PurposeThis paper presents a moderated mediation model of job crafting and turnover intention grounded in the affective events theory. It examines the mediating role of affective organisational commitment (AOC) and the moderating effect of entrepreneurial leadership (EL) on the link between millennials’ job crafting, AOC and, subsequently, turnover intention.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 352 millennials was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) and SPSS.FindingsAOC mediated the relationship between two job crafting dimensions – increasing structural job resources and challenging job demands – and turnover intention among millennial workers. Moreover, EL enhances the relationship between these dimensions and AOC.Originality/valueThis paper offers insights into millennials’ work behaviour, highlighting the role of AOC in retention and the significance of EL in strengthening millennials’ emotional commitment, especially from those working in an SME context.