diff --git a/src/applications/files/storage/PhabricatorFile.php b/src/applications/files/storage/PhabricatorFile.php
--- a/src/applications/files/storage/PhabricatorFile.php
+++ b/src/applications/files/storage/PhabricatorFile.php
@@ -1426,23 +1426,6 @@
   }
 
 
-  /**
-   * Remove the policy edge between this file and some object.
-   *
-   * @param phid Object PHID to detach from.
-   * @return this
-   */
-  public function detachFromObject($phid) {
-    $edge_type = PhabricatorObjectHasFileEdgeType::EDGECONST;
-
-    id(new PhabricatorEdgeEditor())
-      ->removeEdge($phid, $edge_type, $this->getPHID())
-      ->save();
-
-    return $this;
-  }
-
-
   /**
    * Configure a newly created file object according to specified parameters.
    *
diff --git a/src/applications/files/storage/__tests__/PhabricatorFileTestCase.php b/src/applications/files/storage/__tests__/PhabricatorFileTestCase.php
--- a/src/applications/files/storage/__tests__/PhabricatorFileTestCase.php
+++ b/src/applications/files/storage/__tests__/PhabricatorFileTestCase.php
@@ -224,18 +224,6 @@
       ),
       $this->canViewFile($users, $xform),
       pht('Attached Thumbnail Visibility'));
-
-    // Detach the object and make sure it affects the thumbnail.
-    $file->detachFromObject($object->getPHID());
-
-    // Test the detached thumbnail's visibility.
-    $this->assertEqual(
-      array(
-        true,
-        false,
-      ),
-      $this->canViewFile($users, $xform),
-      pht('Detached Thumbnail Visibility'));
   }
 
   private function canViewFile(array $users, PhabricatorFile $file) {
diff --git a/src/applications/macro/xaction/PhabricatorMacroAudioTransaction.php b/src/applications/macro/xaction/PhabricatorMacroAudioTransaction.php
--- a/src/applications/macro/xaction/PhabricatorMacroAudioTransaction.php
+++ b/src/applications/macro/xaction/PhabricatorMacroAudioTransaction.php
@@ -13,32 +13,14 @@
     $object->setAudioPHID($value);
   }
 
-  public function applyExternalEffects($object, $value) {
-    $old = $this->generateOldValue($object);
-    $new = $value;
-    $all = array();
-    if ($old) {
-      $all[] = $old;
-    }
-    if ($new) {
-      $all[] = $new;
-    }
+  public function extractFilePHIDs($object, $value) {
+    $file_phids = array();
 
-    $files = id(new PhabricatorFileQuery())
-      ->setViewer($this->getActor())
-      ->withPHIDs($all)
-      ->execute();
-    $files = mpull($files, null, 'getPHID');
-
-    $old_file = idx($files, $old);
-    if ($old_file) {
-      $old_file->detachFromObject($object->getPHID());
+    if ($value) {
+      $file_phids[] = $value;
     }
 
-    $new_file = idx($files, $new);
-    if ($new_file) {
-      $new_file->attachToObject($object->getPHID());
-    }
+    return $file_phids;
   }
 
   public function getTitle() {
diff --git a/src/applications/macro/xaction/PhabricatorMacroFileTransaction.php b/src/applications/macro/xaction/PhabricatorMacroFileTransaction.php
--- a/src/applications/macro/xaction/PhabricatorMacroFileTransaction.php
+++ b/src/applications/macro/xaction/PhabricatorMacroFileTransaction.php
@@ -13,32 +13,8 @@
     $object->setFilePHID($value);
   }
 
-  public function applyExternalEffects($object, $value) {
-    $old = $this->generateOldValue($object);
-    $new = $value;
-    $all = array();
-    if ($old) {
-      $all[] = $old;
-    }
-    if ($new) {
-      $all[] = $new;
-    }
-
-    $files = id(new PhabricatorFileQuery())
-      ->setViewer($this->getActor())
-      ->withPHIDs($all)
-      ->execute();
-    $files = mpull($files, null, 'getPHID');
-
-    $old_file = idx($files, $old);
-    if ($old_file) {
-      $old_file->detachFromObject($object->getPHID());
-    }
-
-    $new_file = idx($files, $new);
-    if ($new_file) {
-      $new_file->attachToObject($object->getPHID());
-    }
+  public function extractFilePHIDs($object, $value) {
+    return array($value);
   }
 
   public function getTitle() {
diff --git a/src/applications/project/xaction/PhabricatorProjectImageTransaction.php b/src/applications/project/xaction/PhabricatorProjectImageTransaction.php
--- a/src/applications/project/xaction/PhabricatorProjectImageTransaction.php
+++ b/src/applications/project/xaction/PhabricatorProjectImageTransaction.php
@@ -13,34 +13,6 @@
     $object->setProfileImagePHID($value);
   }
 
-  public function applyExternalEffects($object, $value) {
-    $old = $this->getOldValue();
-    $new = $value;
-    $all = array();
-    if ($old) {
-      $all[] = $old;
-    }
-    if ($new) {
-      $all[] = $new;
-    }
-
-    $files = id(new PhabricatorFileQuery())
-      ->setViewer($this->getActor())
-      ->withPHIDs($all)
-      ->execute();
-    $files = mpull($files, null, 'getPHID');
-
-    $old_file = idx($files, $old);
-    if ($old_file) {
-      $old_file->detachFromObject($object->getPHID());
-    }
-
-    $new_file = idx($files, $new);
-    if ($new_file) {
-      $new_file->attachToObject($object->getPHID());
-    }
-  }
-
   public function getTitle() {
     $old = $this->getOldValue();
     $new = $this->getNewValue();