).should.not.eql(stats.mtime.setMilliseconds(0));
+
+    post.remove();
+    unlink(file.source);
+  });
+
   it('post - photo is an alias for photos', async () => {
     const body = [
       'title: "Hello world"',