diff --git a/docs/rtpengine-recording.md b/docs/rtpengine-recording.md
index eb1ff28ac..59e5a2034 100644
--- a/docs/rtpengine-recording.md
+++ b/docs/rtpengine-recording.md
@@ -155,7 +155,9 @@ sufficient for a standard installation of rtpengine.
     The string __both__ is recognised as legacy alternative to enabling both
     __file__ and __db__ storage.
 
-    __notify__ is an alias for enabling the __notify-record__ option, see below.
+    The __notify__ output attaches the recording to the HTTP notification
+    request. If enabled, notification requests behave as HTTP POST (implicitly
+    enabling __notify-post__).
 
     The string __memory__ acts as a modifier and can be used if __file__
     storage is not enabled. Without the __memory__ modifier, media is first written
@@ -389,15 +391,14 @@ sufficient for a standard installation of rtpengine.
 
 - __\-\-notify-record__
 
-    Attach recorded file to HTTP notification request. If enabled, notification
-    request behaves as HTTP POST (ignoring __\-\-notify-post__). Note that this option
-    is incompatible with DB-only storage as no recording file exists on storage
-    (see __output-storage__).
+    Legacy alias for __output-storage=notify__. If no other output storage is
+    enabled, then the default __file__ storage remains enabled (unless the
+    following option is also set).
 
 - __\-\-notify-purge__
 
-    Remove the local file if the HTTP request was successful. Note that this
-    option is only useful if __\-\-notify-record__ is also enabled.
+    Legacy option to disable the default file storage when notification output
+    is enabled.
 
 - __\-\-output-mixed-per-media__
 
diff --git a/recording-daemon/main.c b/recording-daemon/main.c
index 25347e466..9139b2d29 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/main.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/main.c
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ gboolean notify_nverify;
 int notify_threads = 5;
 int notify_retries = 10;
 char *notify_command;
-gboolean notify_purge;
 gboolean mix_output_per_media = 0;
 gboolean flush_packets = 0;
 int resample_audio;
@@ -197,6 +196,7 @@ static void options(int *argc, char ***argv) {
 	g_autoptr(char) tcp_send_to = NULL;
 	gboolean notify_record = FALSE;
 	bool no_output_allowed = false;
+	gboolean notify_purge = false;
 
 	GOptionEntry e[] = {
 		{ "table",		't', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,	&ktable,	"Kernel table rtpengine uses",		"INT"		},
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@ static void options(int *argc, char ***argv) {
 	if ((output_storage & OUTPUT_STORAGE_MASK) || tls_send_to_ep.port)
 		decoding_enabled = true;
 
+	if (notify_purge && (output_storage & OUTPUT_STORAGE_FILE))
+		output_storage &= ~OUTPUT_STORAGE_FILE;
+
 	if (!mix_method_str || !mix_method_str[0] || !strcmp(mix_method_str, "direct"))
 		mix_method = MM_DIRECT;
 	else if (!strcmp(mix_method_str, "channels"))
diff --git a/recording-daemon/main.h b/recording-daemon/main.h
index 9b7bc4809..9dab3da64 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/main.h
+++ b/recording-daemon/main.h
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ extern gboolean notify_nverify;
 extern int notify_threads;
 extern int notify_retries;
 extern char *notify_command;
-extern gboolean notify_purge;
 extern gboolean mix_output_per_media;
 extern volatile int shutdown_flag;
 extern gboolean flush_packets;
diff --git a/recording-daemon/notify.c b/recording-daemon/notify.c
index 6975dd149..bcf67e485 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/notify.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/notify.c
@@ -4,12 +4,14 @@
 #include "main.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "recaux.h"
+#include "output.h"
 
 
 struct notif_req {
 	char *name; // just for logging
 	struct curl_slist *headers; // NULL = nothing to send
 	char *full_filename_path;
+	GString *content;
 	unsigned long long db_id;
 
 	char **argv;
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ static bool do_notify_http(struct notif_req *req) {
 	}
 
 #if CURL_AT_LEAST_VERSION(7,56,0)
-	if ((output_storage & OUTPUT_STORAGE_NOTIFY) && req->full_filename_path) {
+	if (req->content) {
 		err = "initializing curl mime&part";
 		curl_mimepart *part;
 		mime = curl_mime_init(c);
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ static bool do_notify_http(struct notif_req *req) {
 		if ((ret = curl_mime_name(part, "ngfile")) != CURLE_OK)
 			goto fail;
 
-		if ((ret = curl_mime_filedata(part, req->full_filename_path)) != CURLE_OK)
+		if ((ret = curl_mime_data(part, req->content->str, req->content->len)) != CURLE_OK)
 			goto fail;
 
 		if ((ret = curl_easy_setopt(c, CURLOPT_MIMEPOST, mime)) != CURLE_OK)
@@ -134,13 +136,6 @@ static bool do_notify_http(struct notif_req *req) {
 
 	ilog(LOG_NOTICE, "HTTP notification for '%s%s%s' was successful", FMT_M(req->name));
 
-	if ((output_storage & OUTPUT_STORAGE_NOTIFY) && notify_purge && req->full_filename_path) {
-		if (unlink(req->full_filename_path) == 0)
-			ilog(LOG_NOTICE, "File '%s%s%s' deleted successfully.", FMT_M(req->full_filename_path));
-		else
-			ilog(LOG_ERR, "File '%s%s%s' could not be deleted.", FMT_M(req->full_filename_path));
-	}
-
 	curl_slist_free_all(req->headers);
 	req->headers = NULL;
 
@@ -232,6 +227,8 @@ static void do_notify(void *p, void *u) {
 	g_strfreev(req->argv);
 	g_free(req->name);
 	g_free(req->full_filename_path);
+	if (req->content)
+		g_string_free(req->content, TRUE);
 	g_free(req);
 }
 
@@ -381,6 +378,10 @@ void notify_push_output(output_t *o, metafile_t *mf, tag_t *tag) {
 	req->name = g_strdup(o->file_name);
 	if ((output_storage & OUTPUT_STORAGE_FILE))
 		req->full_filename_path = g_strdup_printf("%s.%s", o->full_filename, o->file_format);
+	if ((output_storage & OUTPUT_STORAGE_NOTIFY)) {
+		req->content = output_get_content(o);
+		o->content = NULL; // take over ownership
+	}
 	req->db_id = o->db_id;
 
 	notify_req_setup_http(req, o, mf, tag);