diff --git a/files/externallib.php b/files/externallib.php
index f968d795ff4..fdf63c548b1 100644
--- a/files/externallib.php
+++ b/files/externallib.php
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
                 'filearea'     => new external_value(PARAM_TEXT, 'file area'),
                 'itemid'       => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'associated id'),
                 'filepath'     => new external_value(PARAM_PATH, 'file path'),
-                'filename'     => new external_value(PARAM_FILE, 'file name'),
+                'filename'     => new external_value(PARAM_TEXT, 'file name'),
                 'modified'     => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'timestamp to return files changed after this time.', VALUE_DEFAULT, null),
                 'contextlevel' => new external_value(PARAM_ALPHA, 'The context level for the file location.', VALUE_DEFAULT, null),
                 'instanceid'   => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'The instance id for where the file is located.', VALUE_DEFAULT, null)
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ class core_files_external extends external_api {
                             'filearea'  => new external_value(PARAM_AREA, ''),
                             'itemid'   => new external_value(PARAM_INT, ''),
                             'filepath' => new external_value(PARAM_TEXT, ''),
-                            'filename' => new external_value(PARAM_FILE, ''),
+                            'filename' => new external_value(PARAM_TEXT, ''),
                             'isdir'    => new external_value(PARAM_BOOL, ''),
                             'url'      => new external_value(PARAM_TEXT, ''),
                             'timemodified' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, ''),