diff --git a/scripts/add-digest-user.sh b/scripts/add-digest-user.sh
index fbf906d..7750c5d 100755
--- a/scripts/add-digest-user.sh
+++ b/scripts/add-digest-user.sh
@@ -23,8 +23,46 @@
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-USER_ARG="${1:?usage: $0 <username> [password]}"
-USER_PASS="${2:-}"
+usage() {
+    cat <<EOF
+usage: $0 <username> [password] [--am "MIN HR * * *"] [--pm "MIN HR * * *"]
+
+Defaults: AM = "0 8 * * *", PM = "0 20 * * *". Cron syntax is
+standard 5-field; busybox crond honors the container's \$TZ.
+
+Examples:
+  $0 alice
+  $0 bob       --am "0 6 * * *" --pm "0 17 * * *"
+  $0 carol s3cret --pm "30 18 * * 1-5"   # weekdays only PM run
+EOF
+    exit 1
+}
+
+USER_ARG=""
+USER_PASS=""
+CRON_AM="0 8 * * *"
+CRON_PM="0 20 * * *"
+
+while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
+    case "$1" in
+        --am)   CRON_AM="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+        --pm)   CRON_PM="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+        --help|-h) usage ;;
+        --*) echo "unknown flag: $1" >&2; usage ;;
+        *)
+            if [ -z "$USER_ARG" ]; then
+                USER_ARG="$1"
+            elif [ -z "$USER_PASS" ]; then
+                USER_PASS="$1"
+            else
+                echo "unexpected positional arg: $1" >&2; usage
+            fi
+            shift
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+[ -n "$USER_ARG" ] || usage
+
 HOST=ana-docker
 WORKSTATION_STACK="$(dirname "$0")/../stacks/news-digest"
 PROJECT="digest-$USER_ARG"
@@ -102,7 +140,7 @@ scp -q "$WORKSTATION_STACK/compose.yaml" "$HOST:$HOST_COMPOSE_DIR/compose.yaml"
 # Also need the build context (Dockerfile, *.py, templates/) so the
 # image can build if it's not already cached. Use the existing tree.
 scp -q "$WORKSTATION_STACK/Dockerfile" "$HOST:$HOST_COMPOSE_DIR/Dockerfile"
-scp -q "$WORKSTATION_STACK"/{digest.py,seed-headlines.py,web.py,entrypoint.sh,run-digest.sh,crontab} "$HOST:$HOST_COMPOSE_DIR/"
+scp -q "$WORKSTATION_STACK"/{digest.py,seed-headlines.py,web.py,entrypoint.sh,run-digest.sh} "$HOST:$HOST_COMPOSE_DIR/"
 ssh "$HOST" "mkdir -p $HOST_COMPOSE_DIR/templates"
 scp -q "$WORKSTATION_STACK"/templates/* "$HOST:$HOST_COMPOSE_DIR/templates/"
 
@@ -139,6 +177,8 @@ DIGEST_MINIFLUX_WORLD_CATEGORY=World
 DIGEST_MINIFLUX_LOCAL_CATEGORY=Local
 DIGEST_MINIFLUX_HEADLINES_HOURS=8
 DIGEST_MINIFLUX_HEADLINES_MAX=15
+DIGEST_CRON_AM=$CRON_AM
+DIGEST_CRON_PM=$CRON_PM
 NEWS_DIGEST_OUTPUT_DIR=$HOST_DATA_DIR
 EOF
 
@@ -166,6 +206,7 @@ bold "✓ provisioned digest for $USER_ARG"
 echo
 echo "  digest URL  : http://10.250.50.70:$new_port/"
 echo "  miniflux UI : http://10.250.50.70:8080/  (login: $USER_ARG / $USER_PASS)"
+echo "  schedule    : AM '$CRON_AM' / PM '$CRON_PM' (TZ from \$NEWS_DIGEST_TZ)"
 echo "  compose dir : $HOST:$HOST_COMPOSE_DIR/"
 echo "  output dir  : $HOST:$HOST_DATA_DIR/"
 echo
diff --git a/stacks/news-digest/.env.example b/stacks/news-digest/.env.example
index d5f46b0..0df5307 100644
--- a/stacks/news-digest/.env.example
+++ b/stacks/news-digest/.env.example
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ DIGEST_MINIFLUX_LOCAL_CATEGORY=Local
 DIGEST_MINIFLUX_HEADLINES_HOURS=8
 DIGEST_MINIFLUX_HEADLINES_MAX=15
 
+# Cron schedule (standard 5-field). busybox crond honors $TZ above.
+# Two fires per day by convention (morning / evening); change times
+# per-user to match working hours.
+DIGEST_CRON_AM=0 8 * * *
+DIGEST_CRON_PM=0 20 * * *
+
 # ── output dir on host (bind-mounted) ────────────────────────────────
 # Separate from /opt/docker/conf/<stack>/ to keep generated content
 # distinct from config. Owned by container UID; writes are atomic.
diff --git a/stacks/news-digest/Dockerfile b/stacks/news-digest/Dockerfile
index 20dd153..72253b8 100644
--- a/stacks/news-digest/Dockerfile
+++ b/stacks/news-digest/Dockerfile
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ COPY web.py /app/web.py
 COPY templates /app/templates
 COPY entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/entrypoint.sh
 COPY run-digest.sh /usr/local/bin/run-digest.sh
-COPY crontab /etc/crontabs/root
+# /etc/crontabs/root is written by entrypoint.sh from
+# DIGEST_CRON_AM/DIGEST_CRON_PM env at container start, so each
+# per-user instance gets its own schedule. Image no longer ships a
+# baked-in crontab.
 RUN chmod +x /usr/local/bin/entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/run-digest.sh
 
 # Sentinel + first-run output dir
diff --git a/stacks/news-digest/compose.yaml b/stacks/news-digest/compose.yaml
index ed7f61d..6ee9df0 100644
--- a/stacks/news-digest/compose.yaml
+++ b/stacks/news-digest/compose.yaml
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ services:
       - DIGEST_MINIFLUX_LOCAL_CATEGORY=${DIGEST_MINIFLUX_LOCAL_CATEGORY:-Local}
       - DIGEST_MINIFLUX_HEADLINES_HOURS=${DIGEST_MINIFLUX_HEADLINES_HOURS:-8}
       - DIGEST_MINIFLUX_HEADLINES_MAX=${DIGEST_MINIFLUX_HEADLINES_MAX:-15}
+      # Per-instance cron schedule. Standard 5-field syntax. busybox
+      # crond honors $TZ. Defaults preserve the original 0800 / 2000.
+      - DIGEST_CRON_AM=${DIGEST_CRON_AM:-0 8 * * *}
+      - DIGEST_CRON_PM=${DIGEST_CRON_PM:-0 20 * * *}
     volumes:
       - ${NEWS_DIGEST_OUTPUT_DIR}:/output
     networks:
diff --git a/stacks/news-digest/crontab b/stacks/news-digest/crontab
deleted file mode 100644
index a30dce8..0000000
--- a/stacks/news-digest/crontab
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-# news-digest fires twice a day at 0800 and 2000 local (TZ from env).
-# Output written atomically to /output/index.html — nginx serves it
-# without restart.
-0 8,20 * * * /usr/local/bin/run-digest.sh
diff --git a/stacks/news-digest/entrypoint.sh b/stacks/news-digest/entrypoint.sh
index c666632..8e80bf8 100644
--- a/stacks/news-digest/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/stacks/news-digest/entrypoint.sh
@@ -29,8 +29,21 @@ if [ ! -f /output/index.html ]; then
         echo "[entrypoint] first run failed; cron will retry on schedule"
 fi
 
-# Tee crontab into the place busybox expects (already done in image
-# via COPY) and run crond in foreground. -L /dev/stdout sends cron
-# stdout/stderr to docker logs.
-echo "[entrypoint] starting crond (fires per /etc/crontabs/root)"
+# Render the crontab from env so each per-user instance can fire on
+# its own schedule. Defaults match the original singleton (0800 / 2000
+# local). Two separate vars (AM / PM) instead of one combined string
+# so users can tweak one fire without re-deriving the other.
+CRON_AM="${DIGEST_CRON_AM:-0 8 * * *}"
+CRON_PM="${DIGEST_CRON_PM:-0 20 * * *}"
+mkdir -p /etc/crontabs
+{
+    echo "# news-digest cron — generated at container start from env."
+    echo "$CRON_AM /usr/local/bin/run-digest.sh"
+    echo "$CRON_PM /usr/local/bin/run-digest.sh"
+} > /etc/crontabs/root
+echo "[entrypoint] crontab:"
+sed 's/^/  /' /etc/crontabs/root
+
+# Foreground crond. -L /dev/stdout sends cron stdout/stderr to docker logs.
+echo "[entrypoint] starting crond"
 exec crond -f -L /dev/stdout -l 8