diff --git a/message/cache.go b/message/cache.go
index 76ba7926..870eb599 100644
--- a/message/cache.go
+++ b/message/cache.go
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ func (c *Cache) MessagesDue() ([]*model.Message, error) {
 	return readMessages(rows)
 }
 
-// MessagesExpired returns a list of IDs for messages that have expired (should be deleted)
+// MessagesExpired returns a list of message IDs that have expired and should be deleted
 func (c *Cache) MessagesExpired() ([]string, error) {
 	rows, err := c.db.Query(c.queries.selectMessagesExpired, time.Now().Unix())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -262,10 +262,10 @@ func (c *Cache) Message(id string) (*model.Message, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	defer rows.Close()
 	if !rows.Next() {
 		return nil, model.ErrMessageNotFound
 	}
-	defer rows.Close()
 	return readMessage(rows)
 }
 
diff --git a/message/cache_postgres_schema.go b/message/cache_postgres_schema.go
index 4a539d0e..99e18c2c 100644
--- a/message/cache_postgres_schema.go
+++ b/message/cache_postgres_schema.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"heckel.io/ntfy/v2/db"
+	"heckel.io/ntfy/v2/log"
 )
 
 // Initial PostgreSQL schema
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ const (
 		CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_message_sequence_id ON message (sequence_id);
 		CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_message_topic_published_time ON message (topic, published, time, id);
 		CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_message_published_expires ON message (published, expires);
+		CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_message_attachment_expires ON message (attachment_expires) WHERE attachment_deleted = FALSE;
 		CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_message_sender_attachment_expires ON message (sender, attachment_expires) WHERE user_id = '';
 		CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_message_user_id_attachment_expires ON message (user_id, attachment_expires);
 		CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS message_stats (
@@ -57,21 +59,57 @@ const (
 
 // PostgreSQL schema management queries
 const (
-	postgresCurrentSchemaVersion     = 14
+	postgresCurrentSchemaVersion     = 15
 	postgresInsertSchemaVersionQuery = `INSERT INTO schema_version (store, version) VALUES ('message', $1)`
+	postgresUpdateSchemaVersionQuery = `UPDATE schema_version SET version = $1 WHERE store = 'message'`
 	postgresSelectSchemaVersionQuery = `SELECT version FROM schema_version WHERE store = 'message'`
 )
 
-func setupPostgres(db *sql.DB) error {
+// PostgreSQL schema migrations
+const (
+	// 14 -> 15
+	postgresMigrate14To15CreateIndexQuery = `
+		CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_message_attachment_expires ON message (attachment_expires) WHERE attachment_deleted = FALSE;
+	`
+)
+
+var postgresMigrations = map[int]func(db *sql.DB) error{
+	14: postgresMigrateFrom14,
+}
+
+func setupPostgres(sqlDB *sql.DB) error {
 	var schemaVersion int
-	if err := db.QueryRow(postgresSelectSchemaVersionQuery).Scan(&schemaVersion); err != nil {
-		return setupNewPostgresDB(db)
+	if err := sqlDB.QueryRow(postgresSelectSchemaVersionQuery).Scan(&schemaVersion); err != nil {
+		return setupNewPostgresDB(sqlDB)
+	} else if schemaVersion == postgresCurrentSchemaVersion {
+		return nil
 	} else if schemaVersion > postgresCurrentSchemaVersion {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected schema version: version %d is higher than current version %d", schemaVersion, postgresCurrentSchemaVersion)
 	}
+	for i := schemaVersion; i < postgresCurrentSchemaVersion; i++ {
+		fn, ok := postgresMigrations[i]
+		if !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("cannot find migration step from schema version %d to %d", i, i+1)
+		} else if err := fn(sqlDB); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+func postgresMigrateFrom14(sqlDB *sql.DB) error {
+	log.Tag(tagMessageCache).Info("Migrating message cache database schema: from 14 to 15")
+	return db.ExecTx(sqlDB, func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(postgresMigrate14To15CreateIndexQuery); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(postgresUpdateSchemaVersionQuery, 15); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+}
+
 func setupNewPostgresDB(sqlDB *sql.DB) error {
 	return db.ExecTx(sqlDB, func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
 		if _, err := tx.Exec(postgresCreateTablesQuery); err != nil {
diff --git a/message/cache_sqlite_schema.go b/message/cache_sqlite_schema.go
index 8c68bad8..b19bfca1 100644
--- a/message/cache_sqlite_schema.go
+++ b/message/cache_sqlite_schema.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ const (
 
 // Schema version management for SQLite
 const (
-	sqliteCurrentSchemaVersion          = 14
+	sqliteCurrentSchemaVersion          = 15
 	sqliteCreateSchemaVersionTableQuery = `
 		CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS schemaVersion (
 			id INT PRIMARY KEY,
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ var (
 		11: sqliteMigrateFrom11,
 		12: sqliteMigrateFrom12,
 		13: sqliteMigrateFrom13,
+		14: sqliteMigrateFrom14,
 	}
 )
 
@@ -451,3 +452,15 @@ func sqliteMigrateFrom13(sqlDB *sql.DB, _ time.Duration) error {
 		return nil
 	})
 }
+
+// sqliteMigrateFrom14 is a no-op; the corresponding Postgres migration adds
+// idx_message_attachment_expires, which SQLite already has from the initial schema.
+func sqliteMigrateFrom14(sqlDB *sql.DB, _ time.Duration) error {
+	log.Tag(tagMessageCache).Info("Migrating cache database schema: from 14 to 15")
+	return db.ExecTx(sqlDB, func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(sqliteUpdateSchemaVersionQuery, 15); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+}
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index dc56d57f..508d9a70 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -1426,6 +1426,9 @@ func (s *Server) handleBodyAsAttachment(r *http.Request, v *visitor, m *model.Me
 		return err
 	}
 	attachmentExpiry := time.Now().Add(vinfo.Limits.AttachmentExpiryDuration).Unix()
+	if m.Expires > 0 && attachmentExpiry > m.Expires {
+		attachmentExpiry = m.Expires // Attachment must never outlive the message
+	}
 	if m.Time > attachmentExpiry {
 		return errHTTPBadRequestAttachmentsExpiryBeforeDelivery.With(m)
 	}
diff --git a/server/server_manager.go b/server/server_manager.go
index 89ff38c2..11fa4dfe 100644
--- a/server/server_manager.go
+++ b/server/server_manager.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package server
 import (
 	"heckel.io/ntfy/v2/log"
 	"heckel.io/ntfy/v2/util"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 func (s *Server) execManager() {
@@ -151,11 +150,11 @@ func (s *Server) pruneAttachments() {
 				log.Tag(tagManager).Err(err).Warn("Error retrieving expired attachments")
 			} else if len(ids) > 0 {
 				if log.Tag(tagManager).IsDebug() {
-					log.Tag(tagManager).Debug("Deleting attachments %s", strings.Join(ids, ", "))
-				}
-				if err := s.attachment.Remove(ids...); err != nil {
-					log.Tag(tagManager).Err(err).Warn("Error deleting attachments")
+					log.Tag(tagManager).Debug("Marking %d expired attachment(s) as deleted", len(ids))
 				}
+				// Only mark as deleted in DB. The actual storage files are cleaned up
+				// by the attachment store's sync() loop, which periodically reconciles
+				// storage with the database and removes orphaned files.
 				if err := s.messageCache.MarkAttachmentsDeleted(ids...); err != nil {
 					log.Tag(tagManager).Err(err).Warn("Error marking attachments deleted")
 				}
@@ -174,13 +173,11 @@ func (s *Server) pruneMessages() {
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Tag(tagManager).Err(err).Warn("Error retrieving expired messages")
 			} else if len(expiredMessageIDs) > 0 {
-				if s.attachment != nil {
-					if err := s.attachment.Remove(expiredMessageIDs...); err != nil {
-						log.Tag(tagManager).Err(err).Warn("Error deleting attachments for expired messages")
-					}
-				}
+				// Only delete DB rows. Attachment storage files are cleaned up by the
+				// attachment store's sync() loop, which periodically reconciles storage
+				// with the database and removes orphaned files.
 				if err := s.messageCache.DeleteMessages(expiredMessageIDs...); err != nil {
-					log.Tag(tagManager).Err(err).Warn("Error marking attachments deleted")
+					log.Tag(tagManager).Err(err).Warn("Error deleting expired messages")
 				}
 			} else {
 				log.Tag(tagManager).Debug("No expired messages to delete")
diff --git a/web/package-lock.json b/web/package-lock.json
index 175ef11b..b04b2b41 100644
--- a/web/package-lock.json
+++ b/web/package-lock.json
@@ -9514,24 +9514,6 @@
       "dev": true,
       "license": "ISC"
     },
-    "node_modules/yaml": {
-      "version": "2.8.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/yaml/-/yaml-2.8.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-AvbaCLOO2Otw/lW5bmh9d/WEdcDFdQp2Z2ZUH3pX9U2ihyUY0nvLv7J6TrWowklRGPYbB/IuIMfYgxaCPg5Bpg==",
-      "dev": true,
-      "license": "ISC",
-      "optional": true,
-      "peer": true,
-      "bin": {
-        "yaml": "bin.mjs"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">= 14.6"
-      },
-      "funding": {
-        "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/eemeli"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/yocto-queue": {
       "version": "0.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/yocto-queue/-/yocto-queue-0.1.0.tgz",