diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 459fae3..414f674 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ CABAL?=cabal
 
 DEBDEPS=gnupg ghc cabal-install libghc-missingh-dev libghc-ansi-terminal-dev libghc-ifelse-dev libghc-unix-compat-dev libghc-hslogger-dev libghc-network-dev libghc-quickcheck2-dev libghc-mtl-dev libghc-monadcatchio-transformers-dev
 
+# this target is provided to keep old versions of the propellor cron job
+# working, and will eventually be removed
 run: deps build
 	./propellor
 
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 683fed2..8d0c931 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ propellor (1.1.0) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     use hasSomePassword' and hasPassword' (API change)
   * Add --merge, to combine multiple --spin commits into a single, more useful
     commit.
+  * cron.runPropellor now runs propellor, rather than using its Makefile.
+    This is more robust.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Sat, 22 Nov 2014 00:12:35 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/usage.mdwn b/doc/usage.mdwn
index e83e8de..093ec34 100644
--- a/doc/usage.mdwn
+++ b/doc/usage.mdwn
@@ -11,14 +11,22 @@ propellor [options]
 `propellor` is a property-based host configuration management program written 
 and configured in haskell.
 
-The first time you run `propellor`, without any options,
-it will set up a `~/.propellor/` repository.
-Edit `~/.propellor/config.hs` to configure it.
+# MODES OF OPERATION
 
-Once propellor is configured, running it without any options will take
-action as needed to satisfy the configured properties of the local host.
+* The first time you run `propellor`, without any options,
+  it will set up a `~/.propellor/` repository.
+  Edit `~/.propellor/config.hs` to configure it.
 
-# OPTIONS
+* Once propellor is configured, running it without any options will take
+  action as needed to satisfy the configured properties of the local host.
+
+  If there's a central git repository, it will first fetch from the
+  repository, check the gpg signature and merge, and rebuild propellor,
+  so that any configuration changes will immediately take effect.
+
+  If propellor is run by a non-root user without any options, this is
+  the same  as running propellor --spin with the hostname of the local
+  host.
 
 * --spin targethost [targethost ...] [--via relayhost]
 
diff --git a/src/Propellor/Property/Cron.hs b/src/Propellor/Property/Cron.hs
index d55c3db..26cf312 100644
--- a/src/Propellor/Property/Cron.hs
+++ b/src/Propellor/Property/Cron.hs
@@ -58,4 +58,4 @@ niceJob desc times user cddir command = job desc times user cddir
 
 -- | Installs a cron job to run propellor.
 runPropellor :: CronTimes -> Property
-runPropellor times = niceJob "propellor" times "root" localdir "make"
+runPropellor times = niceJob "propellor" times "root" localdir "./propellor"