diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
index ab521ba0ad..5551fe2a61 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ function wp_ajax_get_community_events() {
 		 * The location is stored network-wide, so that the user doesn't have to set it on each site.
 		 */
 		if ( $ip_changed || $search ) {
-			update_user_option( $user_id, 'community-events-location', $events['location'], true );
+			update_user_meta( $user_id, 'community-events-location', $events['location'] );
 		}
 
 		wp_send_json_success( $events );
@@ -1545,12 +1545,12 @@ function wp_ajax_closed_postboxes() {
 	}
 
 	if ( is_array( $closed ) ) {
-		update_user_option( $user->ID, "closedpostboxes_$page", $closed, true );
+		update_user_meta( $user->ID, "closedpostboxes_$page", $closed );
 	}
 
 	if ( is_array( $hidden ) ) {
 		$hidden = array_diff( $hidden, array( 'submitdiv', 'linksubmitdiv', 'manage-menu', 'create-menu' ) ); // postboxes that are always shown
-		update_user_option( $user->ID, "metaboxhidden_$page", $hidden, true );
+		update_user_meta( $user->ID, "metaboxhidden_$page", $hidden );
 	}
 
 	wp_die( 1 );
@@ -1574,7 +1574,7 @@ function wp_ajax_hidden_columns() {
 	}
 
 	$hidden = ! empty( $_POST['hidden'] ) ? explode( ',', $_POST['hidden'] ) : array();
-	update_user_option( $user->ID, "manage{$page}columnshidden", $hidden, true );
+	update_user_meta( $user->ID, "manage{$page}columnshidden", $hidden );
 
 	wp_die( 1 );
 }
@@ -1727,11 +1727,11 @@ function wp_ajax_meta_box_order() {
 	}
 
 	if ( $order ) {
-		update_user_option( $user->ID, "meta-box-order_$page", $order, true );
+		update_user_meta( $user->ID, "meta-box-order_$page", $order );
 	}
 
 	if ( $page_columns ) {
-		update_user_option( $user->ID, "screen_layout_$page", $page_columns, true );
+		update_user_meta( $user->ID, "screen_layout_$page", $page_columns );
 	}
 
 	wp_die( 1 );
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
index 5b8bfd7e00..dcd058ff0b 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ function wp_nav_menu_setup() {
 	// If first time editing, disable advanced items by default.
 	if ( false === get_user_option( 'managenav-menuscolumnshidden' ) ) {
 		$user = wp_get_current_user();
-		update_user_option(
+		update_user_meta(
 			$user->ID, 'managenav-menuscolumnshidden',
 			array(
 				0 => 'link-target',
@@ -156,8 +156,7 @@ function wp_nav_menu_setup() {
 				2 => 'xfn',
 				3 => 'description',
 				4 => 'title-attribute',
-			),
-			true
+			)
 		);
 	}
 }
@@ -192,7 +191,7 @@ function wp_initial_nav_menu_meta_boxes() {
 	}
 
 	$user = wp_get_current_user();
-	update_user_option( $user->ID, 'metaboxhidden_nav-menus', $hidden_meta_boxes, true );
+	update_user_meta( $user->ID, 'metaboxhidden_nav-menus', $hidden_meta_boxes );
 }
 
 /**
@@ -435,7 +434,7 @@ function wp_nav_menu_item_post_type_meta_box( $object, $box ) {
 			</li>
 		</ul><!-- .posttype-tabs -->
 
-		<div id="tabs-panel-posttype-<?php echo $post_type_name; ?>-most-recent" class="tabs-panel 
+		<div id="tabs-panel-posttype-<?php echo $post_type_name; ?>-most-recent" class="tabs-panel
 												<?php
 												echo ( 'most-recent' == $current_tab ? 'tabs-panel-active' : 'tabs-panel-inactive' );
 		?>
@@ -473,7 +472,7 @@ function wp_nav_menu_item_post_type_meta_box( $object, $box ) {
 			</ul>
 		</div><!-- /.tabs-panel -->
 
-		<div class="tabs-panel 
+		<div class="tabs-panel
 		<?php
 			echo ( 'search' == $current_tab ? 'tabs-panel-active' : 'tabs-panel-inactive' );
 		?>
@@ -515,7 +514,7 @@ function wp_nav_menu_item_post_type_meta_box( $object, $box ) {
 			</ul>
 		</div><!-- /.tabs-panel -->
 
-		<div id="<?php echo $post_type_name; ?>-all" class="tabs-panel tabs-panel-view-all 
+		<div id="<?php echo $post_type_name; ?>-all" class="tabs-panel tabs-panel-view-all
 							<?php
 							echo ( 'all' == $current_tab ? 'tabs-panel-active' : 'tabs-panel-inactive' );
 		?>
@@ -771,7 +770,7 @@ function wp_nav_menu_item_taxonomy_meta_box( $object, $box ) {
 			</li>
 		</ul><!-- .taxonomy-tabs -->
 
-		<div id="tabs-panel-<?php echo $taxonomy_name; ?>-pop" class="tabs-panel 
+		<div id="tabs-panel-<?php echo $taxonomy_name; ?>-pop" class="tabs-panel
 										<?php
 										echo ( 'most-used' == $current_tab ? 'tabs-panel-active' : 'tabs-panel-inactive' );
 		?>
@@ -792,7 +791,7 @@ function wp_nav_menu_item_taxonomy_meta_box( $object, $box ) {
 			</ul>
 		</div><!-- /.tabs-panel -->
 
-		<div id="tabs-panel-<?php echo $taxonomy_name; ?>-all" class="tabs-panel tabs-panel-view-all 
+		<div id="tabs-panel-<?php echo $taxonomy_name; ?>-all" class="tabs-panel tabs-panel-view-all
 										<?php
 										echo ( 'all' == $current_tab ? 'tabs-panel-active' : 'tabs-panel-inactive' );
 		?>
@@ -815,7 +814,7 @@ function wp_nav_menu_item_taxonomy_meta_box( $object, $box ) {
 			<?php endif; ?>
 		</div><!-- /.tabs-panel -->
 
-		<div class="tabs-panel 
+		<div class="tabs-panel
 		<?php
 			echo ( 'search' == $current_tab ? 'tabs-panel-active' : 'tabs-panel-inactive' );
 		?>
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php
index 7ab369dc7b..d81908fec2 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ if ( ! function_exists( 'wp_install' ) ) :
 			$user_password = wp_generate_password( 12, false );
 			$message       = __( '<strong><em>Note that password</em></strong> carefully! It is a <em>random</em> password that was generated just for you.' );
 			$user_id       = wp_create_user( $user_name, $user_password, $user_email );
-			update_user_option( $user_id, 'default_password_nag', true, true );
+			update_user_meta( $user_id, 'default_password_nag', true );
 			$email_password = true;
 		} elseif ( ! $user_id ) {
 			// Password has been provided
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/user.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/user.php
index 269d64fb26..073f087d1a 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/user.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/user.php
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ function default_password_nag_handler( $errors = false ) {
 	// get_user_setting = JS saved UI setting. else no-js-fallback code.
 	if ( 'hide' == get_user_setting( 'default_password_nag' ) || isset( $_GET['default_password_nag'] ) && '0' == $_GET['default_password_nag'] ) {
 		delete_user_setting( 'default_password_nag' );
-		update_user_option( $user_ID, 'default_password_nag', false, true );
+		update_user_meta( $user_ID, 'default_password_nag', false );
 	}
 }
 
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ function default_password_nag_edit_user( $user_ID, $old_data ) {
 	// Remove the nag if the password has been changed.
 	if ( $new_data->user_pass != $old_data->user_pass ) {
 		delete_user_setting( 'default_password_nag' );
-		update_user_option( $user_ID, 'default_password_nag', false, true );
+		update_user_meta( $user_ID, 'default_password_nag', false );
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/my-sites.php b/src/wp-admin/my-sites.php
index 588afb06a0..97532470d2 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/my-sites.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/my-sites.php
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ if ( 'updateblogsettings' == $action && isset( $_POST['primary_blog'] ) ) {
 
 	$blog = get_site( (int) $_POST['primary_blog'] );
 	if ( $blog && isset( $blog->domain ) ) {
-		update_user_option( $current_user->ID, 'primary_blog', (int) $_POST['primary_blog'], true );
+		update_user_meta( $current_user->ID, 'primary_blog', (int) $_POST['primary_blog'] );
 		$updated = true;
 	} else {
 		wp_die( __( 'The primary site you chose does not exist.' ) );
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/network/site-new.php b/src/wp-admin/network/site-new.php
index bc4809e005..383d28ff3d 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/network/site-new.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/network/site-new.php
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ if ( isset( $_REQUEST['action'] ) && 'add-site' == $_REQUEST['action'] ) {
 	$wpdb->show_errors();
 	if ( ! is_wp_error( $id ) ) {
 		if ( ! is_super_admin( $user_id ) && ! get_user_option( 'primary_blog', $user_id ) ) {
-			update_user_option( $user_id, 'primary_blog', $id, true );
+			update_user_meta( $user_id, 'primary_blog', $id );
 		}
 
 		wp_mail(
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/script-loader.php b/src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
index 225f1869be..97a20b6ce9 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
@@ -1311,7 +1311,7 @@ function wp_localize_community_events() {
 	 */
 	if ( $saved_ip_address && $current_ip_address && $current_ip_address !== $saved_ip_address ) {
 		$saved_location['ip'] = $current_ip_address;
-		update_user_option( $user_id, 'community-events-location', $saved_location, true );
+		update_user_meta( $user_id, 'community-events-location', $saved_location );
 	}
 
 	$events_client = new WP_Community_Events( $user_id, $saved_location );
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/user.php b/src/wp-includes/user.php
index dd5d5367ba..6ee1d2977d 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/user.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/user.php
@@ -1370,9 +1370,9 @@ function clean_user_cache( $user ) {
 
 /**
  * Determines whether the given username exists.
- * 
+ *
  * For more information on this and similar theme functions, check out
- * the {@link https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/basics/conditional-tags/ 
+ * the {@link https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/basics/conditional-tags/
  * Conditional Tags} article in the Theme Developer Handbook.
  *
  * @since 2.0.0
@@ -1400,9 +1400,9 @@ function username_exists( $username ) {
 
 /**
  * Determines whether the given email exists.
- * 
+ *
  * For more information on this and similar theme functions, check out
- * the {@link https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/basics/conditional-tags/ 
+ * the {@link https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/basics/conditional-tags/
  * Conditional Tags} article in the Theme Developer Handbook.
  *
  * @since 2.1.0
@@ -2376,7 +2376,7 @@ function reset_password( $user, $new_pass ) {
 	do_action( 'password_reset', $user, $new_pass );
 
 	wp_set_password( $new_pass, $user->ID );
-	update_user_option( $user->ID, 'default_password_nag', false, true );
+	update_user_meta( $user->ID, 'default_password_nag', false );
 
 	/**
 	 * Fires after the user's password is reset.
@@ -2480,7 +2480,7 @@ function register_new_user( $user_login, $user_email ) {
 		return $errors;
 	}
 
-	update_user_option( $user_id, 'default_password_nag', true, true ); //Set up the Password change nag.
+	update_user_meta( $user->ID, 'default_password_nag', true ); //Set up the Password change nag.
 
 	/**
 	 * Fires after a new user registration has been recorded.
