diff --git a/docs/custom-resource.md b/docs/custom-resource.md
index 583c7fb..43ff258 100644
--- a/docs/custom-resource.md
+++ b/docs/custom-resource.md
@@ -456,18 +456,18 @@ components:
     env:
       - name: CLEANRECYCLEBIN_BEFORE_DATE
         value: 1 hour ago
-      - name: CLEANVERIONS_KEEP_VERSIONS_DAYS
+      - name: CLEANVERSIONS_KEEP_VERSIONS_DAYS
         value: "1"
-      - name: CLEANVERIONS_KEEP_VERSIONS_NUMBER
+      - name: CLEANVERSIONS_KEEP_VERSIONS_NUMBER
         value: "1"
-      - name: CLEANVERIONS_TARGET_PATH
+      - name: CLEANVERSIONS_TARGET_PATH
         value: /
       - name: TZ
         value: Europe/Berlin
     extra:
-      config: |
-        cron: "*/5 * * * *"
-        timezone: "Europe/Berlin"
+      activeDeadlineSeconds: "3600"
+      cron: "*/5 * * * *"
+      timezone: "Europe/Berlin"
     milestone: ManagementReady
 ```
 
@@ -798,11 +798,12 @@ If you want to run different commands on separate schedules, add them as separat
 
 Note that you might need to add your own scripts to the management tools image to fully make use of the cron job facility.
 
-| Property                | Type            | Default    | Description                                                                                                             |
-|-------------------------|-----------------|------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `args`                  | list of Strings | ""         | List of the entrypoint scripts to run. No default.                                                                      |
-| `extra.config.cron`     | String | "0 0 0 * +" | When to execute the job. Default is every day at midnight local time of the k8s cluster.                                |
-| `extra.config.timezone` | String | ""         | The time zone of the time specification. By default, this is the local time of the cluster. Use "Europe/Berlin" format. |
+| Property                      | Type            | Default     | Description                                                                                                             |
+|-------------------------------|-----------------|-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `args`                        | list of Strings | ""          | List of the entrypoint scripts to run. No default.                                                                      |
+| `extra.activeDeadlineSeconds` | String          | "1800"      | How long to run the job before k8s considers it stuck and kills it.                                                     |
+| `extra.cron`                  | String          | "0 0 * * *" | When to execute the job. Default is every day at midnight local time of the k8s cluster.                                |
+| `extra.timezone`              | String          | ""          | The time zone of the time specification. By default, this is the local time of the cluster. Use "Europe/Berlin" format. |
 
 ### Component `overview`
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/tsystemsmms/cmcc/cmccoperator/components/job/MgmtToolsCronJobComponent.java b/src/main/java/com/tsystemsmms/cmcc/cmccoperator/components/job/MgmtToolsCronJobComponent.java
index 30dad35..60de203 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/tsystemsmms/cmcc/cmccoperator/components/job/MgmtToolsCronJobComponent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/tsystemsmms/cmcc/cmccoperator/components/job/MgmtToolsCronJobComponent.java
@@ -38,10 +38,12 @@ public class MgmtToolsCronJobComponent extends SpringBootComponent implements Ha
   public static final String EXTRA_CONFIG = "config";
 
   long activeDeadlineSeconds = 30 * 60L;
-  private MgmtCronJobConfig mgmtCronJobConfig = null;
+  String cron = "0 0 * * *";
+  String timezone = "";
 
   public MgmtToolsCronJobComponent(KubernetesClient kubernetesClient, TargetState targetState, ComponentSpec componentSpec) {
     super(kubernetesClient, targetState, componentSpec, "management-tools");
+    updateConfig();
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -52,18 +54,32 @@ public List<HasMetadata> buildResources() {
   @Override
   public Component updateComponentSpec(ComponentSpec newCs) {
     super.updateComponentSpec(newCs);
-    if (mgmtCronJobConfig != null)
-      mgmtCronJobConfig = getMgmtCronJobConfigFromExtra();
+    updateConfig();
     return this;
   }
 
+  private void updateConfig() {
+    var extraConfig = getComponentSpec().getExtra(EXTRA_CONFIG);
+    if (extraConfig.isPresent()) {
+      Yaml yaml = new Yaml(new Constructor(MgmtCronJobConfig.class));
+      MgmtCronJobConfig config = yaml.load(extraConfig.get());
+      cron = config.getCron();
+      timezone = config.getTimezone();
+    }
+    getComponentSpec().getExtra("activeDeadlineSeconds")
+            .ifPresent(v -> activeDeadlineSeconds = Long.parseLong(v));
+    getComponentSpec().getExtra("cron")
+            .ifPresent(v -> cron = v);
+    getComponentSpec().getExtra("timezone")
+            .ifPresent(v -> timezone = v);
+  }
+
   private CronJob buildJob() {
-    getMgmtCronJobConfig();
     return new CronJobBuilder()
             .withMetadata(getResourceMetadata())
             .withSpec(new CronJobSpecBuilder()
-                    .withSchedule(mgmtCronJobConfig.cron)
-                    .withTimeZone(mgmtCronJobConfig.timezone)
+                    .withSchedule(cron)
+                    .withTimeZone(timezone)
                     .withFailedJobsHistoryLimit(3)
                     .withSuccessfulJobsHistoryLimit(1)
                     .withJobTemplate(new JobTemplateSpecBuilder()
@@ -154,18 +170,13 @@ public Optional<Boolean> isReady() {
     return Optional.of(Boolean.TRUE);
   }
 
-  private MgmtCronJobConfig  getMgmtCronJobConfigFromExtra() {
+  private Optional<MgmtCronJobConfig> getMgmtCronJobConfigFromExtra() {
     Yaml yaml = new Yaml(new Constructor(MgmtCronJobConfig.class));
     if (getComponentSpec().getExtra() == null || !getComponentSpec().getExtra().containsKey(EXTRA_CONFIG))
-      throw new CustomResourceConfigError("Must specify " + EXTRA_CONFIG + " with job parameters for job \"" + getSpecName() + "\"");
-    return yaml.load(getComponentSpec().getExtra().get(EXTRA_CONFIG));
+      return Optional.empty();
+    return Optional.of(yaml.load(getComponentSpec().getExtra().get(EXTRA_CONFIG)));
   }
 
-  private MgmtCronJobConfig getMgmtCronJobConfig() {
-    if (mgmtCronJobConfig == null)
-      mgmtCronJobConfig = getMgmtCronJobConfigFromExtra();
-    return mgmtCronJobConfig;
-  }
 
   @Override
   public String getUapiClientDefaultUsername() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/tsystemsmms/cmcc/cmccoperator/crds/ComponentSpec.java b/src/main/java/com/tsystemsmms/cmcc/cmccoperator/crds/ComponentSpec.java
index b1a6154..d2ae5d5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/tsystemsmms/cmcc/cmccoperator/crds/ComponentSpec.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/tsystemsmms/cmcc/cmccoperator/crds/ComponentSpec.java
@@ -18,10 +18,7 @@
 import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.Data;
 
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.LinkedList;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.*;
 
 @Data
 public class ComponentSpec {
@@ -83,6 +80,18 @@ public ComponentSpec(ComponentSpec that) {
     this.update(that);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Get the value of an entry in the extra hash.
+   *
+   * @param key name of the entry
+   * @return value of the entry, or Optional.empty
+   */
+  public Optional<String> getExtra(String key) {
+    if (extra == null)
+      return Optional.empty();
+    return Optional.ofNullable(extra.get(key));
+  }
+
   public void update(ComponentSpec that) {
     this.setAnnotations(that.getAnnotations());
     this.setArgs(that.getArgs());