diff --git a/lib/filebrowser/file_info.php b/lib/filebrowser/file_info.php
index e53640b3076..2771e04040f 100644
--- a/lib/filebrowser/file_info.php
+++ b/lib/filebrowser/file_info.php
@@ -303,15 +303,11 @@ abstract class file_info {
     /**
      * Copy content of this file to local storage, overriding current file if needed.
      *
-     * @param int $contextid context ID
-     * @param string $component component
-     * @param string $filearea file area
-     * @param int $itemid item ID
-     * @param string $filepath file path
-     * @param string $filename file name
-     * @return boolean success
+     * @param array|stdClass $filerecord contains contextid, component, filearea,
+     *    itemid, filepath, filename and optionally other attributes of the new file
+     * @return bool success
      */
-    public function copy_to_storage($contextid, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $filepath, $filename) {
+    public function copy_to_storage($filerecord) {
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/filebrowser/file_info_stored.php b/lib/filebrowser/file_info_stored.php
index 2f3ea57211a..6eb760ff42b 100644
--- a/lib/filebrowser/file_info_stored.php
+++ b/lib/filebrowser/file_info_stored.php
@@ -519,25 +519,21 @@ class file_info_stored extends file_info {
     /**
      * Copy content of this file to local storage, overriding current file if needed.
      *
-     * @param int $contextid context ID
-     * @param string $component file component
-     * @param string $filearea file area
-     * @param int $itemid item ID
-     * @param string $filepath file path
-     * @param string $filename file name
+     * @param array|stdClass $filerecord contains contextid, component, filearea,
+     *    itemid, filepath, filename and optionally other attributes of the new file
      * @return bool success
      */
-    public function copy_to_storage($contextid, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $filepath, $filename) {
+    public function copy_to_storage($filerecord) {
         if (!$this->is_readable() or $this->is_directory()) {
             return false;
         }
+        $filerecord = (array)$filerecord;
 
         $fs = get_file_storage();
-        if ($existing = $fs->get_file($contextid, $component, $filearea, $itemid, $filepath, $filename)) {
+        if ($existing = $fs->get_file($filerecord['contextid'], $filerecord['component'], $filerecord['filearea'], $filerecord['itemid'], $filerecord['filepath'], $filerecord['filename'])) {
             $existing->delete();
         }
-        $file_record = array('contextid'=>$contextid, 'component'=>$component, 'filearea'=>$filearea, 'itemid'=>$itemid, 'filepath'=>$filepath, 'filename'=>$filename);
-        $fs->create_file_from_storedfile($file_record, $this->lf);
+        $fs->create_file_from_storedfile($filerecord, $this->lf);
 
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/repository/lib.php b/repository/lib.php
index 3abca8d9a75..5f72bafe676 100644
--- a/repository/lib.php
+++ b/repository/lib.php
@@ -648,13 +648,14 @@ abstract class repository {
      * This function is used to copy a moodle file to draft area
      *
      * @param string $encoded The metainfo of file, it is base64 encoded php serialized data
-     * @param int $draftitemid itemid
-     * @param string $new_filepath the new path in draft area
-     * @param string $new_filename The intended name of file
+     * @param stdClass|array $filerecord contains itemid, filepath, filename and optionally other
+     *      attributes of the new file
+     * @param int $maxbytes maximum allowed size of file, -1 if unlimited. If size of file exceeds
+     *      the limit, the file_exception is thrown.
      * @return array The information of file
      */
-    public function copy_to_area($encoded, $draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename) {
-        global $USER, $DB;
+    public function copy_to_area($encoded, $filerecord, $maxbytes = -1) {
+        global $USER;
         $fs = get_file_storage();
         $browser = get_file_browser();
 
@@ -662,9 +663,17 @@ abstract class repository {
             throw new coding_exception('Only repository used to browse moodle files can use repository::copy_to_area()');
         }
 
-
         $params = unserialize(base64_decode($encoded));
-        $user_context = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_USER, $USER->id);
+        $user_context = context_user::instance($USER->id);
+
+        $filerecord = (array)$filerecord;
+        // make sure the new file will be created in user draft area
+        $filerecord['component'] = 'user';
+        $filerecord['filearea'] = 'draft';
+        $filerecord['contextid'] = $user_context->id;
+        $draftitemid = $filerecord['itemid'];
+        $new_filepath = $filerecord['filepath'];
+        $new_filename = $filerecord['filename'];
 
         $contextid  = clean_param($params['contextid'], PARAM_INT);
         $fileitemid = clean_param($params['itemid'],    PARAM_INT);
@@ -676,11 +685,15 @@ abstract class repository {
         $context    = get_context_instance_by_id($contextid);
         // the file needs to copied to draft area
         $file_info  = $browser->get_file_info($context, $component, $filearea, $fileitemid, $filepath, $filename);
+        if ($maxbytes !== -1 && $file_info->get_filesize() > $maxbytes) {
+            throw new file_exception('maxbytes');
+        }
 
         if (repository::draftfile_exists($draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename)) {
             // create new file
             $unused_filename = repository::get_unused_filename($draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename);
-            $file_info->copy_to_storage($user_context->id, 'user', 'draft', $draftitemid, $new_filepath, $unused_filename);
+            $filerecord['filename'] = $unused_filename;
+            $file_info->copy_to_storage($filerecord);
             $event = array();
             $event['event'] = 'fileexists';
             $event['newfile'] = new stdClass;
@@ -690,12 +703,13 @@ abstract class repository {
             $event['existingfile'] = new stdClass;
             $event['existingfile']->filepath = $new_filepath;
             $event['existingfile']->filename = $new_filename;
-            $event['existingfile']->url      = moodle_url::make_draftfile_url($draftitemid, $filepath, $filename)->out();;
+            $event['existingfile']->url      = moodle_url::make_draftfile_url($draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename)->out();;
             return $event;
         } else {
-            $file_info->copy_to_storage($user_context->id, 'user', 'draft', $draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename);
+            $file_info->copy_to_storage($filerecord);
             $info = array();
             $info['itemid'] = $draftitemid;
+            $info['file']  = $new_filename;
             $info['title']  = $new_filename;
             $info['contextid'] = $user_context->id;
             $info['url'] = moodle_url::make_draftfile_url($draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename)->out();;
@@ -1464,6 +1478,7 @@ abstract class repository {
      * @return int file size in bytes
      */
     public function get_file_size($source) {
+        // TODO MDL-33297 remove this function completely?
         $browser    = get_file_browser();
         $params     = unserialize(base64_decode($source));
         $contextid  = clean_param($params['contextid'], PARAM_INT);
diff --git a/repository/recent/lib.php b/repository/recent/lib.php
index a491015235e..2c1acf23579 100644
--- a/repository/recent/lib.php
+++ b/repository/recent/lib.php
@@ -180,19 +180,28 @@ class repository_recent extends repository {
     /**
      * This function overwrite the default implement to copying file using file_storage
      *
-     * @global object $USER
-     * @global object $DB
      * @param string $encoded The information of file, it is base64 encoded php serialized data
-     * @param string $draftitemid itemid
-     * @param string $new_filename The intended name of file
-     * @param string $new_filepath the new path in draft area
+     * @param stdClass|array $filerecord contains itemid, filepath, filename and optionally other
+     *      attributes of the new file
+     * @param int $maxbytes maximum allowed size of file, -1 if unlimited. If size of file exceeds
+     *      the limit, the file_exception is thrown.
      * @return array The information of file
      */
-    public function copy_to_area($encoded, $draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename) {
-        global $USER, $DB;
+    public function copy_to_area($encoded, $filerecord, $maxbytes = -1) {
+        global $USER;
 
         $user_context = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_USER, $USER->id);
 
+        $filerecord = (array)$filerecord;
+        // make sure the new file will be created in user draft area
+        $filerecord['component'] = 'user'; // make sure
+        $filerecord['filearea'] = 'draft'; // make sure
+        $filerecord['contextid'] = $user_context->id;
+        $filerecord['sortorder'] = 0;
+        $draftitemid = $filerecord['itemid'];
+        $new_filepath = $filerecord['filepath'];
+        $new_filename = $filerecord['filename'];
+
         $fs = get_file_storage();
 
         $params = unserialize(base64_decode($encoded));
@@ -211,21 +220,23 @@ class repository_recent extends repository {
         //
         // To get 'recent' plugin working, we need to use lower level file_stoarge class to bypass the
         // capability check, we will use a better workaround to improve it.
+        // TODO MDL-33297 apply here
         if ($stored_file = $fs->get_file($contextid, $component, $filearea, $fileitemid, $filepath, $filename)) {
             // verify user id
             if ($USER->id != $stored_file->get_userid()) {
                 throw new moodle_exception('errornotyourfile', 'repository');
             }
-            $file_record = array('contextid'=>$user_context->id, 'component'=>'user', 'filearea'=>'draft',
-                'itemid'=>$draftitemid, 'filepath'=>$new_filepath, 'filename'=>$new_filename, 'sortorder'=>0);
+            if ($maxbytes !== -1 && $stored_file->get_filesize() > $maxbytes) {
+                throw new file_exception('maxbytes');
+            }
 
             // test if file already exists
             if (repository::draftfile_exists($draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename)) {
                 // create new file
                 $unused_filename = repository::get_unused_filename($draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename);
-                $file_record['filename'] = $unused_filename;
+                $filerecord['filename'] = $unused_filename;
                 // create a tmp file
-                $fs->create_file_from_storedfile($file_record, $stored_file);
+                $fs->create_file_from_storedfile($filerecord, $stored_file);
                 $event = array();
                 $event['event'] = 'fileexists';
                 $event['newfile'] = new stdClass;
@@ -238,9 +249,10 @@ class repository_recent extends repository {
                 $event['existingfile']->url      = moodle_url::make_draftfile_url($draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename)->out();;
                 return $event;
             } else {
-                $fs->create_file_from_storedfile($file_record, $stored_file);
+                $fs->create_file_from_storedfile($filerecord, $stored_file);
                 $info = array();
                 $info['title']  = $new_filename;
+                $info['file']  = $new_filename;
                 $info['itemid'] = $draftitemid;
                 $info['filesize']  = $stored_file->get_filesize();
                 $info['url'] = moodle_url::make_draftfile_url($draftitemid, $new_filepath, $new_filename)->out();;
diff --git a/repository/repository_ajax.php b/repository/repository_ajax.php
index aa1e434d36e..cb7dea85908 100644
--- a/repository/repository_ajax.php
+++ b/repository/repository_ajax.php
@@ -209,30 +209,6 @@ switch ($action) {
             die;
         } else {
             $fs = get_file_storage();
-            // Some repository plugins are hosting moodle internal files, we cannot use get_file
-            // method, so we use copy_to_area method
-            // (local, user, coursefiles, recent)
-            if ($repo->has_moodle_files() && !$usefilereference) {
-                // check filesize against max allowed size
-                $filesize = $repo->get_file_size($source);
-                if (empty($filesize)) {
-                    $filesize = 0;
-                }
-                if (($maxbytes !== -1) && ($filesize > $maxbytes)) {
-                    throw new file_exception('maxbytes');
-                }
-                // If the moodle file is an alias to a file in external repository
-                // we copy this alias instead of create alias to alias
-                // {@link repository::copy_to_area()}.
-                $fileinfo = $repo->copy_to_area($source, $itemid, $saveas_path, $saveas_filename);
-
-                if (!isset($fileinfo['event'])) {
-                    $fileinfo['file'] = $fileinfo['title'];
-                }
-
-                echo json_encode($fileinfo);
-                die;
-            }
 
             // Prepare file record.
             $record = new stdClass();
@@ -240,21 +216,9 @@ switch ($action) {
             $record->filename = $saveas_filename;
             $record->component = 'user';
             $record->filearea = 'draft';
-            if (!is_numeric($itemid)) {
-                $record->itemid = 0;
-            } else {
-                $record->itemid   = $itemid;
-            }
-            if (!empty($file['license'])) {
-                $record->license  = $file['license'];
-            } else {
-                $record->license  = $license;
-            }
-            if (!empty($file['author'])) {
-                $record->author   = $file['author'];
-            } else {
-                $record->author   = $author;
-            }
+            $record->itemid = $itemid;
+            $record->license = $license;
+            $record->author = $author;
 
             if ($record->filepath !== '/') {
                 $record->filepath = trim($record->filepath, '/');
@@ -263,10 +227,9 @@ switch ($action) {
             $usercontext = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_USER, $USER->id);
             $now = time();
             $record->contextid = $usercontext->id;
-            $record->timecreated  = $now;
+            $record->timecreated = $now;
             $record->timemodified = $now;
-            $record->userid       = $USER->id;
-
+            $record->userid = $USER->id;
 
             if ($usefilereference) {
                 $reference = $repo->get_file_reference($source);
@@ -307,6 +270,16 @@ switch ($action) {
                 );
                 echo json_encode($info);
                 die;
+            } else if ($repo->has_moodle_files()) {
+                // Some repository plugins (local, user, coursefiles, recent) are hosting moodle
+                // internal files, we cannot use get_file method, so we use copy_to_area method
+
+                // If the moodle file is an alias we copy this alias, otherwise we copy the file
+                // {@link repository::copy_to_area()}.
+                $fileinfo = $repo->copy_to_area($source, $record, $maxbytes);
+
+                echo json_encode($fileinfo);
+                die;
             } else {
                 // Download file to moodle.
                 $downloadedfile = $repo->get_file($source, $saveas_filename);