diff -u -r --new-file cron_3.0pl1-136.debian/changelog cron_3.0pl1-136.1.debian/changelog
--- cron-3.0pl1/debian/changelog	2020-02-10 20:16:06.000000000 +0100
+++ cron-3.0pl1/debian/changelog	2021-02-16 11:28:04.000000000 +0100
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+cron (3.0pl1-136.1) unstable; urgency=medium
+
+  * allow to set MAILFROM
+    * patch from Laurent Combe <laurent.combe@free.fr>, thank you!
+    * inspired by cronie
+    * Closes: #898177
+
+ -- Tomas Pospisek <tpo_deb@sourcepole.ch>  Tue, 16 Feb 2021 11:28:04 +0100
+
 cron (3.0pl1-136) unstable; urgency=medium
 
   * Convert package to source format 3.0 (quilt). Finally.
diff -u -r --new-file cron_3.0pl1-136.debian/patches/features/Add-MAILFROM-environment-variable.patch cron_3.0pl1-136.1.debian/patches/features/Add-MAILFROM-environment-variable.patch
--- cron-3.0pl1/debian/patches/features/Add-MAILFROM-environment-variable.patch	1970-01-01 01:00:00.000000000 +0100
+++ cron-3.0pl1/debian/patches/features/Add-MAILFROM-environment-variable.patch	2021-02-16 11:28:04.000000000 +0100
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+Description: use MAILFROM environment variable if set
+ This patch lets cron use the MAILFROM variable to set the sender
+ as which it will send emails. MAILFROM has the same semantics as
+ the same environment variabl in cronie.
+ .
+ The patch has been written by Laurent Combe <laurent.combe@free.fr>
+ and has been inspired by the same feature in cronie.
+
+Origin: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=898177
+Bug: <url in upstream bugtracker>
+Bug-Debian: https://bugs.debian.org/898177
+Bug-Ubuntu: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cron/+bug/1750051
+Last-Update: 2021-02-16
+
+--- cron-3.0pl1.orig/cron.8
++++ cron-3.0pl1/cron.8
+@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ then wakes up every minute, examining al
+ each command to see if it should be run in the current minute.  When
+ executing commands, any output is mailed to the owner of the crontab
+ (or to the user named in the MAILTO environment variable in the
+-crontab, if such exists).  The children copies of cron running these
++crontab, if such exists) as the owner of the crontab (or from the email
++address given in the MAILFROM environment variable in the crontab, if
++such exists).  The children copies of cron running these
+ processes have their name coerced to uppercase, as will be seen in the
+ syslog and ps output.
+ .PP
+--- cron-3.0pl1.orig/crontab.5
++++ cron-3.0pl1/crontab.5
+@@ -100,12 +100,16 @@ on these systems, USER will be set also.
+ .PP
+ In addition to LOGNAME, HOME, and SHELL,
+ .IR cron (8)
+-will look at MAILTO if it has any reason to send mail as a result of running
+-commands in ``this'' crontab.  If MAILTO is defined (and non-empty), mail is
+-sent to the user so named.  MAILTO may also be used to direct mail to multiple
+-recipients by separating recipient users with a comma.  If MAILTO is defined
+-but empty (MAILTO=""), no mail will be sent.  Otherwise mail is sent to the
+-owner of the crontab.
++will look at MAILTO and MAILFROM if it has any reason to send mail as a result
++of running commands in ``this'' crontab.
++.PP
++If MAILTO is defined (and non-empty), mail is sent to the user so named.
++MAILTO may also be used to direct mail to multiple recipients by separating
++recipient users with a comma.  If MAILTO is defined but empty (MAILTO=""),
++no mail will be sent.  Otherwise mail is sent to the owner of the crontab.
++.PP
++If MAILFROM is defined, the sender email address is set to MAILFROM. Otherwise
++mail is sent as "root (Cron Daemon)".
+ .PP
+ On the Debian GNU/Linux system, cron supports the
+ .B pam_env
+--- cron-3.0pl1.orig/do_command.c
++++ cron-3.0pl1/do_command.c
+@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ child_process(e, u)
+ 	int		stdin_pipe[2];
+ 	FILE		*tmpout;
+ 	register char	*input_data;
+-	char		*usernm, *mailto;
++	char		*usernm, *mailto, *mailfrom;
+ 	int		children = 0;
+ 	pid_t		job_pid;
+ #if defined(USE_PAM)
+@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ child_process(e, u)
+ 	 */
+ 	usernm = env_get("LOGNAME", e->envp);
+ 	mailto = env_get("MAILTO", e->envp);
++	mailfrom = env_get("MAILFROM", e->envp);
+ 
+ 	/* Check for arguments */
+ 	if (mailto) {
+@@ -515,6 +516,10 @@ child_process(e, u)
+ 	else if (!*mailto)
+                 goto mail_finished;
+ 
++	// get sender address
++	if (mailfrom == NULL)
++		mailfrom = "root (Cron Daemon)";
++
+ 	/* Don't send mail if MAILCMD is not available */
+ 	if (stat(MAILCMD, &mcsb) != 0) {
+ 		Debug(DPROC|DEXT, ("%s not found, not sending mail\n", MAILCMD))
+@@ -543,7 +548,7 @@ child_process(e, u)
+ 		perror(MAILCMD);
+ 		(void) _exit(ERROR_EXIT);
+ 	}
+-	fprintf(mail, "From: root (Cron Daemon)\n");
++	fprintf(mail, "From: %s\n", mailfrom);
+ 	fprintf(mail, "To: %s\n", mailto);
+ 	fprintf(mail, "Subject: Cron <%s@%s> %s%s\n",
+ 			usernm,
diff -u -r --new-file cron_3.0pl1-136.debian/patches/series cron_3.0pl1-136.1.debian/patches/series
--- cron-3.0pl1/debian/patches/series	2020-02-10 20:16:06.000000000 +0100
+++ cron-3.0pl1/debian/patches/series	2021-02-16 11:28:04.000000000 +0100
@@ -67,3 +67,4 @@
 features/Selective-logging.patch
 features/Check-orphaned-crontabs-for-adoption.patch
 features/Add-option-to-include-FQDN-in-email.patch
+features/Add-MAILFROM-environment-variable.patch
