diff --git a/src/wormhole/cli/cmd_receive.py b/src/wormhole/cli/cmd_receive.py
index fb43412..c262b9a 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/cli/cmd_receive.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/cli/cmd_receive.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
-import os, sys, six, tempfile, zipfile, hashlib
+import os, sys, six, tempfile, zipfile, hashlib, shutil
 from tqdm import tqdm
 from humanize import naturalsize
 from twisted.internet import reactor
@@ -257,15 +257,26 @@ class TwistedReceiver:
 
         # get confirmation from the user before writing to the local directory
         if os.path.exists(abs_destname):
-            self._msg(u"Error: refusing to overwrite existing '%s'" % destname)
-            raise TransferRejectedError()
+            if self.args.output_file: # overwrite is intentional
+                self._msg(u"Overwriting '%s'" % destname)
+                if self.args.accept_file:
+                    self._remove_existing(abs_destname)
+            else:
+                self._msg(u"Error: refusing to overwrite existing '%s'" % destname)
+                raise TransferRejectedError()
         return abs_destname
 
+    def _remove_existing(self, path):
+        if os.path.isfile(path): os.remove(path)
+        if os.path.isdir(path): shutil.rmtree(path)
+
     def _ask_permission(self):
         with self.args.timing.add("permission", waiting="user") as t:
             while True and not self.args.accept_file:
                 ok = six.moves.input("ok? (y/n): ")
                 if ok.lower().startswith("y"):
+                    if os.path.exists(self.abs_destname):
+                        self._remove_existing(self.abs_destname)
                     break
                 print(u"transfer rejected", file=sys.stderr)
                 t.detail(answer="no")
diff --git a/src/wormhole/test/test_scripts.py b/src/wormhole/test/test_scripts.py
index c5e2ede..49562e0 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/test/test_scripts.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/test/test_scripts.py
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ class PregeneratedCode(ServerBase, ScriptsBase, unittest.TestCase):
     @inlineCallbacks
     def _do_test(self, as_subprocess=False,
                  mode="text", addslash=False, override_filename=False,
-                 fake_tor=False):
+                 fake_tor=False, overwrite=False, mock_accept=False):
         assert mode in ("text", "file", "empty-file", "directory", "slow-text")
         if fake_tor:
             assert not as_subprocess
@@ -272,9 +272,14 @@ class PregeneratedCode(ServerBase, ScriptsBase, unittest.TestCase):
             send_cfg.what = send_filename
             receive_filename = send_filename
 
-            recv_cfg.accept_file = True
+            recv_cfg.accept_file = False if mock_accept else True
             if override_filename:
                 recv_cfg.output_file = receive_filename = "outfile"
+            if overwrite:
+                recv_cfg.output_file = receive_filename
+                existing_file = os.path.join(receive_dir, receive_filename)
+                with open(existing_file, 'w') as f:
+                    f.write('pls overwrite me')
 
         elif mode == "directory":
             # $send_dir/
@@ -305,9 +310,12 @@ class PregeneratedCode(ServerBase, ScriptsBase, unittest.TestCase):
             send_cfg.what = send_dirname_arg
             receive_dirname = send_dirname
 
-            recv_cfg.accept_file = True
+            recv_cfg.accept_file = False if mock_accept else True
             if override_filename:
                 recv_cfg.output_file = receive_dirname = "outdir"
+            if overwrite:
+                recv_cfg.output_file = receive_dirname
+                os.mkdir(os.path.join(receive_dir, receive_dirname))
 
         if as_subprocess:
             wormhole_bin = self.find_executable()
@@ -387,6 +395,9 @@ class PregeneratedCode(ServerBase, ScriptsBase, unittest.TestCase):
                 with mock.patch.object(cmd_send, "VERIFY_TIMER", 0), \
                       mock.patch.object(cmd_receive, "VERIFY_TIMER", 0):
                     yield gatherResults([send_d, receive_d], True)
+            elif mock_accept:
+                with mock.patch.object(cmd_receive.six.moves, 'input', return_value='y'):
+                    yield gatherResults([send_d, receive_d], True)
             else:
                 yield gatherResults([send_d, receive_d], True)
 
@@ -503,6 +514,10 @@ class PregeneratedCode(ServerBase, ScriptsBase, unittest.TestCase):
         return self._do_test(mode="file")
     def test_file_override(self):
         return self._do_test(mode="file", override_filename=True)
+    def test_file_overwrite(self):
+        return self._do_test(mode="file", overwrite=True)
+    def test_file_overwrite_mock_accept(self):
+        return self._do_test(mode="file", overwrite=True, mock_accept=True)
     def test_file_tor(self):
         return self._do_test(mode="file", fake_tor=True)
     def test_empty_file(self):
@@ -514,6 +529,10 @@ class PregeneratedCode(ServerBase, ScriptsBase, unittest.TestCase):
         return self._do_test(mode="directory", addslash=True)
     def test_directory_override(self):
         return self._do_test(mode="directory", override_filename=True)
+    def test_directory_overwrite(self):
+        return self._do_test(mode="directory", overwrite=True)
+    def test_directory_overwrite_mock_accept(self):
+        return self._do_test(mode="directory", overwrite=True, mock_accept=True)
 
     def test_slow_text(self):
         return self._do_test(mode="slow-text")