diff --git a/package/confd/confd.mk b/package/confd/confd.mk
index 4ec5b577..164f1591 100644
--- a/package/confd/confd.mk
+++ b/package/confd/confd.mk
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ endif
 define CONFD_INSTALL_EXTRA
 	for fn in confd.conf crond.conf resolvconf.conf; do \
 		cp $(CONFD_PKGDIR)/$$fn  $(FINIT_D)/available/; \
+	done
+	for fn in confd.conf resolvconf.conf; do \
 		ln -sf ../available/$$fn $(FINIT_D)/enabled/$$fn; \
 	done
 	cp $(CONFD_PKGDIR)/tmpfiles.conf $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/tmpfiles.d/confd.conf
diff --git a/src/confd/src/schedule.c b/src/confd/src/schedule.c
index 1a67d43b..76eb1365 100644
--- a/src/confd/src/schedule.c
+++ b/src/confd/src/schedule.c
@@ -176,11 +176,13 @@ done:
 	snprintf(expr, sz, "%s %s %s %s %s", min, hr, dom, mon, dow);
 }
 
-static void reload_crond(void)
+static void crond_apply(int active)
 {
-	char *args[] = { "pkill", "-HUP", "crond", NULL };
-
-	runbg(args, 0);
+	if (active) {
+		finit_enable("crond");
+	} else {
+		finit_disable("crond");
+	}
 }
 
 /*
@@ -267,7 +269,7 @@ static void apply_schedules(struct lyd_node *config)
 
 out:
 	fclose(fp);
-	reload_crond();
+	crond_apply(count > 0);
 	NOTE("schedule: %d active job(s) written to crontab", count);
 }