diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ee919347..1ef7a879 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ _yardoc/
 
 # rspec failure tracking
 .rspec_status
+
+.idea/*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.idea/.gitignore b/.idea/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e7e9d11d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.idea/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Default ignored files
+/workspace.xml
diff --git a/examples/bin/trigger_cron b/examples/bin/trigger_cron
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..88a58194
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/bin/trigger_cron
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env ruby
+require_relative '../init'
+
+Dir[File.expand_path('../workflows/*.rb', __dir__)].each { |f| require f }
+
+workflow_class_name, schedule, *args = ARGV
+workflow_class = Object.const_get(workflow_class_name)
+workflow_id = SecureRandom.uuid
+
+# Convert integer strings to integers
+input = args.map { |arg| Integer(arg) rescue arg }
+
+run_id = Cadence.schedule_workflow(
+  workflow_class,
+  schedule,
+  *input,
+  options: { workflow_id: workflow_id }
+)
+Cadence.logger.info "Started workflow: #{run_id} / #{workflow_id}"
diff --git a/lib/cadence.rb b/lib/cadence.rb
index 918877b3..190efa91 100644
--- a/lib/cadence.rb
+++ b/lib/cadence.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,29 @@ def start_workflow(workflow, *input, **args)
       response.runId
     end
 
+    def schedule_workflow(workflow, cron_schedule, *input, **args)
+      options = args.delete(:options) || {}
+      input << args unless args.empty?
+
+      execution_options = ExecutionOptions.new(workflow, options)
+      workflow_id = options[:workflow_id] || SecureRandom.uuid
+
+      response = client.start_workflow_execution(
+        domain: execution_options.domain,
+        workflow_id: workflow_id,
+        workflow_name: execution_options.name,
+        task_list: execution_options.task_list,
+        input: input,
+        execution_timeout: execution_options.timeouts[:execution],
+        task_timeout: execution_options.timeouts[:task],
+        workflow_id_reuse_policy: options[:workflow_id_reuse_policy],
+        headers: execution_options.headers,
+        cron_schedule: cron_schedule
+      )
+
+      response.runId
+    end
+
     def register_domain(name, description = nil)
       client.register_domain(name: name, description: description)
     rescue CadenceThrift::DomainAlreadyExistsError
diff --git a/lib/cadence/client/thrift_client.rb b/lib/cadence/client/thrift_client.rb
index e062ca4a..4cd255b6 100644
--- a/lib/cadence/client/thrift_client.rb
+++ b/lib/cadence/client/thrift_client.rb
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ def start_workflow_execution(
         execution_timeout:,
         task_timeout:,
         workflow_id_reuse_policy: nil,
-        headers: nil
+        headers: nil,
+        cron_schedule: nil
       )
         request = CadenceThrift::StartWorkflowExecutionRequest.new(
           identity: identity,
@@ -82,7 +83,8 @@ def start_workflow_execution(
           requestId: SecureRandom.uuid,
           header: CadenceThrift::Header.new(
             fields: headers
-          )
+          ),
+          cronSchedule: cron_schedule
         )
 
         if workflow_id_reuse_policy
diff --git a/lib/cadence/execution_options.rb b/lib/cadence/execution_options.rb
index b54c4c03..c4572df4 100644
--- a/lib/cadence/execution_options.rb
+++ b/lib/cadence/execution_options.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ def initialize(object, options = {})
       @domain = options[:domain]
       @task_list = options[:task_list]
       @retry_policy = options[:retry_policy]
+      @cron_schedule = options[:cron_schedule]
       @timeouts = options[:timeouts] || {}
       @headers = options[:headers] || {}
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/lib/cadence_spec.rb b/spec/unit/lib/cadence_spec.rb
index 73e2ec5d..bac3d4ff 100644
--- a/spec/unit/lib/cadence_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/lib/cadence_spec.rb
@@ -72,6 +72,36 @@ class TestStartWorkflow < Cadence::Workflow
             )
         end
 
+        it 'starts a cron workflow' do
+          described_class.schedule_workflow(
+            TestStartWorkflow,
+            '* * * * *'
+            42,
+            options: {
+              name: 'test-workflow',
+              domain: 'test-domain',
+              task_list: 'test-task-list',
+              headers: { 'Foo' => 'Bar' },
+
+            }
+          )
+
+          expect(client)
+            .to have_received(:start_workflow_execution)
+            .with(
+              domain: 'test-domain',
+              workflow_id: an_instance_of(String),
+              workflow_name: 'test-workflow',
+              task_list: 'test-task-list',
+              cron_schedule: '* * * * *',
+              input: [42],
+              task_timeout: Cadence.configuration.timeouts[:task],
+              execution_timeout: Cadence.configuration.timeouts[:execution],
+              workflow_id_reuse_policy: nil,
+              headers: { 'Foo' => 'Bar' }
+            )
+        end
+
         it 'starts a workflow using a mix of input, keyword arguments and options' do
           described_class.start_workflow(
             TestStartWorkflow,