diff --git a/include/common/metadata.hpp b/include/common/metadata.hpp
index d64f94921439be0d738c6dda01b7059f94457dbf..9121f10c5a9cc04145a43286b952adf4f0b0cdf7 100644
--- a/include/common/metadata.hpp
+++ b/include/common/metadata.hpp
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ private:
 #endif
 #endif
 
+    void
+    init_time();
 
 public:
     Metadata() = default;
@@ -82,11 +84,12 @@ public:
     std::string
     serialize() const;
 
+    // currently unused
     void
-    init_ACM_time();
+    update_atime_now();
 
     void
-    update_ACM_time(bool a, bool c, bool m);
+    update_mtime_now();
 
     // Getter and Setter
     time_t
diff --git a/src/common/metadata.cpp b/src/common/metadata.cpp
index 26f60ced5bcfeb52b9c381b5f27222f0a8b3dcfb..dc725f7a8be2ba5d210d1363042fe43a9cc4511a 100644
--- a/src/common/metadata.cpp
+++ b/src/common/metadata.cpp
@@ -69,22 +69,36 @@ gen_unique_id(const std::string& path) {
     return static_cast<uint16_t>(hash_value & 0xFFFF);
 }
 
+inline void
+Metadata::init_time() {
+    if constexpr(gkfs::config::metadata::use_ctime) {
+        ctime_ = std::time(nullptr);
+    }
+    if constexpr(gkfs::config::metadata::use_mtime) {
+        mtime_ = std::time(nullptr);
+    }
+    if constexpr(gkfs::config::metadata::use_atime) {
+        atime_ = std::time(nullptr);
+    }
+}
+
 Metadata::Metadata(const mode_t mode)
-    : atime_(), mtime_(), ctime_(), mode_(mode), link_count_(0), size_(0),
-      blocks_(0) {
+    : mode_(mode), link_count_(0), size_(0), blocks_(0) {
     assert(S_ISDIR(mode_) || S_ISREG(mode_));
+    init_time();
 }
 
 #ifdef HAS_SYMLINKS
 
 Metadata::Metadata(const mode_t mode, const std::string& target_path)
-    : atime_(), mtime_(), ctime_(), mode_(mode), link_count_(0), size_(0),
-      blocks_(0), target_path_(target_path) {
+    : mode_(mode), link_count_(0), size_(0), blocks_(0),
+      target_path_(target_path) {
     assert(S_ISLNK(mode_) || S_ISDIR(mode_) || S_ISREG(mode_));
     // target_path should be there only if this is a link
     assert(target_path_.empty() || S_ISLNK(mode_));
     // target_path should be absolute
     assert(target_path_.empty() || target_path_[0] == '/');
+    init_time();
 }
 
 #endif
@@ -205,24 +219,15 @@ Metadata::serialize() const {
 }
 
 void
-Metadata::init_ACM_time() {
-    std::time_t time;
-    std::time(&time);
+Metadata::update_atime_now() {
+    auto time = std::time(nullptr);
     atime_ = time;
-    mtime_ = time;
-    ctime_ = time;
 }
 
 void
-Metadata::update_ACM_time(bool a, bool c, bool m) {
-    std::time_t time;
-    std::time(&time);
-    if(a)
-        atime_ = time;
-    if(c)
-        ctime_ = time;
-    if(m)
-        mtime_ = time;
+Metadata::update_mtime_now() {
+    auto time = std::time(nullptr);
+    mtime_ = time;
 }
 
 //-------------------------------------------- GETTER/SETTER
diff --git a/src/daemon/backend/metadata/merge.cpp b/src/daemon/backend/metadata/merge.cpp
index 4f5d134ef09ba02c202b214cf8d0fa1eb2831a8a..67cd80cd9979348a17be093225b7c98064ff4a8f 100644
--- a/src/daemon/backend/metadata/merge.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/backend/metadata/merge.cpp
@@ -181,6 +181,10 @@ MetadataMergeOperator::FullMergeV2(const MergeOperationInput& merge_in,
         auto operand_id = MergeOperand::get_id(serialized_op);
         auto parameters = MergeOperand::get_params(serialized_op);
 
+        if constexpr(gkfs::config::metadata::use_mtime) {
+            md.update_mtime_now();
+        }
+
         if(operand_id == OperandID::increase_size) {
             auto op = IncreaseSizeOperand(parameters);
             if(op.append()) {
diff --git a/src/daemon/ops/metadentry.cpp b/src/daemon/ops/metadentry.cpp
index c456ed4a910ec28fabf089ac1be751c0011c99fc..17f470fc1c92c44c142f6b78db3a7c7609b4eb1b 100644
--- a/src/daemon/ops/metadentry.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/ops/metadentry.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ create(const std::string& path, Metadata& md) {
         if(GKFS_DATA->ctime_state())
             md.ctime(time);
     }
-    if(gkfs::config::metadata::create_exist_check) {
+    if constexpr(gkfs::config::metadata::create_exist_check) {
         GKFS_DATA->mdb()->put_no_exist(path, md.serialize());
     } else {
         GKFS_DATA->mdb()->put(path, md.serialize());
diff --git a/tests/integration/status/test_status.py b/tests/integration/status/test_status.py
index df75b855f815a85cbaefe6b70cdcf84a261188d5..96dd43c22ecdcfaacf565d1b164eeb2014087c36 100644
--- a/tests/integration/status/test_status.py
+++ b/tests/integration/status/test_status.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import sh
 import sys
 import pytest
 from harness.logger import logger
+from datetime import datetime
 
 nonexisting = "nonexisting"
 
@@ -52,6 +53,11 @@ def test_statx(gkfs_daemon, gkfs_client):
     file_a = topdir / "file_a"
     subdir_a  = dir_a / "subdir_a"
 
+    # creation timestamp
+    # it is only checked if mtime and ctime are greater than
+    # the creation timestamp due to inprecesion between test and daemon
+    ts = int(datetime.timestamp(datetime.now()))
+
     # create topdir
     ret = gkfs_client.mkdir(
             topdir,
@@ -91,6 +97,13 @@ def test_statx(gkfs_daemon, gkfs_client):
     assert ret.retval == 0
     assert (ret.statbuf.stx_size == 2)
 
+    # if greater zero, it is activated in config.hpp
+    if ret.statbuf.stx_mtime.tv_sec > 0:
+        assert (ret.statbuf.stx_mtime.tv_sec > ts)
+
+    if ret.statbuf.stx_ctime.tv_sec > 0:
+        assert (ret.statbuf.stx_ctime.tv_sec > ts)
+
 
     return