diff --git a/src/cron.js b/src/cron.js
index ea2dc9803..8f73f6a91 100644
--- a/src/cron.js
+++ b/src/cron.js
@@ -63,24 +63,36 @@ const gJobs = {
 // Day of Week: 0-6
 
 function getCronSeed() {
-    let seedHour = parseInt(safe.fs.readFileSync(paths.CRON_SEED_FILE));
-    if (!seedHour || seedHour < 0 || seedHour > 23) {
-        seedHour = Math.floor(Math.random()*24);
-        debug(`getCronSeed: writing new cron seed file with ${seedHour} to ${paths.CRON_SEED_FILE}`);
-        safe.fs.writeFileSync(paths.CRON_SEED_FILE, `${seedHour}`);
+    let hour = null;
+    let minute = null;
+
+    let tmp = safe.fs.readFileSync(paths.CRON_SEED_FILE, 'utf8');
+    if (tmp) tmp = tmp.split(':');
+
+    if (tmp.length === 2) {
+        hour = parseInt(tmp[0]);
+        minute = parseInt(tmp[1]);
     }
 
-    return seedHour;
+    if ((hour === null || hour < 0 || hour > 23) || (minute === null || minute < 0 || minute > 60)) {
+        hour = Math.floor(Math.random()*24);
+        minute = Math.floor(60*Math.random());
+
+        debug(`getCronSeed: writing new cron seed file with ${hour}:${minute} to ${paths.CRON_SEED_FILE}`);
+
+        safe.fs.writeFileSync(paths.CRON_SEED_FILE, `${hour}:${minute}`);
+    }
+
+    return { hour, minute };
 }
 
 async function startJobs() {
-    const hourlySeed = getCronSeed();
+    const { hour, minute } = getCronSeed();
 
-    debug(`startJobs: starting cron jobs with hourly offset seed ${hourlySeed}`);
+    debug(`startJobs: starting cron jobs with hour ${hour} and minute ${minute}`);
 
-    const randomTick = Math.floor(60*Math.random());
     gJobs.systemChecks = new CronJob({
-        cronTime: `${randomTick} ${randomTick} 2 * * *`, // once a day. if you change this interval, change the notification messages with correct duration
+        cronTime: `00 ${minute} 2 * * *`, // once a day. if you change this interval, change the notification messages with correct duration
         onTick: async () => await safe(cloudron.runSystemChecks(), { debug }),
         start: true
     });
@@ -93,7 +105,7 @@ async function startJobs() {
 
     // this is run separately from the update itself so that the user can disable automatic updates but can still get a notification
     gJobs.updateCheckerJob = new CronJob({
-        cronTime: `${randomTick} ${randomTick} 1,5,9,13,17,21,23 * * *`,
+        cronTime: `00 ${minute} 1,5,9,13,17,21,23 * * *`,
         onTick: async () => await safe(updateChecker.checkForUpdates({ automatic: true }), { debug }),
         start: true
     });
@@ -130,7 +142,7 @@ async function startJobs() {
 
     // randomized per Cloudron based on hourlySeed
     gJobs.certificateRenew = new CronJob({
-        cronTime: `00 10 ${hourlySeed} * * *`,
+        cronTime: `00 10 ${hour} * * *`,
         onTick: async () => await safe(cloudron.renewCerts({}, AuditSource.CRON), { debug }),
         start: true
     });