diff --git a/pkg/mrunners/runner_cron.go b/pkg/mrunners/runner_cron.go
index 42092af..183fa73 100644
--- a/pkg/mrunners/runner_cron.go
+++ b/pkg/mrunners/runner_cron.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package mrunners
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"os"
 
 	"github.com/robfig/cron/v3"
 	"github.com/yankeguo/minit/pkg/munit"
@@ -41,11 +40,8 @@ func (r *runnerCron) Do(ctx context.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	expr := os.ExpandEnv(r.Unit.Cron)
-
 	cr := cron.New(cron.WithLogger(cron.PrintfLogger(r.Logger)))
-
-	_, err := cr.AddFunc(expr, func() {
+	_, err := cr.AddFunc(r.Unit.Cron, func() {
 		r.Print("triggered")
 		if err := r.Exec.Execute(r.Unit.ExecuteOptions(r.Logger)); err != nil {
 			r.Error("failed executing: " + err.Error())
diff --git a/pkg/munit/loader.go b/pkg/munit/loader.go
index 6cb3c03..dacb401 100644
--- a/pkg/munit/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/munit/loader.go
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ func (ld *Loader) Load(opts LoadOptions) (output []Unit, skipped []Unit, err err
 			continue
 		}
 
+		// eval cron
+		if unit.Cron != "" {
+			unit.Cron = os.ExpandEnv(unit.Cron)
+		}
+
 		// replicas
 		if unit.Count > 1 {
 			for i := 0; i < unit.Count; i++ {
diff --git a/pkg/munit/loader_test.go b/pkg/munit/loader_test.go
index 51da196..e5ed5e9 100644
--- a/pkg/munit/loader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/munit/loader_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 func TestNewLoader(t *testing.T) {
 	os.Setenv("MINIT_ENABLE", "@default")
 	os.Setenv("MINIT_DISABLE", "task-3,task-5")
+	os.Setenv("DEBUG_EVERY", "10s")
 	ld := NewLoader()
 	units, skipped, err := ld.Load(LoadOptions{
 		Dir: "testdata",
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ func TestNewLoader(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Len(t, units, 1)
 	require.Len(t, skipped, 4)
 	require.Equal(t, "task-4", units[0].Name)
+	require.Equal(t, "@every 10s", units[0].Cron)
 }
 
 func TestDupOrMakeMap(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/munit/testdata/test2.yml b/pkg/munit/testdata/test2.yml
index 5ee53a8..5523534 100644
--- a/pkg/munit/testdata/test2.yml
+++ b/pkg/munit/testdata/test2.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ command:
 ---
 name: task-4
 kind: cron
-cron: "@every 10s"
+cron: "@every ${DEBUG_EVERY}"
 command:
   - echo
   - cron