diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 0a24742d..6cc48dbf 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ const ParameterDesc write_params{
     ParameterDesc::Flags::SwitchesOnlyAtStart, 0, 1
 };
 
-void do_write_buffer(Context& context, Optional<String> filename, bool sync_file, bool force)
+void do_write_buffer(Context& context, Optional<String> filename, WriteFlags flags)
 {
     Buffer& buffer = context.buffer();
 
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ void do_write_buffer(Context& context, Optional<String> filename, bool sync_file
     auto effective_filename = not filename ? buffer.name() : parse_filename(*filename);
 
     context.hooks().run_hook(Hook::BufWritePre, effective_filename, context);
-    write_buffer_to_file(buffer, effective_filename, force, sync_file);
+    write_buffer_to_file(buffer, effective_filename, flags);
     context.hooks().run_hook(Hook::BufWritePost, effective_filename, context);
 }
 
@@ -353,7 +353,8 @@ void write_buffer(const ParametersParser& parser, Context& context, const ShellC
 {
     return do_write_buffer(context,
                            parser.positional_count() > 0 ? parser[0] : Optional<String>{},
-                           (bool)parser.get_switch("sync"), force);
+                           (parser.get_switch("sync") ? WriteFlags::Sync : WriteFlags::None) |
+                           (force ? WriteFlags::Force : WriteFlags::None));
 }
 
 const CommandDesc write_cmd = {
@@ -395,7 +396,7 @@ void write_all_buffers(Context& context, bool sync = false)
             and !(buffer->flags() & Buffer::Flags::ReadOnly))
         {
             buffer->run_hook_in_own_context(Hook::BufWritePre, buffer->name(), context.name());
-            write_buffer_to_file(*buffer, buffer->name(), sync);
+            write_buffer_to_file(*buffer, buffer->name(), sync ? WriteFlags::Sync : WriteFlags::None);
             buffer->run_hook_in_own_context(Hook::BufWritePost, buffer->name(), context.name());
         }
     }
@@ -520,7 +521,7 @@ template<bool force>
 void write_quit(const ParametersParser& parser, Context& context,
                 const ShellContext& shell_context)
 {
-    do_write_buffer(context, {}, (bool)parser.get_switch("sync"), false);
+    do_write_buffer(context, {}, parser.get_switch("sync") ? WriteFlags::Sync : WriteFlags::None);
     quit<force>(parser, context, shell_context);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/file.cc b/src/file.cc
index ce6e00b5..d5e73bed 100644
--- a/src/file.cc
+++ b/src/file.cc
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ void write(int fd, StringView data)
     }
 }
 
-void write_buffer_to_fd(Buffer& buffer, int fd, bool sync)
+void write_buffer_to_fd(Buffer& buffer, int fd)
 {
     auto eolformat = buffer.options()["eolformat"].get<EolFormat>();
     StringView eoldata;
@@ -278,38 +278,35 @@ void write_buffer_to_fd(Buffer& buffer, int fd, bool sync)
         write(fd, linedata.substr(0, linedata.length()-1));
         write(fd, eoldata);
     }
-
-    if (sync)
-        ::fsync(fd);
 }
 
-void write_buffer_to_file(Buffer& buffer, StringView filename, bool force, bool sync)
+void write_buffer_to_file(Buffer& buffer, StringView filename, WriteFlags flags)
 {
     struct stat st;
     auto zfilename = filename.zstr();
 
-    if (force)
+    if (flags & WriteFlags::Force and ::stat(zfilename, &st) == 0)
     {
-        if (::stat(zfilename, &st) == 0)
-        {
-            if (::chmod(zfilename, st.st_mode | S_IWUSR) < 0)
-                throw runtime_error("unable to change file permissions");
-        }
-        else
-            force = false;
+        if (::chmod(zfilename, st.st_mode | S_IWUSR) < 0)
+            throw runtime_error("unable to change file permissions");
     }
+    else
+        flags |= ~WriteFlags::Force;
+
     auto restore_mode = on_scope_end([&]{
-        if (force and ::chmod(zfilename, st.st_mode) < 0)
+        if (flags & WriteFlags::Force and ::chmod(zfilename, st.st_mode) < 0)
             throw runtime_error("unable to restore file permissions");
     });
 
-    int fd = open(zfilename, O_CREAT | O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC, 0644);
+    const int fd = open(zfilename, O_CREAT | O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC, 0644);
     if (fd == -1)
         throw file_access_error(filename, strerror(errno));
 
     {
         auto close_fd = on_scope_end([fd]{ close(fd); });
-        write_buffer_to_fd(buffer, fd, sync);
+        write_buffer_to_fd(buffer, fd);
+        if (flags & WriteFlags::Sync)
+            ::fsync(fd);
     }
 
     if ((buffer.flags() & Buffer::Flags::File) and
diff --git a/src/file.hh b/src/file.hh
index 963cbce2..db4ac6ff 100644
--- a/src/file.hh
+++ b/src/file.hh
@@ -51,8 +51,17 @@ struct MappedFile
     struct stat st {};
 };
 
-void write_buffer_to_file(Buffer& buffer, StringView filename, bool force = false, bool sync = false);
-void write_buffer_to_fd(Buffer& buffer, int fd, bool sync = false);
+enum class WriteFlags
+{
+    None  = 0,
+    Force = 0b01,
+    Sync  = 0b10
+};
+constexpr bool with_bit_ops(Meta::Type<WriteFlags>) { return true; }
+
+void write_buffer_to_file(Buffer& buffer, StringView filename,
+                          WriteFlags flags);
+void write_buffer_to_fd(Buffer& buffer, int fd);
 void write_buffer_to_backup_file(Buffer& buffer);
 
 String find_file(StringView filename, StringView buf_dir, ConstArrayView<String> paths);
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 40fee26b..95d5ca41 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -847,9 +847,11 @@ int run_filter(StringView keystr, ConstArrayView<StringView> files, bool quiet,
         {
             Buffer* buffer = open_file_buffer(file, Buffer::Flags::NoHooks);
             if (not suffix_backup.empty())
-                write_buffer_to_file(*buffer, buffer->name() + suffix_backup);
+                write_buffer_to_file(*buffer, buffer->name() + suffix_backup,
+                                     WriteFlags::None);
             apply_to_buffer(*buffer);
-            write_buffer_to_file(*buffer, buffer->name());
+            write_buffer_to_file(*buffer, buffer->name(),
+                                 WriteFlags::None);
             buffer_manager.delete_buffer(*buffer);
         }
         if (not isatty(0))