diff --git a/nbstripout/_nbstripout.py b/nbstripout/_nbstripout.py
index 07ff69a..d9d1b9a 100644
--- a/nbstripout/_nbstripout.py
+++ b/nbstripout/_nbstripout.py
@@ -331,36 +331,38 @@ def status(git_config, install_location=INSTALL_LOCATION_LOCAL, verbose=False):
         return 1
 
 def process_notebook(input_stream, output_stream, args, extra_keys, filename='input from stdin'):
-    try:
-        if args.mode == 'zeppelin':
-            nb = json.load(input_stream, object_pairs_hook=collections.OrderedDict)
-            nb_stripped = strip_zeppelin_output(nb)
-            if args.dry_run:
-                output_stream.write(f'Dry run: would have stripped {filename}\n')
-                return
-            json.dump(nb_stripped, output_stream, indent=2)
-            output_stream.write('\n')
-            output_stream.flush()
+    if args.mode == 'zeppelin':
+        nb = json.load(input_stream, object_pairs_hook=collections.OrderedDict)
+        nb_stripped = strip_zeppelin_output(nb)
+        if args.dry_run:
+            output_stream.write(f'Dry run: would have stripped {filename}\n')
             return
+        if output_stream.seekable():
+            output_stream.seek(0)
+            output_stream.truncate()
+        json.dump(nb_stripped, output_stream, indent=2)
+        output_stream.write('\n')
+        output_stream.flush()
+        return
+    with warnings.catch_warnings():
+        warnings.simplefilter("ignore", category=UserWarning)
+        nb = nbformat.read(input_stream, as_version=nbformat.NO_CONVERT)
+
+    nb = strip_output(nb, args.keep_output, args.keep_count, args.keep_id,
+                        extra_keys, args.drop_empty_cells,
+                        args.drop_tagged_cells.split(), args.strip_init_cells,
+                        _parse_size(args.max_size))
+
+    if args.dry_run:
+        output_stream.write(f'Dry run: would have stripped {filename}\n')
+    else:
+        if output_stream.seekable():
+            output_stream.seek(0)
+            output_stream.truncate()
         with warnings.catch_warnings():
             warnings.simplefilter("ignore", category=UserWarning)
-            nb = nbformat.read(input_stream, as_version=nbformat.NO_CONVERT)
-
-        nb = strip_output(nb, args.keep_output, args.keep_count, args.keep_id,
-                          extra_keys, args.drop_empty_cells,
-                          args.drop_tagged_cells.split(), args.strip_init_cells,
-                          _parse_size(args.max_size))
-
-        if args.dry_run:
-            output_stream.write(f'Dry run: would have stripped {filename}\n')
-        else:
-            with warnings.catch_warnings():
-                warnings.simplefilter("ignore", category=UserWarning)
-                nbformat.write(nb, output_stream)
-            output_stream.flush()
-    except nbformat.reader.NotJSONError:
-        print('No valid notebook detected', file=sys.stderr)
-        raise SystemExit(1)
+            nbformat.write(nb, output_stream)
+        output_stream.flush()
 
 
 def main():
@@ -486,12 +488,12 @@ def main():
             continue
 
         try:
-            with io.open(filename, 'r', encoding='utf8') as fin:
-                if args.textconv or args.dry_run:
-                    process_notebook(fin, output_stream, args, extra_keys, filename)
-                else:
-                    with io.open(filename, 'w', encoding='utf8', newline='') as fout:
-                        process_notebook(fin, fout, args, extra_keys, filename)
+            with io.open(filename, 'r+', encoding='utf8', newline='') as f:
+                out = output_stream if args.textconv or args.dry_run else f
+                process_notebook(f, out, args, extra_keys, filename)
+        except nbformat.reader.NotJSONError:
+            print(f"No valid notebook detected in '{filename}'", file=sys.stderr)
+            raise SystemExit(1)
         except FileNotFoundError:
             print(f"Could not strip '{filename}': file not found", file=sys.stderr)
             raise SystemExit(1)
@@ -501,4 +503,8 @@ def main():
             raise
 
     if not args.files and input_stream:
-        process_notebook(input_stream, output_stream, args, extra_keys)
+        try:
+            process_notebook(input_stream, output_stream, args, extra_keys)
+        except nbformat.reader.NotJSONError:
+            print('No valid notebook detected on stdin', file=sys.stderr)
+            raise SystemExit(1)