diff --git a/src/notifications/Manager.h b/src/notifications/Manager.h
index 825da4c8..a1ef9f98 100644
--- a/src/notifications/Manager.h
+++ b/src/notifications/Manager.h
@@ -79,9 +79,7 @@ private:
         void objCxxPostNotification(const QString &title,
                                     const QString &subtitle,
                                     const QString &informativeText,
-                                    const QImage *bodyImage);
-
-        QImage *getImgOrNullptr(const QString &path);
+                                    const QImage &bodyImage);
 #endif
 
 #if defined(Q_OS_WINDOWS)
diff --git a/src/notifications/ManagerMac.cpp b/src/notifications/ManagerMac.cpp
index 1bf1577f..de5d0875 100644
--- a/src/notifications/ManagerMac.cpp
+++ b/src/notifications/ManagerMac.cpp
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ NotificationsManager::postNotification(const mtx::responses::Notification &notif
           cache::displayName(QString::fromStdString(notification.room_id),
                              QString::fromStdString(mtx::accessors::sender(notification.event)));
 
-        QImage *image = nullptr;
+        QImage image;
         if (mtx::accessors::msg_type(notification.event) == mtx::events::MessageType::Image)
-                image = getImgOrNullptr(cacheImage(notification.event));
+                image = QImage{cacheImage(notification.event)};
 
         const auto isEncrypted =
           std::get_if<mtx::events::EncryptedEvent<mtx::events::msg::Encrypted>>(
@@ -61,11 +61,3 @@ NotificationsManager::postNotification(const mtx::responses::Notification &notif
                   room_name, messageInfo, formatNotification(notification), image);
         }
 }
-
-QImage *
-NotificationsManager::getImgOrNullptr(const QString &path)
-{
-        if (QFile::exists(path))
-                return nullptr;
-        return new QImage{path};
-}
diff --git a/src/notifications/ManagerMac.mm b/src/notifications/ManagerMac.mm
index 226bcce0..33b7b6af 100644
--- a/src/notifications/ManagerMac.mm
+++ b/src/notifications/ManagerMac.mm
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ void
 NotificationsManager::objCxxPostNotification(const QString &title,
                                              const QString &subtitle,
                                              const QString &informativeText,
-                                             const QImage *bodyImage)
+                                             const QImage &bodyImage)
 {
 
     NSUserNotification *notif = [[NSUserNotification alloc] init];
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ NotificationsManager::objCxxPostNotification(const QString &title,
     notif.informativeText = informativeText.toNSString();
     notif.soundName       = NSUserNotificationDefaultSoundName;
 
-    if (bodyImage != nullptr)
-        notif.contentImage = [[NSImage alloc] initWithCGImage: bodyImage->toCGImage() size: NSZeroSize];
+    if (!bodyImage.isNull())
+        notif.contentImage = [[NSImage alloc] initWithCGImage: bodyImage.toCGImage() size: NSZeroSize];
 
     [[NSUserNotificationCenter defaultUserNotificationCenter] deliverNotification: notif];
     [notif autorelease];