diff --git a/init.sh b/init.sh
index 729d60d..388ef41 100755
--- a/init.sh
+++ b/init.sh
@@ -712,6 +712,22 @@ initUsers()
 		sudo systemctl restart docker
 		isSuccessful "User $sudo_user_name created successfully."
 	fi
+
+	# Drop a stale cron spool from a prior install. userdel doesn't remove
+	# /var/spool/cron/crontabs/<user>, so if the manager's uid was recycled the
+	# leftover (owned by the dead uid) can't be replaced by the new user in the
+	# sticky spool dir → "crontab: rename: Operation not permitted". Remove it
+	# only when it's owned by a different uid (a current-uid spool is valid), plus
+	# the legacy easydocker artifact, so the manager-run crontab setup writes a
+	# clean, correctly-owned spool.
+	local spool_dir="/var/spool/cron/crontabs"
+	local mgr_uid; mgr_uid=$(id -u "$sudo_user_name" 2>/dev/null)
+	if [[ -f "$spool_dir/$sudo_user_name" \
+	   && "$(stat -c %u "$spool_dir/$sudo_user_name" 2>/dev/null)" != "$mgr_uid" ]]; then
+		sudo rm -f "$spool_dir/$sudo_user_name"
+		isNotice "Removed a stale cron spool for $sudo_user_name (recycled uid)."
+	fi
+	sudo rm -f "$spool_dir/easydocker"
 	# Install-phase sudo: the heavy install runs AS this user (see the handoff in
 	# completeInitMessage) and needs BROAD root — useradd for the docker-install
 	# user, rootless setup, apt, sysctl, etc. So grant a temporary validated
@@ -1460,7 +1476,12 @@ runFullUninstall()
 		pkill -9 -u "$u" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 		userdel -r "$u" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 		[[ -n "$u" ]] && rm -rf "/home/$u"
+		# userdel does NOT remove the cron spool; a leftover (owned by this
+		# now-removed uid) blocks the next install's user from replacing it in the
+		# sticky spool dir → "crontab: rename: Operation not permitted".
+		[[ -n "$u" ]] && rm -f "/var/spool/cron/crontabs/$u"
 	done
+	rm -f /var/spool/cron/crontabs/easydocker   # legacy pre-rename artifact
 	if [[ "$keep_docker" == "true" ]]; then
 		sed -i "/^${mgr}:/d" /etc/subuid /etc/subgid 2>/dev/null || true
 		isSuccessful "Removed user '$mgr' (+ home); kept '$iuser' + its docker image store"