diff --git a/cmd/server/openapi/docs.go b/cmd/server/openapi/docs.go
index 6511f81d3..bbdcf6287 100644
--- a/cmd/server/openapi/docs.go
+++ b/cmd/server/openapi/docs.go
@@ -4705,6 +4705,7 @@ const docTemplate = `{
                     "type": "integer"
                 },
                 "creator_id": {
+                    "description": "TODO: drop with next major version",
                     "type": "integer"
                 },
                 "enabled": {
diff --git a/server/cron/cron.go b/server/cron/cron.go
index 5fc86f7f3..cb175b18b 100644
--- a/server/cron/cron.go
+++ b/server/cron/cron.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func CreatePipeline(ctx context.Context, store store.Store, cron *model.Cron) (*
 		cron.Branch = repo.Branch
 	}
 
-	creator, err := store.GetUser(cron.CreatorID)
+	repoUser, err := store.GetUser(repo.UserID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ func CreatePipeline(ctx context.Context, store store.Store, cron *model.Cron) (*
 	// If the forge has a refresh token, the current access token
 	// may be stale. Therefore, we should refresh prior to dispatching
 	// the pipeline.
-	forge.Refresh(ctx, _forge, store, creator)
+	forge.Refresh(ctx, _forge, store, repoUser)
 
-	commit, err := _forge.BranchHead(ctx, creator, repo, cron.Branch)
+	commit, err := _forge.BranchHead(ctx, repoUser, repo, cron.Branch)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/server/cron/cron_test.go b/server/cron/cron_test.go
index 2d47a4f82..c44d82aa1 100644
--- a/server/cron/cron_test.go
+++ b/server/cron/cron_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func TestCreatePipeline(t *testing.T) {
 	store := store_mocks.NewMockStore(t)
 	ctx := t.Context()
 
-	creator := &model.User{
+	repoUser := &model.User{
 		ID:    1,
 		Login: "user1",
 	}
@@ -44,12 +44,13 @@ func TestCreatePipeline(t *testing.T) {
 		Owner:    "owner1",
 		FullName: "repo1/owner1",
 		Branch:   "default",
+		UserID:   repoUser.ID,
 	}
 
 	// mock things
 	store.On("GetRepo", mock.Anything).Return(repo1, nil)
-	store.On("GetUser", mock.Anything).Return(creator, nil)
-	_forge.On("BranchHead", mock.Anything, creator, repo1, "default").Return(&model.Commit{
+	store.On("GetUser", mock.Anything).Return(repoUser, nil)
+	_forge.On("BranchHead", mock.Anything, repoUser, repo1, "default").Return(&model.Commit{
 		ForgeURL: "https://example.com/sha1",
 		SHA:      "sha1",
 	}, nil)
diff --git a/server/model/cron.go b/server/model/cron.go
index 31086eab5..9624c369e 100644
--- a/server/model/cron.go
+++ b/server/model/cron.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ type Cron struct {
 	ID        int64             `json:"id"         xorm:"pk autoincr 'id'"`
 	Name      string            `json:"name"       xorm:"name UNIQUE(s) INDEX"`
 	RepoID    int64             `json:"repo_id"    xorm:"repo_id UNIQUE(s) INDEX"`
-	CreatorID int64             `json:"creator_id" xorm:"creator_id INDEX"`
+	CreatorID int64             `json:"creator_id" xorm:"creator_id INDEX"` // TODO: drop with next major version
 	NextExec  int64             `json:"next_exec"  xorm:"next_exec"`
 	Schedule  string            `json:"schedule"   xorm:"schedule NOT NULL"` //	@weekly,	3min, ...
 	Created   int64             `json:"created"    xorm:"created NOT NULL DEFAULT 0"`