diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Sitemap/Model/Observer.php b/app/code/Magento/Sitemap/Model/Observer.php
index 840a6a1858fae..755b858398c95 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Sitemap/Model/Observer.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Sitemap/Model/Observer.php
@@ -17,11 +17,6 @@ class Observer
      */
     const XML_PATH_GENERATION_ENABLED = 'sitemap/generate/enabled';
 
-    /**
-     * Cronjob expression configuration
-     */
-    const XML_PATH_CRON_EXPR = 'crontab/default/jobs/generate_sitemaps/schedule/cron_expr';
-
     /**
      * Error email template configuration
      */
@@ -64,6 +59,11 @@ class Observer
      */
     protected $inlineTranslation;
 
+    /**
+     * @var \Magento\Cron\Model\ScheduleFactory
+     */
+    private $scheduleFactory;
+
     /**
      * @param \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ScopeConfigInterface $scopeConfig
      * @param \Magento\Sitemap\Model\ResourceModel\Sitemap\CollectionFactory $collectionFactory
diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Sitemap/etc/config.xml b/app/code/Magento/Sitemap/etc/config.xml
index 73468baadcb90..6f14ff728ac4f 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Sitemap/etc/config.xml
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Sitemap/etc/config.xml
@@ -42,5 +42,16 @@
                 </valid_paths>
             </file>
         </sitemap>
+        <crontab>
+            <default>
+                <jobs>
+                    <sitemap_generate>
+                        <schedule>
+                            <cron_expr>0 0 * * *</cron_expr>
+                        </schedule>
+                    </sitemap_generate>
+                </jobs>
+            </default>
+        </crontab>
     </default>
 </config>