diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 091a8a4..6c3a3ec 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ Add this to your `.pre-commit-config.yaml`
 - `double-quote-string-fixer` - This hook replaces double quoted strings
   with single quoted strings.
 - `end-of-file-fixer` - Makes sure files end in a newline and only a newline.
-- `fix-encoding-pragma` - Add `# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-` to the top of python files
+- `fix-encoding-pragma` - Add `# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-` to the top of python files.
+    - To remove the coding pragma pass `--remove` (useful in a python3-only codebase)
 - `flake8` - Run flake8 on your python files.
 - `name-tests-test` - Assert that files in tests/ end in `_test.py`.
     - Use `args: ['--django']` to match `test*.py` instead.
diff --git a/pre_commit_hooks/fix_encoding_pragma.py b/pre_commit_hooks/fix_encoding_pragma.py
index 48fc9c7..8586937 100644
--- a/pre_commit_hooks/fix_encoding_pragma.py
+++ b/pre_commit_hooks/fix_encoding_pragma.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import argparse
-import io
+import collections
 
 expected_pragma = b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
 
@@ -21,34 +21,72 @@ def has_coding(line):
     )
 
 
-def fix_encoding_pragma(f):
-    first_line = f.readline()
-    second_line = f.readline()
-    old = f.read()
-    f.seek(0)
+class ExpectedContents(collections.namedtuple(
+        'ExpectedContents', ('shebang', 'rest', 'pragma_status'),
+)):
+    """
+    pragma_status:
+    - True: has exactly the coding pragma expected
+    - False: missing coding pragma entirely
+    - None: has a coding pragma, but it does not match
+    """
+    __slots__ = ()
 
-    # Ok case: the file is empty
-    if not (first_line + second_line + old).strip():
-        return 0
+    @property
+    def has_any_pragma(self):
+        return self.pragma_status is not False
 
-    # Ok case: we specify pragma as the first line
-    if first_line == expected_pragma:
-        return 0
+    def is_expected_pragma(self, remove):
+        expected_pragma_status = not remove
+        return self.pragma_status is expected_pragma_status
 
-    # OK case: we have a shebang as first line and pragma on second line
-    if first_line.startswith(b'#!') and second_line == expected_pragma:
-        return 0
 
-    # Otherwise we need to rewrite stuff!
+def _get_expected_contents(first_line, second_line, rest):
     if first_line.startswith(b'#!'):
-        if has_coding(second_line):
-            f.write(first_line + expected_pragma + old)
-        else:
-            f.write(first_line + expected_pragma + second_line + old)
-    elif has_coding(first_line):
-        f.write(expected_pragma + second_line + old)
+        shebang = first_line
+        potential_coding = second_line
     else:
-        f.write(expected_pragma + first_line + second_line + old)
+        shebang = b''
+        potential_coding = first_line
+        rest = second_line + rest
+
+    if potential_coding == expected_pragma:
+        pragma_status = True
+    elif has_coding(potential_coding):
+        pragma_status = None
+    else:
+        pragma_status = False
+        rest = potential_coding + rest
+
+    return ExpectedContents(
+        shebang=shebang, rest=rest, pragma_status=pragma_status,
+    )
+
+
+def fix_encoding_pragma(f, remove=False):
+    expected = _get_expected_contents(f.readline(), f.readline(), f.read())
+
+    # Special cases for empty files
+    if not expected.rest.strip():
+        # If a file only has a shebang or a coding pragma, remove it
+        if expected.has_any_pragma or expected.shebang:
+            f.seek(0)
+            f.truncate()
+            f.write(b'')
+            return 1
+        else:
+            return 0
+
+    if expected.is_expected_pragma(remove):
+        return 0
+
+    # Otherwise, write out the new file
+    f.seek(0)
+    f.truncate()
+    f.write(expected.shebang)
+    if not remove:
+        f.write(expected_pragma)
+    f.write(expected.rest)
 
     return 1
 
@@ -56,18 +94,25 @@ def fix_encoding_pragma(f):
 def main(argv=None):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser('Fixes the encoding pragma of python files')
     parser.add_argument('filenames', nargs='*', help='Filenames to fix')
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--remove', action='store_true',
+        help='Remove the encoding pragma (Useful in a python3-only codebase)',
+    )
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
 
     retv = 0
 
+    if args.remove:
+        fmt = 'Removed encoding pragma from {filename}'
+    else:
+        fmt = 'Added `{pragma}` to {filename}'
+
     for filename in args.filenames:
-        with io.open(filename, 'r+b') as f:
-            file_ret = fix_encoding_pragma(f)
+        with open(filename, 'r+b') as f:
+            file_ret = fix_encoding_pragma(f, remove=args.remove)
             retv |= file_ret
             if file_ret:
-                print('Added `{0}` to {1}'.format(
-                    expected_pragma.strip(), filename,
-                ))
+                print(fmt.format(pragma=expected_pragma, filename=filename))
 
     return retv
 

diff --git a/tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py b/tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py
index e000a33..a9502a2 100644
--- a/tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py
+++ b/tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py
@@ -10,32 +10,46 @@ from pre_commit_hooks.fix_encoding_pragma import main
 
 
 def test_integration_inserting_pragma(tmpdir):
-    file_path = tmpdir.join('foo.py').strpath
+    path = tmpdir.join('foo.py')
+    path.write_binary(b'import httplib\n')
 
-    with open(file_path, 'wb') as file_obj:
-        file_obj.write(b'import httplib\n')
+    assert main((path.strpath,)) == 1
 
-    assert main([file_path]) == 1
-
-    with open(file_path, 'rb') as file_obj:
-        assert file_obj.read() == (
-            b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
-            b'import httplib\n'
-        )
+    assert path.read_binary() == (
+        b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
+        b'import httplib\n'
+    )
 
 
 def test_integration_ok(tmpdir):
-    file_path = tmpdir.join('foo.py').strpath
-    with open(file_path, 'wb') as file_obj:
-        file_obj.write(b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\nx = 1\n')
-    assert main([file_path]) == 0
+    path = tmpdir.join('foo.py')
+    path.write_binary(b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\nx = 1\n')
+    assert main((path.strpath,)) == 0
+
+
+def test_integration_remove(tmpdir):
+    path = tmpdir.join('foo.py')
+    path.write_binary(b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\nx = 1\n')
+
+    assert main((path.strpath, '--remove')) == 1
+
+    assert path.read_binary() == b'x = 1\n'
+
+
+def test_integration_remove_ok(tmpdir):
+    path = tmpdir.join('foo.py')
+    path.write_binary(b'x = 1\n')
+    assert main((path.strpath, '--remove')) == 0
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     'input_str',
     (
         b'',
-        b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n',
+        (
+            b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
+            b'x = 1\n'
+        ),
         (
             b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n'
             b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
@@ -59,20 +73,32 @@ def test_ok_inputs(input_str):
             b'import httplib\n',
         ),
         (
-            b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n',
+            b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n'
+            b'x = 1\n',
             b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n'
             b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
+            b'x = 1\n',
         ),
         (
-            b'#coding=utf-8\n',
+            b'#coding=utf-8\n'
+            b'x = 1\n',
             b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
+            b'x = 1\n',
         ),
         (
             b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n'
-            b'#coding=utf8\n',
+            b'#coding=utf8\n'
+            b'x = 1\n',
             b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n'
-            b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n',
+            b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
+            b'x = 1\n',
         ),
+        # These should each get truncated
+        (b'#coding: utf-8\n', b''),
+        (b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n', b''),
+        (b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n', b''),
+        (b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n#coding: utf8\n', b''),
+        (b'#!/usr/bin/env python\n# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n', b''),
     )
 )
 def test_not_ok_inputs(input_str, output):

Add a --remove option to fix-encoding-pragma
This is an unnecessary thing in python3
tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_integration_remove tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_integration_remove_ok tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_not_ok_inputs[#!/usr/bin/env tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_not_ok_inputs[#coding: tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_not_ok_inputs[#
tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_integration_inserting_pragma tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_integration_ok tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_ok_inputs[] tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_ok_inputs[# tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_ok_inputs[#!/usr/bin/env tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_not_ok_inputs[import tests/fix_encoding_pragma_test.py::test_not_ok_inputs[#coding=utf-8\nx