diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 14a3d6c86..6e392c45c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -263,8 +263,10 @@ Alternatively, refer to the [developer instructions](#developer-instructions) fo
                                          files (restart from beginning)
     --no-part                            Do not use .part files - write directly
                                          into output file
-    --no-mtime                           Do not use the Last-modified header to
+    --mtime                              Use the Last-modified header to
                                          set the file modification time
+    --no-mtime                           Do not use the Last-modified header to
+                                         set the file modification time (default)
     --write-description                  Write video description to a
                                          .description file
     --write-info-json                    Write video metadata to a .info.json
@@ -482,16 +484,13 @@ Alternatively, refer to the [developer instructions](#developer-instructions) fo
 
 You can configure youtube-dl by placing any supported command line option to a configuration file. On Linux and macOS, the system wide configuration file is located at `/etc/youtube-dl.conf` and the user wide configuration file at `~/.config/youtube-dl/config`. On Windows, the user wide configuration file locations are `%APPDATA%\youtube-dl\config.txt` or `C:\Users\<user name>\youtube-dl.conf`. Note that by default configuration file may not exist so you may need to create it yourself.
 
-For example, with the following configuration file youtube-dl will always extract the audio, not copy the mtime, use a proxy and save all videos under `Movies` directory in your home directory:
+For example, with the following configuration file youtube-dl will always extract the audio, use a proxy and save all videos under `Movies` directory in your home directory:
 ```
 # Lines starting with # are comments
 
 # Always extract audio
 -x
 
-# Do not copy the mtime
---no-mtime
-
 # Use this proxy
 --proxy 127.0.0.1:3128
 
diff --git a/youtube_dl/options.py b/youtube_dl/options.py
index f6d2b0898..8fb219667 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/options.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/options.py
@@ -733,10 +733,14 @@ def parseOpts(overrideArguments=None):
         '--no-part',
         action='store_true', dest='nopart', default=False,
         help='Do not use .part files - write directly into output file')
+    filesystem.add_option(
+        '--mtime',
+        action='store_true', dest='updatetime', default=False,
+        help='Use the Last-modified header to set the file modification time')
     filesystem.add_option(
         '--no-mtime',
-        action='store_false', dest='updatetime', default=True,
-        help='Do not use the Last-modified header to set the file modification time')
+        action='store_false', dest='updatetime',
+        help='Do not use the Last-modified header to set the file modification time (default)')
     filesystem.add_option(
         '--write-description',
         action='store_true', dest='writedescription', default=False,