diff --git a/manifests/config.pp b/manifests/config.pp
index 80ee50d..0a1d319 100644
--- a/manifests/config.pp
+++ b/manifests/config.pp
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ class rsnapshot::config (
   $lockpath               = pick($rsnapshot::lockpath, $rsnapshot::params::config_lockpath, '/var/run/rsnapshot')
   $conf_d                 = pick($rsnapshot::conf_d, $rsnapshot::params::conf_d, '/etc/rsnapshot')
   $snapshot_root          = pick($hosts['snapshot_root'], $rsnapshot::snapshot_root, '/backup')
-  $default_cron           = assert_empty_hash($::rsnapshot::cron)
   $logpath                = pick($rsnapshot::logpath, $rsnapshot::params::config_logpath)
   # make sure lock path and conf path exist
   file { $conf_d:
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ class rsnapshot::config (
   file { $logpath:
     ensure => directory,
   }
- 
+
   # custom function, if only a hostname is given as a param, this is an empty hash
   # the next loop would break as puppet does not allow to reassign variables
   # the function checks $hosts for elements like: 
@@ -166,57 +165,16 @@ class rsnapshot::config (
     concat { $cronfile:
     }
     # create cron files for each backup level
+    # merge possible cron definitions to one
+    $real_cron = deep_merge($rsnapshot::params::cron, $rsnapshot::cron, $hash[cron])
+
     $backup_levels.each |String $level| {
+      $minute   = rand_from_array($real_cron[$level][minute],   "${host}.${level}.minute")
+      $hour     = rand_from_array($real_cron[$level][hour],     "${host}.${level}.hour")
+      $monthday = rand_from_array($real_cron[$level][monthday], "${host}.${level}.monthday")
+      $month    = rand_from_array($real_cron[$level][month],    "${host}.${level}.month")
+      $weekday  = rand_from_array($real_cron[$level][weekday],  "${host}.${level}.weekday")
 
-      # allow to globally override ranges, create random numbers for backup_levels daily, weekly, monthly
-      if has_key($hash,cron){
-        if has_key($hash[cron], $level) {
-            $cron = $hash[cron][$level]
-          } else {
-            if has_key($default_cron, $level) {
-              $cron = $default_cron[$level]
-            } else {
-              $cron = $rsnapshot::params::cron[$level]
-            }
-        }
-      } else {
-        if has_key($default_cron, $level) {
-          $cron = $default_cron[$level]
-        } else {
-          $cron = $rsnapshot::params::cron[$level]
-        }
-      }
-
-      if has_key($cron, minute) {
-        $c_min                      = $cron[minute]
-      } else {
-        $c_min                      = $rsnapshot::params::cron[$level][minute]
-      }
-      if has_key($cron, hour) {
-        $c_hour                     = $cron[hour]
-      } else {
-        $c_hour                     = $rsnapshot::params::cron[$level][hour]
-      }
-      if has_key($cron, monthday) {
-        $c_monthday                 = $cron[monthday]
-      } else {
-        $c_monthday                 = $rsnapshot::params::cron[$level][monthday]
-      }
-      if has_key($cron, month) {
-        $c_month                    = $cron[month]
-      } else {
-        $c_month                    = $rsnapshot::params::cron[$level][month]
-      }
-      if has_key($cron, weekday)  {
-        $c_weekday                  = $cron[weekday]
-      } else {
-        $c_weekday                  = $rsnapshot::params::cron[$level][weekday]
-      }
-      $minute                           = rand_from_array($c_min, "${host}.${level}.minute")
-      $hour                             = rand_from_array($c_hour, "${host}.${level}.hour")
-      $monthday                         = rand_from_array($c_monthday, "${host}.${level}.monthday")
-      $month                            = rand_from_array($c_month, "${host}.${level}.month")
-      $weekday                          = rand_from_array($c_weekday, "${host}.${level}.weekday")
       concat::fragment { "${host}.${level}":
         target  => $cronfile,
         content => template('rsnapshot/cron.erb'),
diff --git a/metadata.json b/metadata.json
index 8f0a997..5d6e248 100644
--- a/metadata.json
+++ b/metadata.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "loomsen-rsnapshot",
-  "version": "0.4.2",
+  "version": "0.5.0",
   "author": "loomsen",
   "summary": "Configures rsnapshot.",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",