diff --git a/src/Core/Worker.php b/src/Core/Worker.php
index 426389ab00..9ab061baac 100644
--- a/src/Core/Worker.php
+++ b/src/Core/Worker.php
@@ -1394,4 +1394,48 @@ class Worker
 
 		return (bool)$row['jobs'];
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Check if the system is inside the defined maintenance window
+	 *
+	 * @return boolean
+	 */
+	public static function isInMaintenanceWindow(bool $check_last_execution = false)
+	{
+		// Calculate the seconds of the start end end of the maintenance window
+		$start = strtotime(DI::config()->get('system', 'maintenance_start')) % 86400;
+		$end = strtotime(DI::config()->get('system', 'maintenance_end')) % 86400;
+
+		Logger::info('Maintenance window', ['start' => date('H:i:s', $start), 'end' => date('H:i:s', $end)]);
+
+		if ($check_last_execution) {
+			// Calculate the window duration
+			$duration = max($start, $end) - min($start, $end);
+
+			// Quit when the last cron execution had been after the previous window
+			$last_cron = DI::config()->get('system', 'last_cron_daily');
+			if ($last_cron + $duration > time()) {
+				Logger::info('The Daily cron had been executed recently', ['last' => date(DateTimeFormat::MYSQL, $last_cron), 'start' => date('H:i:s', $start), 'end' => date('H:i:s', $end)]);
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
+
+		$current = time() % 86400;
+
+		if ($start < $end) {
+			// Execute if we are inside the window
+			$execute = ($current >= $start) && ($current <= $end);
+		} else {
+			// Don't execute if we are outside the window
+			$execute = !(($current > $end) && ($current < $start));
+		}
+
+		if (!$execute) {
+			Logger::info('We are outside the maintenance window', ['current' => date('H:i:s', $current), 'start' => date('H:i:s', $start), 'end' => date('H:i:s', $end)]);
+		} else {
+			Logger::info('We are inside the maintenance window', ['current' => date('H:i:s', $current), 'start' => date('H:i:s', $start), 'end' => date('H:i:s', $end)]);
+		}
+		
+		return $execute;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/Worker/Cron.php b/src/Worker/Cron.php
index 90042e30f6..3ce5fb4605 100644
--- a/src/Worker/Cron.php
+++ b/src/Worker/Cron.php
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ class Cron
 			DI::config()->set('system', 'last_cron_hourly', time());
 		}
 
-		// Daily cron calls
-		if (DI::config()->get('system', 'last_cron_daily', 0) + 86400 < time()) {
+		// Daily maintenance cron calls
+		if (Worker::isInMaintenanceWindow(true)) {
 
 			Worker::add(PRIORITY_LOW, 'UpdateContactBirthdays');
 
diff --git a/src/Worker/ExpirePosts.php b/src/Worker/ExpirePosts.php
index 09684fccc4..3a49453257 100644
--- a/src/Worker/ExpirePosts.php
+++ b/src/Worker/ExpirePosts.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 namespace Friendica\Worker;
 
 use Friendica\Core\Logger;
+use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\DI;
 use Friendica\Util\DateTimeFormat;
@@ -63,6 +64,11 @@ class ExpirePosts
 
 				$rows = DBA::affectedRows();
 				Logger::notice('Deleted expired threads', ['result' => $ret, 'rows' => $rows]);
+
+				if (!Worker::isInMaintenanceWindow()) {
+					Logger::notice('We are outside of the maintenance window, quitting');
+					return;
+				}
 			} while ($rows >= $limit);
 		}
 
@@ -80,6 +86,11 @@ class ExpirePosts
 
 				$rows = DBA::affectedRows();
 				Logger::notice('Deleted unclaimed public items', ['result' => $ret, 'rows' => $rows]);
+
+				if (!Worker::isInMaintenanceWindow()) {
+					Logger::notice('We are outside of the maintenance window, quitting');
+					return;
+				}
 			} while ($rows >= $limit);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/static/defaults.config.php b/static/defaults.config.php
index 4174ebcad9..b0832d88f3 100644
--- a/static/defaults.config.php
+++ b/static/defaults.config.php
@@ -300,6 +300,16 @@ return [
 		// Sets the logging adapter of Friendica globally (monolog, syslog, stream)
 		'logger_config' => 'stream',
 
+		// maintenance_start (String)
+		// Start of the window for the daily maintenance cron call.
+		// The system timezone is used when no timezone is defined here.
+		'maintenance_start' => '01:00 +00:00',
+
+		// maintenance_end (String)
+		// End of the window for the daily maintenance cron call
+		// The system timezone is used when no timezone is defined here.
+		'maintenance_end' => '03:00 +00:00',
+
 		// max_batch_queue (Integer)
 		// Maximum number of batched queue items for a single contact before subsequent messages are discarded.
 		'max_batch_queue' => 1000,