diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f143340c..8398ce09 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1451,6 +1451,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "activitypub 0.1.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "atom_syndication 0.6.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "chrono 0.4.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "colored 1.6.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "diesel 1.3.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "dotenv 0.13.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 58e54cc2..08d9608a 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ validator_derive = "0.7"
 webfinger = "0.3"
 workerpool = "1.1"
 
+[dependencies.chrono]
+features = ["serde"]
+version = "0.4"
+
 [dependencies.diesel]
 features = ["postgres", "r2d2", "chrono"]
 version = "*"
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 932e6e5f..7878ff30 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 extern crate activitypub;
 extern crate atom_syndication;
+extern crate chrono;
 extern crate colored;
 extern crate diesel;
 extern crate dotenv;
diff --git a/src/routes/posts.rs b/src/routes/posts.rs
index 7558af47..864680a3 100644
--- a/src/routes/posts.rs
+++ b/src/routes/posts.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use activitypub::object::Article;
+use chrono::Utc;
 use heck::{CamelCase, KebabCase};
 use rocket::{State, request::LenientForm};
 use rocket::response::{Redirect, Flash};
@@ -95,7 +96,8 @@ fn new(blog: String, user: User, conn: DbConn) -> Template {
             "instance": Instance::get_local(&*conn),
             "editing": false,
             "errors": null,
-            "form": null
+            "form": null,
+            "is_draft": true,
         }))
     }
 }
@@ -131,7 +133,9 @@ fn edit(blog: String, slug: String, user: User, conn: DbConn) -> Template {
                     .collect::<Vec<String>>()
                     .join(", "),
                 license: post.license.clone(),
-            }
+                draft: true,
+            },
+            "is_draft": !post.published
         }))
     }
 }
@@ -172,6 +176,12 @@ fn update(blog: String, slug: String, user: User, conn: DbConn, data: LenientFor
                 Instance::get_local(&*conn).map(|i| i.default_license).unwrap_or(String::from("CC-0"))
             };
 
+            // update publication date if when this article is no longer a draft
+            if !post.published && !form.draft {
+                post.published = true;
+                post.creation_date = Utc::now().naive_utc();
+            }
+
             post.slug = new_slug.clone();
             post.title = form.title.clone();
             post.subtitle = form.subtitle.clone();
@@ -195,9 +205,11 @@ fn update(blog: String, slug: String, user: User, conn: DbConn, data: LenientFor
                 });
             }
 
-            let act = post.update_activity(&*conn);
-            let dest = User::one_by_instance(&*conn);
-            worker.execute(Thunk::of(move || broadcast(&user, act, dest)));
+            if post.published {
+                let act = post.update_activity(&*conn);
+                let dest = User::one_by_instance(&*conn);
+                worker.execute(Thunk::of(move || broadcast(&user, act, dest)));
+            }
 
             Ok(Redirect::to(uri!(details: blog = blog, slug = new_slug)))
         }
@@ -207,7 +219,8 @@ fn update(blog: String, slug: String, user: User, conn: DbConn, data: LenientFor
             "instance": Instance::get_local(&*conn),
             "editing": true,
             "errors": errors.inner(),
-            "form": form
+            "form": form,
+            "is_draft": form.draft,
         })))
     }
 }
@@ -219,7 +232,8 @@ struct NewPostForm {
     pub subtitle: String,
     pub content: String,
     pub tags: String,
-    pub license: String
+    pub license: String,
+    pub draft: bool,
 }
 
 fn valid_slug(title: &str) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
@@ -263,7 +277,7 @@ fn create(blog_name: String, data: LenientForm<NewPostForm>, user: User, conn: D
                 slug: slug.to_string(),
                 title: form.title.to_string(),
                 content: SafeString::new(&content),
-                published: true,
+                published: !form.draft,
                 license: if form.license.len() > 0 {
                     form.license.to_string()
                 } else {
@@ -280,10 +294,6 @@ fn create(blog_name: String, data: LenientForm<NewPostForm>, user: User, conn: D
                 author_id: user.id
             });
 
-            for m in mentions.into_iter() {
-                Mention::from_activity(&*conn, Mention::build_activity(&*conn, m), post.id, true, true);
-            }
-
             let tags = form.tags.split(",").map(|t| t.trim().to_camel_case()).filter(|t| t.len() > 0);
             for tag in tags {
                 Tag::insert(&*conn, NewTag {
@@ -293,9 +303,15 @@ fn create(blog_name: String, data: LenientForm<NewPostForm>, user: User, conn: D
                 });
             }
 
-            let act = post.create_activity(&*conn);
-            let dest = User::one_by_instance(&*conn);
-            worker.execute(Thunk::of(move || broadcast(&user, act, dest)));
+            if post.published {
+                for m in mentions.into_iter() {
+                    Mention::from_activity(&*conn, Mention::build_activity(&*conn, m), post.id, true, true);
+                }
+
+                let act = post.create_activity(&*conn);
+                let dest = User::one_by_instance(&*conn);
+                worker.execute(Thunk::of(move || broadcast(&user, act, dest)));
+            }
 
             Ok(Redirect::to(uri!(details: blog = blog_name, slug = slug)))
         }
@@ -305,7 +321,8 @@ fn create(blog_name: String, data: LenientForm<NewPostForm>, user: User, conn: D
             "instance": Instance::get_local(&*conn),
             "editing": false,
             "errors": errors.inner(),
-            "form": form
+            "form": form,
+            "is_draft": form.draft
         })))
     }
 }
diff --git a/templates/macros.html.tera b/templates/macros.html.tera
index 6ac6a4f8..0dfc8648 100644
--- a/templates/macros.html.tera
+++ b/templates/macros.html.tera
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@
                 name=article.author.name,
                 link_4="</a>")
             }}
-            ⋅ {{ article.date | date(format="%B %e") }}
+            {% if article.post.published %}⋅ {{ article.date | date(format="%B %e") }}{% endif %}
             ⋅ <a href="/~/{{ article.blog.fqn }}/">{{ article.blog.title }}</a>
+            {% if not article.post.published %}⋅ {{ "Draft" | _ }}{% endif %}
         </p>
     </div>
 {% endmacro post_card %}
diff --git a/templates/posts/details.html.tera b/templates/posts/details.html.tera
index b723063d..449e8827 100644
--- a/templates/posts/details.html.tera
+++ b/templates/posts/details.html.tera
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
             &mdash;
             <a href="{{ article.url}}delete" onclick="return confirm('Are you sure you?')">{{ "Delete this article" | _ }}</a>
         {% endif %}
+        {%  if not article.post.published %}
+            <span class="badge">{{ "Draft" }}</span>
+        {% endif %}
     </p>
     <article>
         {{ article.post.content | safe }}
diff --git a/templates/posts/new.html.tera b/templates/posts/new.html.tera
index 0f77e4b1..e8b4d701 100644
--- a/templates/posts/new.html.tera
+++ b/templates/posts/new.html.tera
@@ -35,10 +35,21 @@
     {% set license_infos = "Default license will be {{ instance.default_license }}" | _(instance=instance) %}
     {{ macros::input(name="license", label="License", errors=errors, form=form, optional=true, details=license_infos) }}
 
+    {% if is_draft %}
+        <label for="draft">
+            <input type="checkbox" name="draft" id="draft" checked>
+            {{ "This is a draft, don't publish it yet." | _ }}
+        </label>
+    {% endif %}
+
     {% if editing %}
         <input type="submit" value="{{ "Update" | _ }}" />
     {% else %}
-        <input type="submit" value="{{ "Publish" | _ }}" />
+        {% if is_draft %}
+            <input type="submit" value="{{ "Update or publish" | _ }}" />
+        {% else %}
+            <input type="submit" value="{{ "Publish" | _ }}" />
+        {% endif %}
     {% endif %}
 </form>
 <script src="/static/js/autoExpand.js"></script>