diff --git a/pillar/application/__init__.py b/pillar/application/__init__.py
index c9dd70f5..2465eb77 100644
--- a/pillar/application/__init__.py
+++ b/pillar/application/__init__.py
@@ -364,10 +364,14 @@ def parse_attachments(response):
                     slug_tag = "[{0}]".format(slug)
                     f = files_collection.find_one({'_id': f['file']})
                     size = f['size'] if 'size' in f else 'l'
-                    p = files_collection.find_one({'parent': f['_id'], 'size': size})
-                    l = generate_link(p['backend'], p['file_path'], str(p['project']))
+                    # Get the correc variation from the file
+                    thumbnail = next((item for item in f['variations'] if
+                        item['size'] == size), None)
+                    l = generate_link(f['backend'], thumbnail['file_path'], str(f['project']))
                     # Build Markdown img string
                     l = '![{0}]({1} "{2}")'.format(slug, l, f['name'])
+                    # Parse the content of the file and replace the attachment
+                    # tag with the actual image link
                     field_content = field_content.replace(slug_tag, l)
                 response[field_name] = field_content
 
@@ -424,7 +428,12 @@ def generate_link(backend, file_path, project_id=None):
 def before_returning_file(response):
     # TODO: add project id to all files
     project_id = None if 'project' not in response else str(response['project'])
-    response['link'] = generate_link(response['backend'], response['file_path'], project_id)
+    response['link'] = generate_link(
+        response['backend'], response['file_path'], project_id)
+    if 'variations' in response:
+        for variation in response['variations']:
+            variation['link'] = generate_link(
+                response['backend'], variation['file_path'], project_id)
 
 def before_returning_files(response):
     for item in response['_items']:
diff --git a/pillar/application/modules/file_storage/__init__.py b/pillar/application/modules/file_storage/__init__.py
index 46bcb833..76e6f4fb 100644
--- a/pillar/application/modules/file_storage/__init__.py
+++ b/pillar/application/modules/file_storage/__init__.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from flask import Blueprint
 from flask import abort
 from flask import jsonify
 from flask import send_from_directory
+from eve.methods.put import put_internal
 from application import app
 from application import post_item
 from application.utils.imaging import generate_local_thumbnails
@@ -48,6 +49,11 @@ def browse_gcs(bucket_name, subdir, file_path=None):
 
 #@file_storage.route('/build_thumbnails/<path:file_path>')
 def build_thumbnails(file_path=None, file_id=None):
+    """Given a file path or file ObjectId pointing to an image file, fetch it
+    and generate a set of predefined variations (using generate_local_thumbnails).
+    Return a list of dictionaries containing the various image properties and
+    variation properties.
+    """
     files_collection = app.data.driver.db['files']
     if file_path:
         # Search file with backend "pillar" and path=file_path
@@ -58,8 +64,6 @@ def build_thumbnails(file_path=None, file_id=None):
         file_ = files_collection.find_one({"_id": ObjectId(file_id)})
         file_path = file_['name']
 
-    user = file_['user']
-
     file_full_path = os.path.join(app.config['SHARED_DIR'], file_path[:2], file_path)
     # Does the original file exist?
     if not os.path.isfile(file_full_path):
@@ -68,17 +72,14 @@ def build_thumbnails(file_path=None, file_id=None):
         thumbnails = generate_local_thumbnails(file_full_path,
             return_image_stats=True)
 
+    file_variations = []
     for size, thumbnail in thumbnails.iteritems():
         if thumbnail.get('exists'):
             # If a thumbnail was already made, we just continue
             continue
         basename = os.path.basename(thumbnail['file_path'])
         root, ext = os.path.splitext(basename)
-        file_object = dict(
-            name=root,
-            #description="Preview of file {0}".format(file_['name']),
-            user=user,
-            parent=file_['_id'],
+        file_variation = dict(
             size=size,
             format=ext[1:],
             width=thumbnail['width'],
@@ -86,16 +87,12 @@ def build_thumbnails(file_path=None, file_id=None):
             content_type=thumbnail['content_type'],
             length=thumbnail['length'],
             md5=thumbnail['md5'],
-            filename=basename,
-            backend=file_['backend'],
             file_path=basename,
-            project=file_['project'])
-        # Commit to database
-        r = post_item('files', file_object)
-        if r[0]['_status'] == 'ERR':
-            return "", r[3] # The error code from the request
+            )
 
-    return "", 200
+        file_variations.append(file_variation)
+
+    return file_variations
 
 
 @file_storage.route('/file', methods=['POST'])
@@ -120,14 +117,16 @@ def index(file_name=None):
 def process_file(src_file):
     """Process the file
     """
+    file_id = src_file['_id']
+    # Remove properties that do not belong in the collection
+    internal_fields = ['_id', '_etag', '_updated', '_created', '_status']
+    for field in internal_fields:
+        src_file.pop(field, None)
 
     files_collection = app.data.driver.db['files']
-
     file_abs_path = os.path.join(app.config['SHARED_DIR'], src_file['name'][:2], src_file['name'])
+
     src_file['length'] = os.stat(file_abs_path).st_size
-    # Remove properties that do not belong in the collection
-    src_file.pop('_status', None)
-    src_file.pop('_links', None)
     content_type = src_file['content_type'].split('/')
     src_file['format'] = content_type[1]
     mime_type = content_type[0]
@@ -140,8 +139,7 @@ def process_file(src_file):
         src_file['width'] = res[0]
         src_file['height'] = res[1]
         # Generate previews
-
-        build_thumbnails(file_id=src_file['_id'])
+        src_file['variations'] = build_thumbnails(file_id=file_id)
     elif mime_type == 'video':
         pass
         # Generate variations
@@ -172,7 +170,7 @@ def process_file(src_file):
                 #description="Preview of file {0}".format(file_['name']),
                 project=src_file['project'],
                 user=src_file['user'],
-                parent=src_file['_id'],
+                parent=file_id,
                 size="{0}p".format(res_y),
                 duration=video_duration,
                 format=v,
@@ -220,12 +218,9 @@ def process_file(src_file):
         push_to_storage(str(src_file['project']), sync_path)
     else:
         sync_path = file_abs_path
-    #remote_storage_sync(sync_path)
 
     # Update the original file with additional info, e.g. image resolution
-    file_asset = files_collection.find_and_modify(
-        {'_id': src_file['_id']},
-        src_file)
+    r = put_internal('files', src_file, **{'_id': ObjectId(file_id)})
 
 
 def delete_file(file_item):
diff --git a/pillar/manage.py b/pillar/manage.py
index 36df884d..6fedc087 100644
--- a/pillar/manage.py
+++ b/pillar/manage.py
@@ -241,5 +241,64 @@ def add_parent_to_nodes():
     print "Edited {0} nodes".format(nodes_index)
     print "Orphan {0} nodes".format(nodes_orphan)
 
+
+@manager.command
+def embed_children_in_files():
+    """Embed children file objects in to their parent"""
+    files_collection = app.data.driver.db['files']
+    for f in files_collection.find():
+        # Give some feedback
+        print "processing {0}".format(f['_id'])
+        # Proceed only if the node is a child
+        file_id = f['_id']
+        if 'parent' in f:
+            # Get the parent node
+            parent = files_collection.find_one({'_id': f['parent']})
+            parent_id = parent['_id']
+            if not parent:
+                print "No parent found for {0}".format(file_id)
+                files_collection.remove({'_id': file_id})
+                continue
+            # Prepare to loop through the properties required for a variation
+            properties = ['content_type', 'duration', 'size', 'format', 'width',
+                'height', 'length', 'md5', 'file_path']
+            variation = {}
+            # Build dict with variation properties
+            for p in properties:
+                if p in f:
+                    variation[p] = f[p]
+
+            # the variation was generated
+            if variation:
+                # If the parent file does not have a variation property
+                if 'variations' not in parent:
+                    parent['variations'] = []
+                # Append the variation to the variations
+                parent['variations'].append(variation)
+
+            # Removed internal fields that would cause validation error
+            internal_fields = ['_id', '_etag', '_updated', '_created']
+            for field in internal_fields:
+                parent.pop(field, None)
+            p = put_internal('files', parent, **{'_id': parent_id})
+            if p[0]['_status'] == 'ERR':
+                print p[0]['_issues']
+                print "PARENT: {0}".format(parent)
+                print "VARIATION: {0}".format(variation)
+                return
+
+
+@manager.command
+def remove_children_files():
+    """Remove any file object with a parent field"""
+    files_collection = app.data.driver.db['files']
+    for f in files_collection.find():
+        if 'parent' in f:
+            file_id = f['_id']
+            # Delete child object
+            files_collection.remove({'_id': file_id})
+            print "deleted {0}".format(file_id)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     manager.run()
diff --git a/pillar/settings.py b/pillar/settings.py
index 146fe775..1ed8cf84 100644
--- a/pillar/settings.py
+++ b/pillar/settings.py
@@ -417,6 +417,44 @@ files_schema = {
             'embeddable': True
         },
     },
+    'variations': { # File variations (used to be children, see above)
+        'type': 'list',
+        'schema': {
+            'type': 'dict',
+            'schema': {
+                'content_type': { # MIME type image/png video/mp4
+                    'type': 'string',
+                    'required': True,
+                },
+                'duration': {
+                    'type': 'integer',
+                },
+                'size': { # xs, s, b, 720p, 2K
+                    'type': 'string'
+                },
+                'format': { # human readable format, like mp4, HLS, webm, mov
+                    'type': 'string'
+                },
+                'width': { # valid for images and video content_type
+                    'type': 'integer'
+                },
+                'height': {
+                    'type': 'integer'
+                },
+                'length': { # Size in bytes
+                    'type': 'integer',
+                    'required': True,
+                },
+                'md5': {
+                    'type': 'string',
+                    'required': True,
+                },
+                'file_path': {
+                    'type': 'string',
+                },
+            }
+        }
+    },
     'previews': { # Deprecated (see comments above)
         'type': 'list',
         'schema': {