diff --git a/openhands/automation/capabilities_router.py b/openhands/automation/capabilities_router.py
index b48dc646..2062c647 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/capabilities_router.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/capabilities_router.py
@@ -245,7 +245,12 @@ async def _custom_sources(org_id: uuid.UUID, session: AsyncSession) -> list[str]
 
 def _cron_interval_floor() -> int:
     """Shortest interval between fires the scheduler can actually honour."""
-    return max(POLL_INTERVAL_SECONDS, get_config().service.scheduler_interval_seconds)
+    settings = get_config().service
+    return max(
+        POLL_INTERVAL_SECONDS,
+        settings.scheduler_interval_seconds,
+        settings.min_cron_interval_seconds,
+    )
 
 
 def _cron_errors(trigger: CronTrigger) -> list[DraftValidationError]:
diff --git a/openhands/automation/config.py b/openhands/automation/config.py
index 6e7acfb6..212eaa18 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/config.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/config.py
@@ -502,6 +502,8 @@ class ServiceSettings(BaseSettings):
         AUTOMATION_WORKSPACE_BASE: Base workspace directory (local mode default)
 
         # Background workers
+        AUTOMATION_MIN_CRON_INTERVAL_SECONDS: Minimum allowed gap between cron
+            fire times (default: 0, disabled)
         AUTOMATION_SCHEDULER_INTERVAL_SECONDS: Scheduler poll interval (default: 60)
         AUTOMATION_SCHEDULER_BATCH_SIZE: Scheduler batch size (default: 50)
         AUTOMATION_DISPATCHER_INTERVAL_SECONDS: Dispatcher poll interval (default: 10)
@@ -604,6 +606,7 @@ class ServiceSettings(BaseSettings):
     # Background workers
     scheduler_interval_seconds: int = 60
     scheduler_batch_size: int = 50
+    min_cron_interval_seconds: int = Field(default=0, ge=0)
     dispatcher_interval_seconds: int = 10
     dispatcher_batch_size: int = 10
     watchdog_interval_seconds: int = 60
diff --git a/openhands/automation/schemas.py b/openhands/automation/schemas.py
index 50db7024..7dc5f5aa 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/schemas.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/schemas.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
     model_validator,
 )
 from pydantic.alias_generators import to_camel
+from pydantic_core import PydanticCustomError
 
 from openhands.automation.constants import MODEL_PROFILE_PATTERN
 from openhands.automation.models import AutomationState
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@
     verifier_schemes,
 )
 from openhands.automation.utils.cron import (
+    min_interval_seconds,
     validate_cron_schedule as validate_cron_schedule_value,
     validate_timezone_name,
 )
@@ -68,7 +70,19 @@ class CronTrigger(BaseModel):
     @field_validator("schedule")
     @classmethod
     def validate_cron_schedule(cls, v: str) -> str:
-        return validate_cron_schedule_value(v)
+        schedule = validate_cron_schedule_value(v)
+
+        # Import lazily to keep the schema/config dependency one-way at import time.
+        from openhands.automation.config import get_config
+
+        floor = get_config().service.min_cron_interval_seconds
+        if floor > 0 and min_interval_seconds(schedule) < floor:
+            raise PydanticCustomError(
+                "interval_too_short",
+                "Cron expression must have at least {floor} seconds between fires",
+                {"floor": floor},
+            )
+        return schedule
 
     @field_validator("timezone")
     @classmethod
diff --git a/tests/test_capabilities_router.py b/tests/test_capabilities_router.py
index 605a3202..3fcb05c9 100644
--- a/tests/test_capabilities_router.py
+++ b/tests/test_capabilities_router.py
@@ -4,11 +4,14 @@
 import uuid
 
 import pytest
+from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 
 from openhands.automation.app import app
 from openhands.automation.auth import authenticate_request
+from openhands.automation.capabilities_router import validate_draft
 from openhands.automation.config import clear_config_cache
 from openhands.automation.models import CustomWebhook
+from openhands.automation.schemas import ValidateDraftRequest
 
 
 # Test UUID matching mock_authenticated_user fixture
@@ -225,6 +228,17 @@ async def test_advertised_cron_floor_follows_the_scheduler_interval(
 
         assert response.json()["triggers"]["cron"]["minIntervalSeconds"] == 300
 
+    async def test_advertises_a_higher_configured_cron_floor(
+        self, async_client, ready_deployment, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """Clients see the same deployment floor enforced by trigger validation."""
+        monkeypatch.setenv("AUTOMATION_MIN_CRON_INTERVAL_SECONDS", "900")
+        clear_config_cache()
+
+        response = await async_client.get(CAPABILITIES_URL)
+
+        assert response.json()["triggers"]["cron"]["minIntervalSeconds"] == 900
+
 
 class TestValidateDraft:
     """Tests for POST /v1/validate endpoint."""
@@ -288,6 +302,43 @@ async def test_schedule_faster_than_the_deployment_floor_is_rejected(
         assert body["valid"] is False
         assert addressed_errors(body) == [("trigger.schedule", "interval_too_short")]
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("endpoint", "draft"),
+        [("/v1/preset/prompt", CRON_DRAFT), ("/v1", BUNDLE_DRAFT)],
+    )
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("floor", "schedule", "expected_errors"),
+        [
+            (0, "*/2 * * * *", []),
+            (300, "*/2 * * * *", [("trigger.schedule", "interval_too_short")]),
+            (300, "*/5 * * * *", []),
+        ],
+    )
+    async def test_configured_cron_floor_preserves_preflight_error_codes(
+        self,
+        mock_authenticated_user,
+        monkeypatch,
+        endpoint,
+        draft,
+        floor,
+        schedule,
+        expected_errors,
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("AUTOMATION_MIN_CRON_INTERVAL_SECONDS", str(floor))
+        clear_config_cache()
+
+        request = ValidateDraftRequest.model_validate(
+            preflight(with_trigger(draft, schedule=schedule), endpoint=endpoint)
+        )
+        async with AsyncSession() as session:
+            response = await validate_draft(
+                request, user=mock_authenticated_user, session=session
+            )
+
+        body = response.model_dump()
+        assert body["valid"] == (expected_errors == [])
+        assert addressed_errors(body) == expected_errors
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         ("event_pattern", "expected_errors"),
         [
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 657cc3d0..5975a2a5 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -72,6 +72,22 @@ def test_failure_disable_threshold_uses_documented_env_var(self, monkeypatch):
         assert settings.failure_disable_threshold == 0
 
 
+class TestCronIntervalSettings:
+    def test_default_disables_minimum_cron_interval(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.delenv("AUTOMATION_MIN_CRON_INTERVAL_SECONDS", raising=False)
+
+        assert ServiceSettings().min_cron_interval_seconds == 0
+
+    def test_loads_minimum_cron_interval_from_environment(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("AUTOMATION_MIN_CRON_INTERVAL_SECONDS", "300")
+
+        assert ServiceSettings().min_cron_interval_seconds == 300
+
+    def test_rejects_negative_minimum_cron_interval(self):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="greater than or equal to 0"):
+            ServiceSettings(min_cron_interval_seconds=-1)
+
+
 class TestBasePath:
     """Verify base_path is derived from base_url path + /api/automation."""
 
diff --git a/tests/test_schemas.py b/tests/test_schemas.py
index 025d1cbd..1d7939f9 100644
--- a/tests/test_schemas.py
+++ b/tests/test_schemas.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import pytest
 from pydantic import ValidationError
 
+from openhands.automation.config import clear_config_cache
 from openhands.automation.schemas import (
     AutomationResponse,
     AutomationRunResponse,
@@ -54,6 +55,9 @@ def test_non_utc_aware_datetime_is_unchanged(self):
 
 
 class TestCronTriggerValidation:
+    def teardown_method(self):
+        clear_config_cache()
+
     def test_accepts_valid_cron_and_timezone(self):
         trigger = CronTrigger(schedule="0 9 * * *", timezone="America/New_York")
 
@@ -70,6 +74,28 @@ def test_rejects_invalid_timezone(self):
         with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="Invalid timezone"):
             CronTrigger(schedule="0 9 * * *", timezone="Not/A_Timezone")
 
+    def test_default_allows_any_valid_interval(self):
+        trigger = CronTrigger(schedule="* * * * *")
+
+        assert trigger.schedule == "* * * * *"
+
+    def test_rejects_schedule_below_configured_interval(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("AUTOMATION_MIN_CRON_INTERVAL_SECONDS", "300")
+        clear_config_cache()
+
+        with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="at least 300 seconds") as exc_info:
+            CronTrigger(schedule="* * * * *")
+
+        assert exc_info.value.errors()[0]["type"] == "interval_too_short"
+
+    def test_accepts_schedule_at_configured_interval(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("AUTOMATION_MIN_CRON_INTERVAL_SECONDS", "300")
+        clear_config_cache()
+
+        trigger = CronTrigger(schedule="*/5 * * * *")
+
+        assert trigger.schedule == "*/5 * * * *"
+
 
 class TestAutomationStateEnabledValidation:
     _CREATE_PAYLOAD: ClassVar[dict[str, Any]] = {