diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/queue/inMemoryQueue.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/queue/inMemoryQueue.ts
index 62b971f9f5..1d8544828d 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/queue/inMemoryQueue.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/queue/inMemoryQueue.ts
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class InMemoryQueue implements Partial<Queue> {
     } else {
       pushMessage()
     }
-    return {} as any
+    return { id: jobId } as any
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/tests/cron-automations.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/automations/tests/cron-automations.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..62c8ccd612
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/tests/cron-automations.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import tk from "timekeeper"
+import "../../environment"
+import * as automations from "../index"
+import * as setup from "./utilities"
+import { basicCronAutomation } from "../../tests/utilities/structures"
+
+const initialTime = Date.now()
+tk.freeze(initialTime)
+
+const oneMinuteInMs = 60 * 1000
+
+describe("cron automations", () => {
+  let config = setup.getConfig()
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    await automations.init()
+    await config.init()
+  })
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await automations.shutdown()
+    setup.afterAll()
+  })
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    tk.freeze(initialTime)
+  })
+
+  async function travel(ms: number) {
+    tk.travel(Date.now() + ms)
+  }
+
+  it("should initialise the automation timestamp", async () => {
+    const automation = basicCronAutomation(config.appId!, "* * * * *")
+    await config.api.automation.post(automation)
+    await travel(oneMinuteInMs)
+    await config.publish()
+
+    const automationLogs = await config.getAutomationLogs()
+    expect(automationLogs.data).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(automationLogs.data).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        trigger: expect.objectContaining({
+          outputs: { timestamp: initialTime + oneMinuteInMs },
+        }),
+      }),
+    ])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/utils.ts b/packages/server/src/automations/utils.ts
index 62125ea589..365dc36b68 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/automations/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/utils.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ export async function processEvent(job: AutomationJob) {
 
       const task = async () => {
         try {
+          if (isCronTrigger(job.data.automation)) {
+            // Requires the timestamp at run time
+            job.data.event.timestamp = Date.now()
+          }
           // need to actually await these so that an error can be captured properly
           console.log("automation running", ...loggingArgs(job))
 
@@ -210,15 +214,15 @@ export async function enableCronTrigger(appId: any, automation: Automation) {
     }
     // make a job id rather than letting Bull decide, makes it easier to handle on way out
     const jobId = `${appId}_cron_${utils.newid()}`
-    const job: any = await automationQueue.add(
+    const job = await automationQueue.add(
       {
         automation,
-        event: { appId, timestamp: Date.now() },
+        event: { appId },
       },
       { repeat: { cron: cronExp }, jobId }
     )
     // Assign cron job ID from bull so we can remove it later if the cron trigger is removed
-    trigger.cronJobId = job.id
+    trigger.cronJobId = job.id.toString()
     // can't use getAppDB here as this is likely to be called from dev app,
     // but this call could be for dev app or prod app, need to just use what
     // was passed in
diff --git a/packages/server/src/tests/utilities/structures.ts b/packages/server/src/tests/utilities/structures.ts
index 49046d9eda..beb03ecf08 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/tests/utilities/structures.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/tests/utilities/structures.ts
@@ -245,6 +245,38 @@ export function basicAutomation(appId?: string): Automation {
   }
 }
 
+export function basicCronAutomation(appId: string, cron: string): Automation {
+  const automation: Automation = {
+    name: `Automation ${generator.guid()}`,
+    definition: {
+      trigger: {
+        stepId: AutomationTriggerStepId.CRON,
+        name: "test",
+        tagline: "test",
+        icon: "test",
+        description: "test",
+        type: AutomationStepType.TRIGGER,
+        id: "test",
+        inputs: {
+          cron,
+        },
+        schema: {
+          inputs: {
+            properties: {},
+          },
+          outputs: {
+            properties: {},
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      steps: [],
+    },
+    type: "automation",
+    appId,
+  }
+  return automation
+}
+
 export function serverLogAutomation(appId?: string): Automation {
   return {
     name: "My Automation",
diff --git a/packages/types/src/sdk/automations/index.ts b/packages/types/src/sdk/automations/index.ts
index 9ceded03ee..ba79d47021 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/sdk/automations/index.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/sdk/automations/index.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export interface AutomationDataEvent {
   row?: Row
   oldRow?: Row
   user?: UserBindings
+  timestamp?: number
 }
 
 export interface AutomationData {