diff --git a/recording-daemon/main.c b/recording-daemon/main.c
index 958ce0842..d477bb50e 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/main.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/main.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ int output_enabled = 1;
 mode_t output_chmod;
 uid_t output_chown = -1;
 gid_t output_chgrp = -1;
+char *output_pattern = NULL;
 int decoding_enabled;
 char *c_mysql_host,
       *c_mysql_user,
@@ -83,14 +84,8 @@ static void setup(void) {
 	socket_init();
 	if (decoding_enabled)
 		codeclib_init(0);
-	if (output_enabled) {
+	if (output_enabled)
 		output_init(output_format);
-		if (!g_file_test(output_dir, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
-			ilog(LOG_INFO, "Creating output dir '%s'", output_dir);
-			if (mkdir(output_dir, 0700))
-				die_errno("Failed to create output dir '%s'", output_dir);
-		}
-	}
 	mysql_library_init(0, NULL, NULL);
 	signals();
 	metafile_setup();
@@ -174,6 +169,7 @@ static void options(int *argc, char ***argv) {
 		{ "num-threads",	0,   0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,	&num_threads,	"Number of worker threads",		"INT"		},
 		{ "output-storage",	0,   0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING,	&os_str,	"Where to store audio streams",	        "file|db|both"	},
 		{ "output-dir",		0,   0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING,	&output_dir,	"Where to write media files to",	"PATH"		},
+		{ "output-pattern",	0,   0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING,	&output_pattern,"File name pattern for recordings",	"STRING"	},
 		{ "output-format",	0,   0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING,	&output_format,	"Write audio files of this type",	"wav|mp3|none"	},
 		{ "resample-to",	0,   0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,	&resample_audio,"Resample all output audio",		"INT"		},
 		{ "mp3-bitrate",	0,   0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,	&mp3_bitrate,	"Bits per second for MP3 encoding",	"INT"		},
@@ -275,6 +271,13 @@ static void options(int *argc, char ***argv) {
 
 	if (num_threads <= 0)
 		num_threads = num_cpu_cores(8);
+
+	if (!output_pattern)
+		output_pattern = g_strdup("%c-%t");
+	if (!strstr(output_pattern, "%c"))
+		die("Invalid output pattern '%s' (no '%%c' format present)", output_pattern);
+	if (!strstr(output_pattern, "%t"))
+		die("Invalid output pattern '%s' (no '%%t' format present)", output_pattern);
 }
 
 static void options_free(void) {
@@ -288,6 +291,7 @@ static void options_free(void) {
 	g_free(c_mysql_db);
 	g_free(forward_to);
 	g_free(tls_send_to);
+	g_free(output_pattern);
 
 	// free common config options
 	config_load_free(&rtpe_common_config);
diff --git a/recording-daemon/main.h b/recording-daemon/main.h
index 482ef7ed6..35c46ac51 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/main.h
+++ b/recording-daemon/main.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ extern int output_enabled;
 extern mode_t output_chmod;
 extern uid_t output_chown;
 extern gid_t output_chgrp;
+extern char *output_pattern;
 extern int decoding_enabled;
 extern char *c_mysql_host,
       *c_mysql_user,
diff --git a/recording-daemon/metafile.c b/recording-daemon/metafile.c
index 121bf8f7d..ffb916a22 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/metafile.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/metafile.c
@@ -73,9 +73,7 @@ static void meta_stream_interface(metafile_t *mf, unsigned long snum, char *cont
 	if (output_enabled && output_mixed) {
 		pthread_mutex_lock(&mf->mix_lock);
 		if (!mf->mix) {
-			char buf[256];
-			snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s-mix", mf->parent);
-			mf->mix_out = output_new(output_dir, buf);
+			mf->mix_out = output_new(output_dir, mf->parent, "mix");
 			mf->mix = mix_new();
 			db_do_stream(mf, mf->mix_out, "mixed", NULL, 0);
 		}
diff --git a/recording-daemon/output.c b/recording-daemon/output.c
index 02cd24171..e59751ab9 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/output.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/output.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 #include "log.h"
 #include "db.h"
 #include "main.h"
@@ -46,13 +47,98 @@ int output_add(output_t *output, AVFrame *frame) {
 }
 
 
-output_t *output_new(const char *path, const char *filename) {
+output_t *output_new(const char *path, const char *call, const char *type) {
+	// construct output file name
+	time_t now = time(NULL);
+	struct tm tm;
+	localtime_r(&now, &tm);
+	const char *ax = call;
+
+	GString *f = g_string_new("");
+	for (const char *p = output_pattern; *p; p++) {
+		if (*p != '%') {
+			g_string_append_c(f, *p);
+			continue;
+		}
+		p++;
+		switch (*p) {
+			case '\0':
+				ilog(LOG_ERR, "Invalid output pattern (trailing %%)");
+				goto done;
+			case '%':
+				g_string_append_c(f, '%');
+				break;
+			case 'c':
+				g_string_append(f, call);
+				break;
+			case 't':
+				g_string_append(f, type);
+				break;
+			case 'Y':
+				g_string_append_printf(f, "%04i", tm.tm_year + 1900);
+				break;
+			case 'm':
+				g_string_append_printf(f, "%02i", tm.tm_mon + 1);
+				break;
+			case 'd':
+				g_string_append_printf(f, "%02i", tm.tm_mday);
+				break;
+			case 'H':
+				g_string_append_printf(f, "%02i", tm.tm_hour);
+				break;
+			case 'M':
+				g_string_append_printf(f, "%02i", tm.tm_min);
+				break;
+			case 'S':
+				g_string_append_printf(f, "%02i", tm.tm_sec);
+				break;
+			case '0':
+			case '1':
+			case '2':
+			case '3':
+			case '4':
+			case '5':
+			case '6':
+			case '7':
+			case '8':
+			case '9':;
+				char *end;
+				long len = strtol(p, &end, 10);
+				if (len <= 0 || len == LONG_MAX || end == p) {
+					ilog(LOG_ERR, "Invalid output pattern (invalid number at '%%%s')", p);
+					break;
+				}
+				while (*ax && len--)
+					g_string_append_c(f, *ax++);
+				p = end - 1; // will be advanced +1 in the next loop
+				break;
+			default:
+				ilog(LOG_ERR, "Invalid output pattern (unknown format character '%c')", *p);
+				break;
+		}
+	}
+
+done:;
 	output_t *ret = g_slice_alloc0(sizeof(*ret));
 	ret->file_path = g_strdup(path);
-	ret->file_name = g_strdup(filename);
-	ret->full_filename = g_strdup_printf("%s/%s", path, filename);
+	ret->file_name = f->str; // stealing the content
+	ret->full_filename = g_strdup_printf("%s/%s", path, f->str);
 	ret->file_format = output_file_format;
 	ret->encoder = encoder_new();
+
+	// create parent directories if needed
+	char *last_sep = strrchr(ret->full_filename, G_DIR_SEPARATOR);
+	if (last_sep) {
+		*last_sep = '\0';
+		if (g_mkdir_with_parents(ret->full_filename, 0700))
+			ilog(LOG_WARN, "Failed to create (parent) directory for '%s': %s",
+					ret->full_filename, strerror(errno));
+		*last_sep = G_DIR_SEPARATOR;
+	}
+
+
+	g_string_free(f, FALSE);
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/recording-daemon/output.h b/recording-daemon/output.h
index c7cd7e61b..a65e9a322 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/output.h
+++ b/recording-daemon/output.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ extern int mp3_bitrate;
 
 void output_init(const char *format);
 
-output_t *output_new(const char *path, const char *filename);
+output_t *output_new(const char *path, const char *call, const char *type);
 void output_close(output_t *);
 
 int output_config(output_t *output, const format_t *requested_format, format_t *actual_format);
diff --git a/recording-daemon/packet.c b/recording-daemon/packet.c
index 7f7817c43..9ba50901f 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/packet.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/packet.c
@@ -177,9 +177,9 @@ out:
 	dbg("Init for SSRC %s%lx%s of stream #%lu", FMT_M(ret->ssrc), stream->id);
 
 	if (mf->recording_on && !ret->output && output_single) {
-		char buf[256];
-		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s-%08lx", mf->parent, ssrc);
-		ret->output = output_new(output_dir, buf);
+		char buf[16];
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%08lx", ssrc);
+		ret->output = output_new(output_dir, mf->parent, buf);
 		db_do_stream(mf, ret->output, "single", stream, ssrc);
 	}
 	if ((stream->forwarding_on || mf->forwarding_on) && !ret->tls_fwd_stream) {
diff --git a/recording-daemon/rtpengine-recording.pod b/recording-daemon/rtpengine-recording.pod
index c07ba178a..d6180a50a 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/rtpengine-recording.pod
+++ b/recording-daemon/rtpengine-recording.pod
@@ -140,6 +140,58 @@ Path for media files to be written to if file output is enabled. Defaults to
 F</var/lib/rtpengine-recording>. The path must not be the same as used for the
 B<spool-dir>.
 
+=item B<--output-pattern=>I<STRING>
+
+File name pattern to be used for recording files. The pattern can reference
+sub-directories. Parent directories will be created on demand. The default
+setting is B<%c-%t>.
+
+The pattern must include B<printf>-style format sequences. Supported format
+sequences are:
+
+=over
+
+=item B<%%>
+
+A literal percent sign.
+
+=item B<%c>
+
+The call ID. It is mandatory for the output pattern to include this format
+sequence.
+
+=item B<%t>
+
+The stream type. For B<single> streams this is the SSRC written as hexadecimal;
+for B<mix> stream this is the string B<mix>. It is mandatory for the output
+pattern to include this format sequence.
+
+=item B<%Y>
+
+=item B<%m>
+
+=item B<%d>
+
+=item B<%H>
+
+=item B<%M>
+
+=item B<%S>
+
+These format sequence reference the current system time (when the output file
+was created) and are the same as the format sequences supported by L<date(1)>
+or L<strftime(3)> (year, month, day, hours, minutes, and seconds,
+respectively).
+
+=item B<%>I<INT>
+
+References a prefix from the call ID of the given length. If this format
+sequence is present more than once, then the prefixes are cumulative. For
+example, if the call ID is B<abcdefgh> and the output pattern is configured as
+B<%2/%3/%c>, then the resulting output file name would be B<ab/cde/abcdefgh>.
+
+=back
+
 =item B<--output-format=>B<wav>|B<mp3>|B<none>
 
 File format to be used for media files that are produced. Defaults to PCM WAV