diff --git a/enrol/database/classes/task/sync_enrolments.php b/enrol/database/classes/task/sync_enrolments.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..444bfc6fa2c5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/enrol/database/classes/task/sync_enrolments.php
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Sync enrolments task
+ * @package   enrol_database
+ * @copyright 2018 Daniel Neis Araujo <danielneis@gmail.com>
+ * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+namespace enrol_database\task;
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+/**
+ * Class sync_enrolments
+ * @package   enrol_database
+ * @copyright 2018 Daniel Neis Araujo <danielneis@gmail.com>
+ * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+class sync_enrolments extends \core\task\scheduled_task {
+
+    /**
+     * Name for this task.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function get_name() {
+        return get_string('syncenrolmentstask', 'enrol_database');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Run task for synchronising users.
+     */
+    public function execute() {
+
+        $trace = new \text_progress_trace();
+
+        if (!enrol_is_enabled('database')) {
+            $trace->output('Plugin not enabled');
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $enrol = enrol_get_plugin('database');
+
+        // Update enrolments -- these handlers should autocreate courses if required.
+        $enrol->sync_courses($trace);
+        $enrol->sync_enrolments($trace);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/enrol/database/cli/sync.php b/enrol/database/cli/sync.php
index 890a0f4ac03b4..605f7c086cc04 100644
--- a/enrol/database/cli/sync.php
+++ b/enrol/database/cli/sync.php
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
  *   - you need to change the "www-data" to match the apache user account
  *   - use "su" if "sudo" not available
  *
+ * @deprecated since Moodle 3.7 MDL-59986 - please do not use this CLI script any more, use scheduled task instead.
+ * @todo       MDL-63266 This will be deleted in Moodle 4.1.
  * @package    enrol_database
  * @copyright  2010 Petr Skoda {@link http://skodak.org}
  * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
@@ -65,6 +67,14 @@
     die;
 }
 
+cli_problem('[ENROL DATABASE] The sync enrolments cron script has been deprecated. Please use the scheduled task instead.');
+
+// Abort execution of the CLI script if the enrol_database\task\sync_enrolments is enabled.
+$task = \core\task\manager::get_scheduled_task('enrol_database\task\sync_enrolments');
+if (!$task->get_disabled()) {
+    cli_error('[ENROL DATABASE] The scheduled task sync_enrolments is enabled, the cron execution has been aborted.');
+}
+
 if (!enrol_is_enabled('database')) {
     cli_error('enrol_database plugin is disabled, synchronisation stopped', 2);
 }
diff --git a/enrol/database/db/tasks.php b/enrol/database/db/tasks.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..bd8e8e2aee89c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/enrol/database/db/tasks.php
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Task definition for enrol_database.
+ * @package   enrol_database
+ * @copyright 2018 Daniel Neis Araujo <danielneis@gmail.com>
+ * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+$tasks = array(
+    array(
+        'classname' => '\enrol_database\task\sync_enrolments',
+        'blocking' => 0,
+        'minute' => 'R',
+        'hour' => 'R',
+        'day' => '*',
+        'month' => '*',
+        'dayofweek' => '*',
+        'disabled' => 1
+    )
+);
diff --git a/enrol/database/lang/en/enrol_database.php b/enrol/database/lang/en/enrol_database.php
index abfc4bd6a5989..d6dba449a8d72 100644
--- a/enrol/database/lang/en/enrol_database.php
+++ b/enrol/database/lang/en/enrol_database.php
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 $string['settingsheaderlocal'] = 'Local field mapping';
 $string['settingsheaderremote'] = 'Remote enrolment sync';
 $string['settingsheadernewcourses'] = 'Creation of new courses';
+$string['syncenrolmentstask'] = 'Synchronise external database enrolments task';
 $string['remoteuserfield_desc'] = 'The name of the field in the remote table that we are using to match entries in the user table.';
 $string['templatecourse'] = 'New course template';
 $string['templatecourse_desc'] = 'Optional: auto-created courses can copy their settings from a template course. Type here the shortname of the template course.';
diff --git a/enrol/database/upgrade.txt b/enrol/database/upgrade.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8fccd35a67c4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/enrol/database/upgrade.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+This files describes API changes in the enrol_database code.
+
+=== 3.7 ===
+* enrol/database/cli/sync.php script has been deprecated in favour of enrol_database\task\sync_enrolments task.
diff --git a/enrol/database/version.php b/enrol/database/version.php
index 074f480e3ecb9..dc55e963cdb8d 100644
--- a/enrol/database/version.php
+++ b/enrol/database/version.php
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
-$plugin->version   = 2018120300;        // The current plugin version (Date: YYYYMMDDXX)
+$plugin->version   = 2018122000;        // The current plugin version (Date: YYYYMMDDXX)
 $plugin->requires  = 2018112800;        // Requires this Moodle version
 $plugin->component = 'enrol_database';  // Full name of the plugin (used for diagnostics)
-//TODO: should we add cron sync?