diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 946291d..3479c4b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ RUN \
     locales && \
   echo "**** install packages ****" && \
   apt-get install -y \
+    cron \
     curl \
     gnupg \
     jq \
diff --git a/Dockerfile.aarch64 b/Dockerfile.aarch64
index cdcb0f4..b77a94b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.aarch64
+++ b/Dockerfile.aarch64
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ RUN \
     locales && \
   echo "**** install packages ****" && \
   apt-get install -y \
+    cron \
     curl \
     gnupg \
     jq \
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/dependencies.d/init-os-end b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/dependencies.d/init-os-end
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/run b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/run
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6eee9a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/run
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/with-contenv bash
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+
+for cron_user in abc root; do
+    if [[ -f "/defaults/crontabs/${cron_user}" ]]; then
+        # make folders
+        mkdir -p \
+            /config/crontabs
+
+        # if crontabs do not exist in config
+        if [[ ! -f "/config/crontabs/${cron_user}" ]]; then
+            # copy crontab from system
+            if crontab -l -u "${cron_user}" >/dev/null; then
+                crontab -l -u "${cron_user}" >"/config/crontabs/${cron_user}"
+            fi
+
+            # if crontabs still do not exist in config (were not copied from system)
+            # copy crontab from image defaults (using -n, do not overwrite an existing file)
+            cp -n "/defaults/crontabs/${cron_user}" /config/crontabs/
+        fi
+
+        # set permissions and import user crontabs
+        lsiown "${cron_user}":"${cron_user}" "/config/crontabs/${cron_user}"
+        crontab -u "${cron_user}" "/config/crontabs/${cron_user}"
+    fi
+done
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/type b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/type
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bdd22a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/type
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+oneshot
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/up b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/up
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d354111
--- /dev/null
+++ b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/up
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/run
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/svc-cron/dependencies.d/init-services b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/svc-cron/dependencies.d/init-services
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/svc-cron/run b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/svc-cron/run
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e8d71bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/svc-cron/run
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/usr/bin/with-contenv bash
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+
+if builtin command -v crontab >/dev/null && [[ -n "$(crontab -l -u abc)" || -n "$(crontab -l -u root)" ]]; then
+    if builtin command -v busybox >/dev/null && [[ $(busybox) =~ [[:space:]](crond)([,]|$) ]]; then
+        exec busybox crond -f -S -l 5
+    elif [[ -f /usr/bin/apt ]] && [[ -f /usr/sbin/cron ]]; then
+        exec /usr/sbin/cron -f -L 5
+    else
+        echo "**** cron not found ****"
+        sleep infinity
+    fi
+else
+    sleep infinity
+fi
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/svc-cron/type b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/svc-cron/type
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5883cff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/svc-cron/type
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+longrun
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/user/svc-cron b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/user/svc-cron
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29