diff --git a/dev/docker-compose.dev.yml b/dev/docker-compose.dev.yml
index 5f6c4f1..1b67621 100644
--- a/dev/docker-compose.dev.yml
+++ b/dev/docker-compose.dev.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ services:
       - MAX_FILE_SIZE=1024
       - AUTO_UPLOAD=false
       - DUMBDROP_TITLE=DumbDrop-Dev
+      # - APPRISE_URL=ntfy://dumbdrop-test
+      # - APPRISE_MESSAGE=[DEV] New file uploaded - {filename} ({size}), Storage used {storage}
+      # - APPRISE_SIZE_UNIT=auto
     command: npm run dev
     restart: unless-stopped
     # Enable container debugging if needed
diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html
index f7097af..53b553a 100644
--- a/public/index.html
+++ b/public/index.html
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/toastify-js/src/toastify.min.css">
     <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/toastify-js"></script>
     <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
+    <link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="assets/icon.svg">
 </head>
 <body>
     <div class="container">
diff --git a/public/login.html b/public/login.html
index a1c9ee6..cf45426 100644
--- a/public/login.html
+++ b/public/login.html
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
     <title>{{SITE_TITLE}} - Login</title>
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
+    <link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="assets/icon.svg">
     <style>
         .login-container {
             display: flex;
diff --git a/src/routes/upload.js b/src/routes/upload.js
index 129ad45..ad05106 100644
--- a/src/routes/upload.js
+++ b/src/routes/upload.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const crypto = require('crypto');
 const path = require('path');
 const { config } = require('../config');
 const logger = require('../utils/logger');
-const { getUniqueFilePath, getUniqueFolderPath } = require('../utils/fileUtils');
+const { getUniqueFilePath, getUniqueFolderPath, sanitizeFilename } = require('../utils/fileUtils');
 const { sendNotification } = require('../services/notifications');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const { cleanupIncompleteUploads } = require('../utils/cleanup');
@@ -175,7 +175,8 @@ router.post('/init', async (req, res) => {
     batchActivity.set(batchId, Date.now());
 
     // Sanitize filename and convert to forward slashes
-    const safeFilename = path.normalize(filename)
+    const sanitizedFilename = sanitizeFilename(filename);
+    const safeFilename = path.normalize(sanitizedFilename)
       .replace(/^(\.\.(\/|\\|$))+/, '')
       .replace(/\\/g, '/')
       .replace(/^\/+/, ''); // Remove leading slashes
@@ -264,7 +265,7 @@ router.post('/init', async (req, res) => {
         upload.writeStream.end();
         uploads.delete(uploadId);
         logger.success(`Completed zero-byte file upload: ${upload.safeFilename}`);
-        await sendNotification(upload.safeFilename, 0, config);
+        sendNotification(upload.safeFilename, 0, config);
       }
 
       // Send response
@@ -360,7 +361,7 @@ router.post('/chunk/:uploadId', express.raw({
       }
       
       // Send notification
-      await sendNotification(upload.safeFilename, upload.fileSize, config);
+      sendNotification(upload.safeFilename, upload.fileSize, config);
       logUploadState('After Upload Complete');
     }
 
diff --git a/src/services/notifications.js b/src/services/notifications.js
index 02916f1..1843e86 100644
--- a/src/services/notifications.js
+++ b/src/services/notifications.js
@@ -4,13 +4,10 @@
  * Handles message formatting and notification delivery.
  */
 
-const { exec } = require('child_process');
-const util = require('util');
-const { formatFileSize, calculateDirectorySize } = require('../utils/fileUtils');
+const { spawn } = require('child_process');
+const { formatFileSize, calculateDirectorySize, sanitizeFilename } = require('../utils/fileUtils');
 const logger = require('../utils/logger');
 
-const execAsync = util.promisify(exec);
-
 /**
  * Send a notification using Apprise
  * @param {string} filename - Name of uploaded file
@@ -19,34 +16,56 @@ const execAsync = util.promisify(exec);
  * @returns {Promise<void>}
  */
 async function sendNotification(filename, fileSize, config) {
-  const { APPRISE_URL, APPRISE_MESSAGE, APPRISE_SIZE_UNIT, uploadDir } = config;
-  
-  if (!APPRISE_URL) {
-    return;
-  }
+    const { appriseUrl, appriseMessage, appriseSizeUnit, uploadDir } = config;
 
-  try {
-    const formattedSize = formatFileSize(fileSize, APPRISE_SIZE_UNIT);
-    const dirSize = await calculateDirectorySize(uploadDir);
-    const totalStorage = formatFileSize(dirSize);
-    
-    // Sanitize the message components
-    const sanitizedFilename = JSON.stringify(filename).slice(1, -1);
-    const message = APPRISE_MESSAGE
-      .replace('{filename}', sanitizedFilename)
-      .replace('{size}', formattedSize)
-      .replace('{storage}', totalStorage);
+    console.debug("NOTIFICATIONS CONFIG:", filename, fileSize, config);
+    if (!appriseUrl) {
+        return;
+    }
 
-    // Use string command for better escaping
-    const command = `apprise ${APPRISE_URL} -b "${message}"`;
-    await execAsync(command, { shell: true });
-    
-    logger.info(`Notification sent for: ${sanitizedFilename} (${formattedSize}, Total storage: ${totalStorage})`);
-  } catch (err) {
-    logger.error(`Failed to send notification: ${err.message}`);
-  }
+    try {
+        const formattedSize = formatFileSize(fileSize, appriseSizeUnit);
+        const dirSize = await calculateDirectorySize(uploadDir);
+        const totalStorage = formatFileSize(dirSize);
+
+        // Sanitize the filename to remove any special characters that could cause issues
+        const sanitizedFilename = sanitizeFilename(filename); // apply sanitization of filename again (in case)
+        
+        // Construct the notification message by replacing placeholders
+        const message = appriseMessage
+            .replace('{filename}', sanitizedFilename)
+            .replace('{size}', formattedSize)
+            .replace('{storage}', totalStorage);
+
+        await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            const appriseProcess = spawn('apprise', [appriseUrl, '-b', message]);
+
+            appriseProcess.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+                logger.info(`Apprise Output: ${data.toString().trim()}`);
+            });
+
+            appriseProcess.stderr.on('data', (data) => {
+                logger.error(`Apprise Error: ${data.toString().trim()}`);
+            });
+
+            appriseProcess.on('close', (code) => {
+                if (code === 0) {
+                    logger.info(`Notification sent for: ${sanitizedFilename} (${formattedSize}, Total storage: ${totalStorage})`);
+                    resolve();
+                } else {
+                    reject(new Error(`Apprise process exited with code ${code}`));
+                }
+            });
+
+            appriseProcess.on('error', (err) => {
+                reject(new Error(`Apprise process failed to start: ${err.message}`));
+            });
+        });
+    } catch (err) {
+        logger.error(`Failed to send notification: ${err.message}`);
+    }
 }
 
 module.exports = {
-  sendNotification
-}; 
\ No newline at end of file
+    sendNotification,
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utils/fileUtils.js b/src/utils/fileUtils.js
index bade4dc..553656a 100644
--- a/src/utils/fileUtils.js
+++ b/src/utils/fileUtils.js
@@ -160,10 +160,16 @@ async function getUniqueFolderPath(folderPath) {
   return finalPath;
 }
 
+function sanitizeFilename(fileName) {
+  const sanitized = fileName.replace(/[<>:"/\\|?*]+/g, '').replace(/["`$|;&<>]/g, '');
+  return sanitized;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   formatFileSize,
   calculateDirectorySize,
   ensureDirectoryExists,
   getUniqueFilePath,
-  getUniqueFolderPath
+  getUniqueFolderPath,
+  sanitizeFilename
 }; 
\ No newline at end of file
