diff --git a/src/provider/data.rs b/src/provider/data.rs
index aa24c185a..35a5fc49c 100644
--- a/src/provider/data.rs
+++ b/src/provider/data.rs
@@ -807,4 +807,6 @@ lazy_static::lazy_static! {
         ("narod.ru", &*P_YANDEX_RU),
         ("ziggo.nl", &*P_ZIGGO_NL),
     ].iter().copied().collect();
+
+    pub static ref PROVIDER_UPDATED: chrono::NaiveDate = chrono::NaiveDate::from_ymd(2020, 9, 19);
 }
diff --git a/src/provider/mod.rs b/src/provider/mod.rs
index c217813bb..bbc1e39cc 100644
--- a/src/provider/mod.rs
+++ b/src/provider/mod.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ mod data;
 
 use crate::config::Config;
 use crate::dc_tools::EmailAddress;
-use crate::provider::data::PROVIDER_DATA;
+use crate::provider::data::{PROVIDER_DATA, PROVIDER_UPDATED};
+use chrono::{NaiveDateTime, NaiveTime};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Display, Copy, Clone, PartialEq, FromPrimitive, ToPrimitive)]
 #[repr(u8)]
@@ -91,11 +92,18 @@ pub fn get_provider_info(addr: &str) -> Option<&Provider> {
     None
 }
 
+// returns update timestamp in seconds, UTC, compatible for comparison with time() and database times
+pub fn get_provider_update_timestamp() -> i64 {
+    NaiveDateTime::new(*PROVIDER_UPDATED, NaiveTime::from_hms(0, 0, 0)).timestamp_millis() / 1_000
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     #![allow(clippy::indexing_slicing)]
 
     use super::*;
+    use crate::dc_tools::time;
+    use chrono::NaiveDate;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_get_provider_info_unexistant() {
@@ -138,4 +146,16 @@ mod tests {
         let provider = get_provider_info("user@googlemail.com").unwrap();
         assert!(provider.status == Status::PREPARATION);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_provider_update_timestamp() {
+        let timestamp_past = NaiveDateTime::new(
+            NaiveDate::from_ymd(2020, 9, 9),
+            NaiveTime::from_hms(0, 0, 0),
+        )
+        .timestamp_millis()
+            / 1_000;
+        assert!(get_provider_update_timestamp() <= time());
+        assert!(get_provider_update_timestamp() > timestamp_past);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/provider/update.py b/src/provider/update.py
index 5ad15f1b2..d9bdd8d26 100755
--- a/src/provider/update.py
+++ b/src/provider/update.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import sys
 import os
 import yaml
+import datetime
 
 out_all = ""
 out_domains = ""
@@ -169,6 +170,12 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     out_all += "    pub static ref PROVIDER_DATA: HashMap<&'static str, &'static Provider> = [\n"
     out_all += out_domains;
-    out_all += "    ].iter().copied().collect();\n}"
+    out_all += "    ].iter().copied().collect();\n\n"
+
+    now = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
+    out_all += "    pub static ref PROVIDER_UPDATED: chrono::NaiveDate = "\
+                        "chrono::NaiveDate::from_ymd("+str(now.year)+", "+str(now.month)+", "+str(now.day)+");\n"
+
+    out_all += "}"
 
     print(out_all)