diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 50e6515..dfbf86c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -300,6 +300,9 @@ generates a new Age key.
 
 Decrypts data using an Age key stored as a secret.
 
+With `--output`, both hold the result in memory and write it to `--output` only
+once they have succeeded, so a failed command leaves `--output` untouched.
+
 ## Storage Architecture
 
 ### Directory Structure
diff --git a/internal/cli/crypto.go b/internal/cli/crypto.go
index b2112ee..c6ef497 100644
--- a/internal/cli/crypto.go
+++ b/internal/cli/crypto.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cli
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -188,17 +189,15 @@ func (cli *Instance) Encrypt(secretName, inputFile, outputFile string) error {
 		input = file
 	}
 
-	// Set up output writer
+	// Set up output writer. With --output the result is held in memory
+	// and written only once encryption has succeeded, so a failure leaves
+	// --output untouched and --input can be the same file.
 	output := cli.cmd.OutOrStdout()
 
-	if outputFile != "" {
-		file, err := cli.fs.Create(outputFile)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create output file: %w", err)
-		}
-		defer func() { _ = file.Close() }()
+	var result bytes.Buffer
 
-		output = file
+	if outputFile != "" {
+		output = &result
 	}
 
 	// Encrypt the data
@@ -217,7 +216,11 @@ func (cli *Instance) Encrypt(secretName, inputFile, outputFile string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to finalize encryption: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	if outputFile == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return cli.writeOutputFile(outputFile, &result)
 }
 
 // Decrypt decrypts data using an age secret key stored in a secret
@@ -278,17 +281,15 @@ func (cli *Instance) Decrypt(secretName, inputFile, outputFile string) error {
 		input = file
 	}
 
-	// Set up output writer
+	// Set up output writer. With --output the result is held in memory
+	// and written only once decryption has succeeded, so a failure leaves
+	// --output untouched and --input can be the same file.
 	output := cli.cmd.OutOrStdout()
 
-	if outputFile != "" {
-		file, err := cli.fs.Create(outputFile)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create output file: %w", err)
-		}
-		defer func() { _ = file.Close() }()
+	var result bytes.Buffer
 
-		output = file
+	if outputFile != "" {
+		output = &result
 	}
 
 	// Decrypt the data
@@ -302,6 +303,29 @@ func (cli *Instance) Decrypt(secretName, inputFile, outputFile string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to decrypt data: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if outputFile == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return cli.writeOutputFile(outputFile, &result)
+}
+
+// writeOutputFile creates outputFile, or empties it if it exists, and
+// writes result into it.
+func (cli *Instance) writeOutputFile(
+	outputFile string, result *bytes.Buffer,
+) error {
+	file, err := cli.fs.Create(outputFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create output file: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = file.Close() }()
+
+	_, err = result.WriteTo(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write output file: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/cli/crypto_test.go b/internal/cli/crypto_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16f50d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cli/crypto_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+//nolint:testpackage // sets the unexported fields of Instance
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/secret/internal/vault"
+)
+
+// plainText is the content of plain.txt in the directory newCryptoTest makes.
+const plainText = "document"
+
+// newCryptoTest returns an Instance whose current vault, in a new state
+// directory on the real filesystem, holds the age key secret "key", and a
+// new directory holding only plain.txt and plain.txt.age, its encryption
+// with that key.
+func newCryptoTest(t *testing.T) (*Instance, string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
+	stateDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	_, err := vault.CreateVault(fs, stateDir, "default", testMnemonicBuffer(t), nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	cli := NewCLIInstanceWithStateDir(fs, stateDir)
+	cli.Mnemonic = testMnemonicBuffer(t)
+	cli.cmd = &cobra.Command{}
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	plain := filepath.Join(dir, "plain.txt")
+	require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(fs, plain, []byte(plainText), 0o600))
+	require.NoError(t, cli.Encrypt("key", plain, plain+".age"))
+
+	return cli, dir
+}
+
+// TestFailedCryptoLeavesOutputUnchanged is a regression test for
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/issues/143, where secret encrypt and
+// secret decrypt emptied the file named by --output before they failed.
+// A failed command must leave an existing file as it was and create none,
+// and give the same error as without --output.
+func TestFailedCryptoLeavesOutputUnchanged(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		run  func(cli *Instance, dir, output string) error
+	}{
+		// Reading a directory fails once encryption has begun
+		{"encrypt", func(cli *Instance, dir, output string) error {
+			return cli.Encrypt("key", dir, output)
+		}},
+		// plain.txt is not an age file
+		{"decrypt", func(cli *Instance, dir, output string) error {
+			return cli.Decrypt("key", filepath.Join(dir, "plain.txt"), output)
+		}},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			cli, dir := newCryptoTest(t)
+			existing := filepath.Join(dir, "existing.txt")
+			require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(cli.fs, existing, []byte("precious"), 0o600))
+
+			cli.cmd.SetOut(io.Discard)
+			toStdout := tt.run(cli, dir, "")
+			require.Error(t, toStdout)
+
+			require.EqualError(t, tt.run(cli, dir, existing), toStdout.Error())
+			require.EqualError(t, tt.run(cli, dir, filepath.Join(dir, "new.txt")),
+				toStdout.Error())
+
+			content, err := afero.ReadFile(cli.fs, existing)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equal(t, "precious", string(content))
+
+			exists, err := afero.Exists(cli.fs, filepath.Join(dir, "new.txt"))
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.False(t, exists, "a failed %s created --output", tt.name)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCryptoInPlace checks that secret encrypt and secret decrypt given
+// one file as both --input and --output replace it with the right result.
+// Before https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/issues/143 they emptied the file
+// before reading it.
+func TestCryptoInPlace(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cli, dir := newCryptoTest(t)
+	file := filepath.Join(dir, "plain.txt")
+
+	require.NoError(t, cli.Encrypt("key", file, file))
+	require.NoError(t, cli.Decrypt("key", file, file))
+
+	content, err := afero.ReadFile(cli.fs, file)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, plainText, string(content))
+}
+
+// TestDecryptToDescriptorOfDeletedFile checks that secret decrypt given
+// /dev/fd/N as --output writes through that descriptor. A program may give
+// the command a temporary file it has already deleted as stdout, pass
+// /dev/stdout as --output and read the result back from that file.
+func TestDecryptToDescriptorOfDeletedFile(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cli, dir := newCryptoTest(t)
+
+	file, err := os.CreateTemp(t.TempDir(), "out")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	defer func() { _ = file.Close() }()
+
+	require.NoError(t, os.Remove(file.Name()))
+
+	output := fmt.Sprintf("/dev/fd/%d", file.Fd())
+	require.NoError(t, cli.Decrypt("key", filepath.Join(dir, "plain.txt.age"), output))
+
+	content, err := io.ReadAll(file)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, plainText, string(content))
+}