diff --git a/models/attachments.js b/models/attachments.js
index e3558d448..8fdc99d53 100644
--- a/models/attachments.js
+++ b/models/attachments.js
@@ -32,9 +32,12 @@ Attachments = new FilesCollection({
     return ret;
   },
   onAfterUpload(fileObj) {
+    // current storage is the filesystem, update object and database
     Object.keys(fileObj.versions).forEach(versionName => {
-      fileStoreStrategyFactory.getFileStrategy(this, fileObj, versionName).onAfterUpload();
-    })
+      fileObj.versions[versionName].storage = "fs";
+    });
+    Attachments.update({ _id: fileObj._id }, { $set: { "versions" : fileObj.versions } });
+    moveToStorage(fileObj, "gridfs", fileStoreStrategyFactory);
   },
   interceptDownload(http, fileObj, versionName) {
     const ret = fileStoreStrategyFactory.getFileStrategy(this, fileObj, versionName).interceptDownload(http);
diff --git a/models/avatars.js b/models/avatars.js
index 49cb10bfb..e179da244 100644
--- a/models/avatars.js
+++ b/models/avatars.js
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ Avatars = new FilesCollection({
     return 'avatar-too-big';
   },
   onAfterUpload(fileObj) {
+    // current storage is the filesystem, update object and database
     Object.keys(fileObj.versions).forEach(versionName => {
-      fileStoreStrategyFactory.getFileStrategy(this, fileObj, versionName).onAfterUpload();
+      fileObj.versions[versionName].storage = "fs";
     });
+    Avatars.update({ _id: fileObj._id }, { $set: { "versions" : fileObj.versions } });
   },
   interceptDownload(http, fileObj, versionName) {
     const ret = fileStoreStrategyFactory.getFileStrategy(this, fileObj, versionName).interceptDownload(http);
diff --git a/models/lib/fileStoreStrategy.js b/models/lib/fileStoreStrategy.js
index ff8cae7a2..c4d0cfe47 100644
--- a/models/lib/fileStoreStrategy.js
+++ b/models/lib/fileStoreStrategy.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import fs from 'fs';
 import { createObjectId } from './grid/createObjectId';
-import { createOnAfterUpload } from './fsHooks/createOnAfterUpload';
 import { createInterceptDownload } from './fsHooks/createInterceptDownload';
 import { createOnAfterRemove } from './fsHooks/createOnAfterRemove';
 
@@ -26,7 +25,16 @@ export default class FileStoreStrategyFactory {
    */
   getFileStrategy(filesCollection, fileObj, versionName, storage) {
     if (!storage) {
-      storage = fileObj.versions[versionName].storage || "gridfs";
+      storage = fileObj.versions[versionName].storage;
+      if (!storage) {
+        if (fileObj.meta.source == "import") {
+          // uploaded by import, so it's in GridFS (MongoDB)
+          storage = "gridfs";
+        } else {
+          // newly uploaded, so it's at the filesystem
+          storage = "fs";
+        }
+      }
     }
     let ret;
     if (["fs", "gridfs"].includes(storage)) {
@@ -111,12 +119,6 @@ export class FileStoreStrategyGridFs extends FileStoreStrategy {
     this.gridFsBucket = gridFsBucket;
   }
 
-  /** after successfull upload */
-  onAfterUpload() {
-    createOnAfterUpload(this.filesCollection, this.gridFsBucket, this.fileObj, this.versionName);
-    super.onAfterUpload();
-  }
-
   /** download the file
    * @param http the current http request
    */
diff --git a/models/lib/fsHooks/createOnAfterUpload.js b/models/lib/fsHooks/createOnAfterUpload.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 173d02f3c..000000000
--- a/models/lib/fsHooks/createOnAfterUpload.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-import { Meteor } from 'meteor/meteor';
-import fs from 'fs';
-
-export const createOnAfterUpload = function onAfterUpload(filesCollection, bucket, file, versionName) {
-  const self = filesCollection;
-  const metadata = { ...file.meta, versionName, fileId: file._id };
-  fs.createReadStream(file.versions[versionName].path)
-
-    // this is where we upload the binary to the bucket using bucket.openUploadStream
-    // see http://mongodb.github.io/node-mongodb-native/3.2/api/GridFSBucket.html#openUploadStream
-    .pipe(
-      bucket.openUploadStream(file.name, {
-        contentType: file.type || 'binary/octet-stream',
-        metadata,
-      }),
-    )
-
-    // and we unlink the file from the fs on any error
-    // that occurred during the upload to prevent zombie files
-    .on('error', err => {
-      console.error("[createOnAfterUpload error]", err);
-      self.unlink(self.collection.findOne(file._id), versionName); // Unlink files from FS
-    })
-
-    // once we are finished, we attach the gridFS Object id on the
-    // FilesCollection document's meta section and finally unlink the
-    // upload file from the filesystem
-    .on(
-      'finish',
-      Meteor.bindEnvironment(ver => {
-        const property = `versions.${versionName}.meta.gridFsFileId`;
-
-        self.collection.update(file._id, {
-          $set: {
-            [property]: ver._id.toHexString(),
-          },
-        });
-
-        self.unlink(self.collection.findOne(file._id), versionName); // Unlink files from FS
-      }),
-    );
-};