diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/scheduler/BaseParser.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/scheduler/BaseParser.java
index 9f0a8e22feed3d89fb1b3c42be06dc70ae497a0e..6f231401e796b4c86277362af95e8b68a5bdeb05 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/scheduler/BaseParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/scheduler/BaseParser.java
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ abstract class BaseParser extends LLkParser {
 
     /**
      * This property hashes tokens in the cron tab tokens like @daily so that they spread evenly.
-     * This is more aggressive optimization that changes the semantics, so not on by default.
      */
-    public static boolean HASH_TOKENS = Boolean.getBoolean(BaseParser.class.getName()+".hash");
+    public static boolean HASH_TOKENS = !"false".equals(System.getProperty(BaseParser.class.getName()+".hash"));
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/TimerTrigger/help-spec.html b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/TimerTrigger/help-spec.html
index 488d6b0881d0ab8e8e8b6ad617070b823951a69c..83a42b02c05352facb496420f3555963e6eff271 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/TimerTrigger/help-spec.html
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/TimerTrigger/help-spec.html
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@
   </p><p>
     In addition, '@yearly', '@annually', '@monthly', '@weekly', '@daily', '@midnight',
     and '@hourly' are supported.
+    These use the hash system for automatic balancing; for example '@hourly' could mean at any time during the hour.
+    '@midnight' actually means some time between 12:00 AM and 2:59 AM.
   </p>
   <table>
     <tr>
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/hudson/scheduler/CronTabTest.java b/core/src/test/java/hudson/scheduler/CronTabTest.java
index 6df01e9bc8857bcfd45eea8f81bbc8903a9f34d0..15645c2a3ccc4f92fa4cfe3dfacc0fac7ac1137c 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/hudson/scheduler/CronTabTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/hudson/scheduler/CronTabTest.java
@@ -35,17 +35,12 @@ import org.jvnet.hudson.test.Bug;
 import org.jvnet.hudson.test.Url;
 
 import static java.util.Calendar.MONDAY;
-import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 
 /**
  * @author Kohsuke Kawaguchi
  */
 public class CronTabTest {
 
-    @BeforeClass public static void hashTokens() {
-        BaseParser.HASH_TOKENS = true;
-    }
-
     @Test
     public void test1() throws ANTLRException {
         new CronTab("@yearly");