diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__file/gencode-local b/cdist/conf/type/__file/gencode-local
index 99456c5b..8cd9b24e 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__file/gencode-local
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__file/gencode-local
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ if [ "$state_should" = "present" -o "$state_should" = "exists" ]; then
 
          if [ "$local_cksum" != "$remote_cksum" ]; then
             echo "$__remote_copy" "$source" "${__target_host}:${destination}"
-            echo "copy" >> "$__object/notifications"
+            echo "copy" >> "$__messages_out"
          fi
       else
          echo "Source \"$source\" does not exist." >&2
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__file/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__file/gencode-remote
index fa2adc6f..6e1fa5be 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__file/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__file/gencode-remote
@@ -38,20 +38,23 @@ case "$state_should" in
       # Group
       if [ -f "$__object/parameter/group" ]; then
          echo chgrp \"$(cat "$__object/parameter/group")\" \"$destination\"
-         echo "chgrp" >> "$__object/notifications"
+# FIXME: only if necessary, not if parameter is present
+#         echo "chgrp" >> "$__object/notifications"
       fi
 
       # Owner
       if [ -f "$__object/parameter/owner" ]; then
          echo chown \"$(cat "$__object/parameter/owner")\" \"$destination\"
-         echo "chown" >> "$__object/notifications"
+# FIXME: only if necessary, not if parameter is present
+#         echo "chown" >> "$__object/notifications"
       fi
 
       # Mode - needs to happen last as a chown/chgrp can alter mode by
       # clearing S_ISUID and S_ISGID bits (see chown(2))
       if [ -f "$__object/parameter/mode" ]; then
          echo chmod \"$(cat "$__object/parameter/mode")\" \"$destination\"
-         echo "chmod" >> "$__object/notifications"
+# FIXME: only if necessary, not if parameter is present
+#         echo "chmod" >> "$__object/notifications"
       fi
    ;;
 
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@ case "$state_should" in
 
       if [ "$exists" = "yes" ]; then
          echo rm -f \"$destination\"
-         echo "removal" >> "$__object/notifications"
+         echo "remove" >> "$__messages_out"
       fi
 
    ;;
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__file/man.text b/cdist/conf/type/__file/man.text
index 1c61fd51..9ac82d0f 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__file/man.text
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__file/man.text
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ source::
    If not supplied, an empty file or directory will be created.
    If source is '-' (dash), take what was written to stdin as the file content.
 
+MESSAGES
+--------
+
+copy::
+    File was copied because cksum was different from local version
+
+remove::
+    File exists, but state is absent, file will be removed by generated code.
+
 
 EXAMPLES
 --------
@@ -81,5 +90,5 @@ SEE ALSO
 
 COPYING
 -------
-Copyright \(C) 2011-2012 Nico Schottelius. Free use of this software is
+Copyright \(C) 2011-2013 Nico Schottelius. Free use of this software is
 granted under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3).