diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-config-end/dependencies.d/init-crontab-config b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/dependencies.d/init-device-perms
similarity index 100%
rename from root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-config-end/dependencies.d/init-crontab-config
rename to root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/dependencies.d/init-device-perms
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/run b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/run
index 45a4e88b..2a71d6a6 100755
--- a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/run
+++ b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/run
@@ -1,33 +1,25 @@
 #!/usr/bin/with-contenv bash
 # shellcheck shell=bash
 
+# /defaults/crontabs is for user customizable crontabs and they take priority over /etc/crontabs
+# /etc/crontabs is for non-user customizable crontabs
+# /config/crontabs is only imported if /defaults/crontab is present in image
+# in RO environments, no import is done, only /etc/crontabs is active
 for cron_user in abc root; do
-    if [[ -z ${LSIO_READ_ONLY_FS} ]] && [[ -z ${LSIO_NON_ROOT_USER} ]]; then
-        if [[ -f "/etc/crontabs/${cron_user}" ]]; then
-            lsiown "${cron_user}":"${cron_user}" "/etc/crontabs/${cron_user}"
-            crontab -u "${cron_user}" "/etc/crontabs/${cron_user}"
-        fi
-    fi
-
-    if [[ -f "/defaults/crontabs/${cron_user}" ]]; then
+    if [[ -f "/defaults/crontabs/${cron_user}" ]] && [[ -z ${LSIO_READ_ONLY_FS} ]] && [[ -z ${LSIO_NON_ROOT_USER} ]]; then
         # make folders
         mkdir -p \
             /config/crontabs
 
         # if crontabs do not exist in config
         if [[ ! -f "/config/crontabs/${cron_user}" ]]; then
-            # copy crontab from system
-            if crontab -l -u "${cron_user}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-                crontab -l -u "${cron_user}" >"/config/crontabs/${cron_user}"
-            fi
-
-            # if crontabs still do not exist in config (were not copied from system)
             # copy crontab from image defaults (using -n, do not overwrite an existing file)
             cp -n "/defaults/crontabs/${cron_user}" /config/crontabs/
         fi
 
-        # set permissions and import user crontabs
-        lsiown "${cron_user}":"${cron_user}" "/config/crontabs/${cron_user}"
+        # import user crontabs
         crontab -u "${cron_user}" "/config/crontabs/${cron_user}"
+
+        lsiown -R abc:abc /config/crontabs
     fi
 done
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/dependencies.d/init-config b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-os-end/dependencies.d/init-crontab-config
similarity index 100%
rename from root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-crontab-config/dependencies.d/init-config
rename to root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-os-end/dependencies.d/init-crontab-config