diff --git a/tasks/cron.yaml b/tasks/cron.yaml
index 0ce7208..ba61911 100644
--- a/tasks/cron.yaml
+++ b/tasks/cron.yaml
@@ -8,5 +8,18 @@
     owner: "root"
     group: "root"
     mode: "0644"
-  when: 'type == "lxc"'
+  when:
+    - 'type == "lxc"'
+    - "ansible_os_family == 'Debian'"
+  tags: "cron"
+
+# configure cron
+- name: "cron - config - alpine"
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: "templates/cron/alpine-root.j2"
+    dest: "/etc/crontabs/root"
+    owner: "root"
+    group: "root"
+    mode: "0600"
+  when: "ansible_os_family == 'Alpine'"
   tags: "cron"
diff --git a/tasks/main.yaml b/tasks/main.yaml
index 7c50ccc..b056a0e 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 # cron jobs
 - name: "cron jobs"
   ansible.builtin.import_tasks: "cron.yaml"
-  when: "ansible_os_family == 'Debian'"
   tags: "cron"
 
 # swap
diff --git a/templates/cron/alpine-root.j2 b/templates/cron/alpine-root.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4cbc4ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/cron/alpine-root.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# do daily/weekly/monthly maintenance
+# min   hour    day     month   weekday command
+*/15    *       *       *       *       run-parts /etc/periodic/15min
+0       *       *       *       *       run-parts /etc/periodic/hourly
+0       2       *       *       *       run-parts /etc/periodic/daily
+0       3       *       *       6       run-parts /etc/periodic/weekly
+0       5       1       *       *       run-parts /etc/periodic/monthly
+
+# update packages between 3:15-3:30 am
+15      3       *       *       *       sleep $(($RANDOM % 900)) && apk -U upgrade >/dev/null 2>&1 && apk clean cache && reboot -d 60