diff --git a/backup/cc/cc2moodle.php b/backup/cc/cc2moodle.php
index 0728daca872..3b323ad58d0 100644
--- a/backup/cc/cc2moodle.php
+++ b/backup/cc/cc2moodle.php
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class cc2moodle {
 
     public function generate_moodle_xml () {
 
-        global $CFG;
+        global $CFG, $OUTPUT;
 
         $cdir = static::$path_to_manifest_folder . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'course_files';
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class cc2moodle {
 
         } else {
             $status = false;
-            notify('The course is empty');
+            echo $OUTPUT->notification('The course is empty');
             static::log_action('The course is empty', false);
         }
 
diff --git a/backup/cc/entities.class.php b/backup/cc/entities.class.php
index dfff6b2a1b9..4a8ef064e9f 100644
--- a/backup/cc/entities.class.php
+++ b/backup/cc/entities.class.php
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ class entities {
     }
 
     public function move_files($files, $destination_folder) {
-        global $CFG;
+        global $CFG, $OUTPUT;
 
         if (!empty($files)) {
 
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class entities {
                 }
 
                 if (!$copy_success) {
-                    notify('WARNING: Cannot copy the file ' . $source . ' to ' . $destination);
+                    echo $OUTPUT->notification('WARNING: Cannot copy the file ' . $source . ' to ' . $destination);
                     cc2moodle::log_action('Cannot copy the file ' . $source . ' to ' . $destination, false);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/backup/cc/restore_cc.php b/backup/cc/restore_cc.php
index 17d91705519..94625fb4ee0 100644
--- a/backup/cc/restore_cc.php
+++ b/backup/cc/restore_cc.php
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/backup/cc/includes/constants.php');
 require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/backup/cc/cc2moodle.php');
 
 function cc_convert ($dir) {
+    global $OUTPUT;
 
     $manifest_file = $dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'imsmanifest.xml';
     $moodle_file = $dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'moodle.xml';
@@ -39,26 +40,26 @@ function cc_convert ($dir) {
             $detected_requirements = detect_requirements();
 
             if (!$detected_requirements["php5"]) {
-                notify(get_string('cc_import_req_php5', 'imscc'));
+                echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('cc_import_req_php5', 'imscc'));
                 return false;
             }
 
             if (!$detected_requirements["dom"]) {
-                notify(get_string('cc_import_req_dom', 'imscc'));
+                echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('cc_import_req_dom', 'imscc'));
                 return false;
             }
 
             if (!$detected_requirements["libxml"]) {
-                notify(get_string('cc_import_req_libxml', 'imscc'));
+                echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('cc_import_req_libxml', 'imscc'));
                 return false;
             }
 
             if (!$detected_requirements["libxmlminversion"]) {
-                notify(get_string('cc_import_req_libxmlminversion', 'imscc'));
+                echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('cc_import_req_libxmlminversion', 'imscc'));
                 return false;
             }
             if (!$detected_requirements["xsl"]) {
-                notify(get_string('cc_import_req_xsl', 'imscc'));
+                echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('cc_import_req_xsl', 'imscc'));
                 return false;
             }
 
@@ -76,17 +77,17 @@ function cc_convert ($dir) {
                     if (!$cc2moodle->is_auth()) {
                         return $cc2moodle->generate_moodle_xml();
                     } else {
-                        notify(get_string('cc2moodle_req_auth', 'imscc'));
+                        echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('cc2moodle_req_auth', 'imscc'));
                         return false;
                     }
 
                 } else {
-                    notify(get_string('cc2moodle_invalid_schema', 'imscc'));
+                    echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('cc2moodle_invalid_schema', 'imscc'));
                     return false;
                 }
 
             } else {
-                notify(get_string('cc2moodle_manifest_dont_load', 'imscc'));
+                echo $OUTPUT->notification(get_string('cc2moodle_manifest_dont_load', 'imscc'));
                 return false;
             }
         }
diff --git a/lib/deprecatedlib.php b/lib/deprecatedlib.php
index d09fcc0a520..e2a26d6fe0d 100644
--- a/lib/deprecatedlib.php
+++ b/lib/deprecatedlib.php
@@ -901,9 +901,10 @@ function print_container_end($return=false) {
 /**
  * Print a bold message in an optional color.
  *
- * @deprecated use $OUTPUT->notification instead.
+ * @deprecated since Moodle 2.0 MDL-12345 - use $OUTPUT->notification instead.
+ * @todo MDL-50469 This will be deleted in Moodle 3.3.
  * @param string $message The message to print out
- * @param string $style Optional style to display message text in
+ * @param string $classes Optional style to display message text in
  * @param string $align Alignment option
  * @param bool $return whether to return an output string or echo now
  * @return string|bool Depending on $result
@@ -911,6 +912,8 @@ function print_container_end($return=false) {
 function notify($message, $classes = 'notifyproblem', $align = 'center', $return = false) {
     global $OUTPUT;
 
+    debugging('notify() is deprecated, please use $OUTPUT->notification() instead', DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
+
     if ($classes == 'green') {
         debugging('Use of deprecated class name "green" in notify. Please change to "notifysuccess".', DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
         $classes = 'notifysuccess'; // Backward compatible with old color system
diff --git a/lib/upgrade.txt b/lib/upgrade.txt
index 5a732f1a59a..bc76325580d 100644
--- a/lib/upgrade.txt
+++ b/lib/upgrade.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ information provided here is intended especially for developers.
   <frankenstyle>_extend_navigation_user(navigation_node $parentnode, stdClass $user,
                                         context_user $context, stdClass $course,
                                         context_course $coursecontext)
+* The function notify() now throws a debugging message - see MDL-50269.
 
 === 3.0 ===
 
diff --git a/question/engine/upgrade/upgradelib.php b/question/engine/upgrade/upgradelib.php
index d60fa17ab11..82eb82e03c3 100644
--- a/question/engine/upgrade/upgradelib.php
+++ b/question/engine/upgrade/upgradelib.php
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ class question_engine_attempt_upgrader {
     protected $logger;
 
     public function save_usage($preferredbehaviour, $attempt, $qas, $quizlayout) {
+        global $OUTPUT;
+
         $missing = array();
 
         $layout = explode(',', $attempt->layout);
@@ -95,9 +97,10 @@ class question_engine_attempt_upgrader {
         $this->set_quiz_attempt_layout($attempt->uniqueid, implode(',', $layout));
 
         if ($missing) {
-            notify("Question sessions for questions " .
+            $message = "Question sessions for questions " .
                     implode(', ', $missing) .
-                    " were missing when upgrading question usage {$attempt->uniqueid}.");
+                    " were missing when upgrading question usage {$attempt->uniqueid}.";
+            echo $OUTPUT->notification($message);
         }
     }