diff --git a/src/cp.js b/src/cp.js
index 6218f670..aa3c80ef 100644
--- a/src/cp.js
+++ b/src/cp.js
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ function _cp(options, sources, dest) {
 
         try {
           common.statFollowLinks(path.dirname(dest));
-          cpdirSyncRecursive(src, newDest, 0, { no_force: options.no_force, followsymlink: options.followsymlink });
+          cpdirSyncRecursive(src, newDest, 0, { no_force: options.no_force, followsymlink: options.followsymlink, update: options.update });
         } catch (e) {
           /* istanbul ignore next */
           common.error("cannot create directory '" + dest + "': No such file or directory");
diff --git a/test/cp.js b/test/cp.js
index 660dcb88..f3606a27 100644
--- a/test/cp.js
+++ b/test/cp.js
@@ -451,6 +451,50 @@ test('-R implies -P', t => {
   });
 });
 
+test('-Ru respects the -u flag recursively (don\'t update newer file)', t => {
+  // Setup code
+  const TWO_DAYS_IN_MS = 2 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
+  const dir = `${t.context.tmp}/cp-Ru`;
+  const sourceDir = `${dir}/old`;
+  const sourceFile = `${sourceDir}/file`;
+  const destDir = `${dir}/new`;
+  const destFile = `${destDir}/file`;
+  [sourceDir, destDir].forEach(d => shell.mkdir('-p', d));
+  shell.ShellString('Source File Contents\n').to(sourceFile);
+  shell.ShellString('Destination File Contents\n').to(destFile);
+  // End setup
+  // Get the old mtime for dest
+  const oldTime = fs.statSync(destFile).mtimeMs;
+  // Set the source file to be older than the destination file
+  shell.touch('-m', oldTime - TWO_DAYS_IN_MS, sourceFile);
+  // Now, copy the old dir to the new one
+  shell.cp('-Ru', sourceDir, destDir);
+  // Check that dest has not been updated
+  t.is(shell.cat(destFile).stdout, 'Destination File Contents\n');
+});
+
+test('-Ru respects the -u flag recursively (update older file)', t => {
+  // Setup code
+  const TWO_DAYS_IN_MS = 2 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
+  const dir = `${t.context.tmp}/cp-Ru`;
+  const sourceDir = `${dir}/old`;
+  const sourceFile = `${sourceDir}/file`;
+  const destDir = `${dir}/new`;
+  const destFile = `${destDir}/file`;
+  [sourceDir, destDir].forEach(d => shell.mkdir('-p', d));
+  shell.ShellString('Source File Contents\n').to(sourceFile);
+  shell.ShellString('Destination File Contents\n').to(destFile);
+  // End setup
+  // Get the old mtime for dest
+  const oldTime = fs.statSync(destFile).mtimeMs;
+  // Set the destination file to be older than the source file
+  shell.touch('-m', oldTime + TWO_DAYS_IN_MS, sourceFile);
+  // Now, copy the old dir to the new one
+  shell.cp('-Ru', sourceDir, destDir);
+  // Check that dest has been updated
+  t.is(shell.cat(sourceFile).stdout, 'Source File Contents\n');
+});
+
 test('using -P explicitly works', t => {
   utils.skipOnWin(t, () => {
     shell.cp('-P', 'test/resources/cp/links/sym.lnk', t.context.tmp);