diff --git a/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/core.inc b/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/core.inc
index 836c7ae60..a5a8c73f9 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/core.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/core.inc
@@ -100,8 +100,10 @@ function core_services()
     $services[] = array(
         'description' => gettext('Cron'),
         'php' => array(
-            "restart" => array('system_cron_configure')
+            'start' => ['system_cron_configure'],
+            'restart' => ['system_cron_configure'],
         ),
+        'pidfile' => '/var/run/cron.pid',
         'name' => 'cron',
     );
 
diff --git a/src/etc/inc/system.inc b/src/etc/inc/system.inc
index ae3dbda09..5e5bdf5de 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/system.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/system.inc
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ function system_devd_configure($verbose = false)
     }
 }
 
-function system_cron_configure($verbose = false, $defer = false)
+function system_cron_configure($verbose = false)
 {
     function generate_cron_job($command, $minute = '0', $hour = '*', $monthday = '*', $month = '*', $weekday = '*')
     {
@@ -931,9 +931,7 @@ function system_cron_configure($verbose = false, $defer = false)
 
     configd_run('template reload OPNsense/Cron');
 
-    if (!$defer) {
-        configd_run('cron restart');
-    }
+    mwexec('/etc/rc.d/cron restart');
 
     if ($verbose) {
         echo "done.\n";
diff --git a/src/etc/rc.bootup b/src/etc/rc.bootup
index e25b2ac6b..dc39afba0 100755
--- a/src/etc/rc.bootup
+++ b/src/etc/rc.bootup
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ interfaces_configure(true);
 system_resolvconf_generate(true);
 filter_configure_sync(true);
 plugins_configure('early', true);
-system_cron_configure(true, true);
 system_routing_configure(true);
 
 system_hosts_generate(true);
diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Cron/Api/ServiceController.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Cron/Api/ServiceController.php
index b90dbf76b..d6e0ed343 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Cron/Api/ServiceController.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Cron/Api/ServiceController.php
@@ -53,10 +53,7 @@ class ServiceController extends ApiControllerBase
 
             $backend = new Backend();
 
-            // generate template
-            $backend->configdRun('template reload OPNsense/Cron');
-
-            // (res)start daemon
+            // generate configuration and (re)start daemon
             $backend->configdRun("cron restart");
 
             return array("status" => "ok");
diff --git a/src/opnsense/service/conf/actions.d/actions_cron.conf b/src/opnsense/service/conf/actions.d/actions_cron.conf
index 5db678e34..04f60e6bb 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/service/conf/actions.d/actions_cron.conf
+++ b/src/opnsense/service/conf/actions.d/actions_cron.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [restart]
-command:/etc/rc.d/cron restart
+command:pluginctl -s cron restart
 parameters:
 type:script
 message:restarting cron