diff --git a/src/cron.js b/src/cron.js
index a3c6d99e5..a1afea165 100644
--- a/src/cron.js
+++ b/src/cron.js
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ function backupConfigChanged(value, tz) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof value, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof tz, 'string');
 
-    debug(`backupConfigChanged: interval ${value.intervalSecs} (${tz})`);
+    debug(`backupConfigChanged: schedule ${value.schedulePattern} (${tz})`);
 
     if (gJobs.backup) gJobs.backup.stop();
 
diff --git a/src/routes/test/backups-test.js b/src/routes/test/backups-test.js
index 0c92fd707..824d8774a 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/backups-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/backups-test.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ function setup(done) {
         },
 
         function createSettings(callback) {
-            settings.setBackupConfig({ provider: 'filesystem', backupFolder: '/tmp', format: 'tgz', retentionPolicy: { keepWithinSecs: 2 * 24 * 60 * 60 } }, callback);
+            settings.setBackupConfig({ provider: 'filesystem', backupFolder: '/tmp', format: 'tgz', retentionPolicy: { keepWithinSecs: 2 * 24 * 60 * 60 }, schedulePattern: '00 00 23 * * *' }, callback);
         }
     ], done);
 }
diff --git a/src/routes/test/cloudron-test.js b/src/routes/test/cloudron-test.js
index 068965602..38784475a 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/cloudron-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/cloudron-test.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ function setup(done) {
         server.start.bind(server),
         database._clear,
         settings._setApiServerOrigin.bind(null, 'http://localhost:6060'),
-        settings.setBackupConfig.bind(null, { provider: 'filesystem', backupFolder: '/tmp', format: 'tgz', retentionPolicy: { keepWithinSecs: 10000 } })
+        settings.setBackupConfig.bind(null, { provider: 'filesystem', backupFolder: '/tmp', format: 'tgz', retentionPolicy: { keepWithinSecs: 10000 }, schedulePattern: '00 00 23 * * *' })
     ], done);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/routes/test/settings-test.js b/src/routes/test/settings-test.js
index 0e50e67a6..b2bf1aea8 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/settings-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/settings-test.js
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ describe('Settings API', function () {
             format: 'tgz',
             encryption: null,
             retentionPolicy: { keepWithinSecs: 2 * 24 * 60 * 60 }, // 2 days
-            intervalSecs: 24 * 60 * 60 // ~1 day
+            schedulePattern: '00 00 23 * * *' // every day at 11pm
         };
 
         it('can get backup_config (default)', function (done) {
@@ -259,9 +259,9 @@ describe('Settings API', function () {
                 });
         });
 
-        it('cannot set backup_config without intervalSecs', function (done) {
+        it('cannot set backup_config without schedulePattern', function (done) {
             var tmp = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(defaultConfig));
-            delete tmp.intervalSecs;
+            delete tmp.schedulePattern;
 
             superagent.post(SERVER_URL + '/api/v1/settings/backup_config')
                 .query({ access_token: token })
@@ -272,9 +272,9 @@ describe('Settings API', function () {
                 });
         });
 
-        it('cannot set backup_config with invalid intervalSecs', function (done) {
+        it('cannot set backup_config with invalid schedulePattern', function (done) {
             var tmp = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(defaultConfig));
-            tmp.intervalSecs = 'not a number';
+            tmp.schedulePattern = 'not a pattern';
 
             superagent.post(SERVER_URL + '/api/v1/settings/backup_config')
                 .query({ access_token: token })
diff --git a/src/settings.js b/src/settings.js
index 2a55e8708..df50bf938 100644
--- a/src/settings.js
+++ b/src/settings.js
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ let gDefaults = (function () {
         format: 'tgz',
         encryption: null,
         retentionPolicy: { keepWithinSecs: 2 * 24 * 60 * 60 }, // 2 days
-        intervalSecs: 24 * 60 * 60 // ~1 day
+        schedulePattern: '00 00 23 * * *' // every day at 11pm
     };
     result[exports.PLATFORM_CONFIG_KEY] = {};
     result[exports.EXTERNAL_LDAP_KEY] = {
diff --git a/src/test/backups-test.js b/src/test/backups-test.js
index e87cf5c3d..51ea0b453 100644
--- a/src/test/backups-test.js
+++ b/src/test/backups-test.js
@@ -411,7 +411,8 @@ describe('backups', function () {
             provider: 'filesystem',
             backupFolder: path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'backups-test-filesystem'),
             format: 'tgz',
-            retentionPolicy: { keepWithinSecs: 10000 }
+            retentionPolicy: { keepWithinSecs: 10000 },
+            schedulePattern: '00 00 23 * * *'
         };
 
         before(function (done) {