diff --git a/post.go b/post.go
index 9666039..0bad857 100644
--- a/post.go
+++ b/post.go
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ import (
 	"path"
 
 	"github.com/yuin/goldmark"
-	meta "github.com/yuin/goldmark-meta"
 	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/extension"
 	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/parser"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
 
 type Post struct {
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ type Post struct {
 	title string
 }
 
+type PostMeta struct {
+	Title   string   `yaml:"title"`
+	Aliases []string `yaml:"aliases"`
+	Date    string   `yaml:"date"`
+}
+
 func (post Post) Id() string {
 	return post.id
 }
@@ -55,11 +61,27 @@ func (post Post) Content() []byte {
 	return data
 }
 
-func (post Post) MarkdownData() (bytes.Buffer, map[string]interface{}) {
+func (post Post) MarkdownData() (bytes.Buffer, PostMeta) {
 	data := post.Content()
+
+	// get yaml metadata block
+	meta := PostMeta{}
+	trimmedData := bytes.TrimSpace(data)
+	// check first line is ---
+	if string(trimmedData[0:4]) == "---\n" {
+		trimmedData = trimmedData[4:]
+		// find --- end
+		end := bytes.Index(trimmedData, []byte("\n---\n"))
+		if end != -1 {
+			metaData := trimmedData[:end]
+			yaml.Unmarshal(metaData, &meta)
+			data = trimmedData[end+5:]
+		}
+	}
+
 	markdown := goldmark.New(
 		goldmark.WithExtensions(
-			meta.Meta,
+			// meta.Meta,
 			extension.GFM,
 		),
 	)
@@ -68,21 +90,13 @@ func (post Post) MarkdownData() (bytes.Buffer, map[string]interface{}) {
 	if err := markdown.Convert(data, &buf, parser.WithContext(context)); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
-	metaData := meta.Get(context)
+	// metaData := meta.Get(context)
 
-	return buf, metaData
+	return buf, meta
 
 }
 
 func (post Post) Aliases() []string {
 	_, metaData := post.MarkdownData()
-	if metaData["aliases"] != nil {
-		alias_data := metaData["aliases"].([]interface{})
-		aliases := make([]string, 0)
-		for _, alias := range alias_data {
-			aliases = append(aliases, alias.(string))
-		}
-		return aliases
-	}
-	return []string{}
+	return metaData.Aliases
 }
diff --git a/rss.go b/rss.go
index e975350..39d13e5 100644
--- a/rss.go
+++ b/rss.go
@@ -43,15 +43,11 @@ func RenderRSSFeed(user User) (string, error) {
 	for _, postId := range posts {
 		post, _ := user.GetPost(postId)
 		_, meta := post.MarkdownData()
-		date, ok := meta["date"]
-		if !ok {
-			date = ""
-		}
 		rss.Channel.Items = append(rss.Channel.Items, RSSItem{
 			Guid:    postId,
 			Title:   post.Title(),
 			Link:    post.FullUrl(),
-			PubDate: date.(string),
+			PubDate: meta.Date,
 		})
 	}
 
diff --git a/user.go b/user.go
index 8b2131b..47905ae 100644
--- a/user.go
+++ b/user.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func (user User) GetPost(id string) (Post, error) {
 
 	post := Post{user: &user, id: id}
 	_, metaData := post.MarkdownData()
-	title := metaData["title"]
+	title := metaData.Title
 	post.title = fmt.Sprint(title)
 
 	return post, nil
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ func (user User) CreateNewPost(title string) (Post, error) {
 	initial_content := ""
 	initial_content += "---\n"
 	initial_content += "title: " + title + "\n"
+	initial_content += "date: " + time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339) + "\n"
 	initial_content += "---\n"
 	initial_content += "\n"
 	initial_content += "Write your post here.\n"
diff --git a/user_test.go b/user_test.go
index 3b372c9..7cc21ec 100644
--- a/user_test.go
+++ b/user_test.go
@@ -35,6 +35,18 @@ func TestCreateNewPostCreatesMediaDir(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCreateNewPostAddsDateToMetaBlock(t *testing.T) {
+	user := getTestUser()
+	// Create a new post
+	user.CreateNewPost("testpost")
+	posts, _ := user.Posts()
+	post, _ := user.GetPost(posts[0])
+	_, meta := post.MarkdownData()
+	if meta.Date == "" {
+		t.Error("Found no date. Got: " + meta.Date)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCreateNewPostMultipleCalls(t *testing.T) {
 	// Create a new user
 	repo, _ := owl.CreateRepository(testRepoName())