diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index d68833cb3..d5c15214d 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ async function setPolicy(policy) {
     if (error) throw error;
 
     await settings.setJson(settings.BACKUP_POLICY_KEY, policy);
-    await cron.backupPolicyChanged(policy);
+    await cron.handleBackupPolicyChanged(policy);
 }
 
 async function getConfig() {
diff --git a/src/cron.js b/src/cron.js
index abb2c1e34..de2f2293f 100644
--- a/src/cron.js
+++ b/src/cron.js
@@ -11,11 +11,10 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 
     stopJobs,
 
-    handleSettingsChanged,
-    backupPolicyChanged,
+    handleBackupPolicyChanged,
     handleTimeZoneChanged,
-    autoupdatePatternChanged,
-    dynamicDnsChanged,
+    handleAutoupdatePatternChanged,
+    handleDynamicDnsChanged,
 
     DEFAULT_AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN,
 };
@@ -36,7 +35,6 @@ const appHealthMonitor = require('./apphealthmonitor.js'),
     paths = require('./paths.js'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
     scheduler = require('./scheduler.js'),
-    settings = require('./settings.js'),
     system = require('./system.js'),
     updater = require('./updater.js'),
     updateChecker = require('./updatechecker.js'),
@@ -163,30 +161,12 @@ async function startJobs() {
         start: true
     });
 
-    await backupPolicyChanged(await backups.getPolicy());
-    await autoupdatePatternChanged(await updater.getAutoupdatePattern());
-    dynamicDnsChanged(await network.getDynamicDns());
+    await handleBackupPolicyChanged(await backups.getPolicy());
+    await handleAutoupdatePatternChanged(await updater.getAutoupdatePattern());
+    await handleDynamicDnsChanged(await network.getDynamicDns());
 }
 
-// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
-async function handleSettingsChanged(key, value) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof key, 'string');
-    // value is a variant
-
-    switch (key) {
-    case settings.TIME_ZONE_KEY:
-    case settings.BACKUP_CONFIG_KEY:
-    case settings.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_KEY:
-        debug('handleSettingsChanged: recreating all jobs');
-        await stopJobs();
-        await startJobs();
-        break;
-    default:
-        break;
-    }
-}
-
-async function backupPolicyChanged(value) {
+async function handleBackupPolicyChanged(value) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof value, 'object');
 
     const tz = await cloudron.getTimeZone();
@@ -211,7 +191,7 @@ async function handleTimeZoneChanged(tz) {
     await startJobs();
 }
 
-async function autoupdatePatternChanged(pattern) {
+async function handleAutoupdatePatternChanged(pattern) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof pattern, 'string');
 
     const tz = await cloudron.getTimeZone();
@@ -249,7 +229,7 @@ async function autoupdatePatternChanged(pattern) {
     });
 }
 
-function dynamicDnsChanged(enabled) {
+function handleDynamicDnsChanged(enabled) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof enabled, 'boolean');
 
     debug('Dynamic DNS setting changed to %s', enabled);
diff --git a/src/network.js b/src/network.js
index dbc4bca10..abc204b10 100644
--- a/src/network.js
+++ b/src/network.js
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ async function setDynamicDns(enabled) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof enabled, 'boolean');
 
     await settings.set(settings.DYNAMIC_DNS_KEY, enabled ? 'enabled' : ''); // db holds string values only
-    cron.dynamicDnsChanged(enabled);
+    await cron.handleDynamicDnsChanged(enabled);
 }
 
 async function getIPv4Config() {
diff --git a/src/settings.js b/src/settings.js
index 3cb3a0758..1a3b6bbbf 100644
--- a/src/settings.js
+++ b/src/settings.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     getRegistryConfig,
     setRegistryConfig,
 
-    list,
     initCache,
 
     // these values come from the cache
@@ -82,11 +81,9 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 };
 
 const assert = require('assert'),
-    cron = require('./cron.js'),
     database = require('./database.js'),
     debug = require('debug')('box:settings'),
     docker = require('./docker.js'),
-    paths = require('./paths.js'),
     safe = require('safetydance');
 
 const SETTINGS_FIELDS = [ 'name', 'value' ].join(',');
@@ -113,12 +110,6 @@ const gDefaults = (function () {
 
 let gCache = {};
 
-function notifyChange(key, value) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof key, 'string');
-    // value is a variant
-    cron.handleSettingsChanged(key, value);
-}
-
 async function get(key) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof key, 'string');
 
@@ -184,8 +175,6 @@ async function setRegistryConfig(registryConfig) {
     await docker.testRegistryConfig(registryConfig);
 
     await set(exports.REGISTRY_CONFIG_KEY, JSON.stringify(registryConfig));
-
-    notifyChange(exports.REGISTRY_CONFIG_KEY, registryConfig);
 }
 
 async function list() {
@@ -197,11 +186,6 @@ async function list() {
     // convert booleans
     result[exports.DEMO_KEY] = !!result[exports.DEMO_KEY];
 
-    // convert JSON objects
-    [exports.BACKUP_POLICY_KEY, exports.BACKUP_CONFIG_KEY, exports.REGISTRY_CONFIG_KEY ].forEach(function (key) {
-        result[key] = typeof result[key] === 'object' ? result[key] : safe.JSON.parse(result[key]);
-    });
-
     return result;
 }
 
@@ -251,7 +235,6 @@ async function setApiServerOrigin(origin) {
     await set(exports.API_SERVER_ORIGIN_KEY, origin);
 
     gCache.apiServerOrigin = origin;
-    notifyChange(exports.API_SERVER_ORIGIN_KEY, origin);
 }
 
 function apiServerOrigin() { return gCache.apiServerOrigin; }
diff --git a/src/updater.js b/src/updater.js
index 7b0c5c16c..44f441e94 100644
--- a/src/updater.js
+++ b/src/updater.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ async function setAutoupdatePattern(pattern) {
     }
 
     await settings.set(settings.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_KEY, pattern);
-    await cron.autoupdatePatternChanged(pattern);
+    await cron.handleAutoupdatePatternChanged(pattern);
 }
 
 async function getAutoupdatePattern() {