diff --git a/Sources/Fishee.swift b/Sources/Fishee.swift
index 4e5d7eb..d120d80 100644
--- a/Sources/Fishee.swift
+++ b/Sources/Fishee.swift
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ struct Fishee: ParsableCommand {
                 let result = writeFishHistory(
                     to: writePath,
                     history: finalHistory,
-                    historyFileLocation: fishHistoryLocation?.path,
                     backup: backup
                 )
                 if result {
diff --git a/Sources/Parser.swift b/Sources/Parser.swift
index 60efe51..d1b5bf7 100644
--- a/Sources/Parser.swift
+++ b/Sources/Parser.swift
@@ -35,25 +35,25 @@ func backupHistory(_ path: String) -> Bool {
     let newFileURL = directory.appendingPathComponent(newFileName).appendingPathExtension(fileExtension)
     
     do {
+        try? fileManager.removeItem(at: newFileURL)
         try fileManager.copyItem(at: fileURL, to: newFileURL)
         print("File duplicated successfully to: \(newFileURL.path)")
         return true
     } catch {
+        print("error making a backup of \(path), got error: \(error)")
         return false
     }
 }
 
 
-func writeFishHistory(to path: String, history: [FishHistoryEntry], historyFileLocation: String?, backup: Bool = true) -> Bool {
+func writeFishHistory(to path: String, history: [FishHistoryEntry], backup: Bool = true) -> Bool {
     var output = ""
     
     if backup {
-        if let backupFile = historyFileLocation {
-            let result = backupHistory(backupFile)
-            if !result {
-                print("Failed to backup \(backupFile) so aborting!")
-                return false
-            }
+        let result = backupHistory(path)
+        if !result {
+            print("Failed to backup \(path) so aborting!")
+            return false
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/Tests/ParserTests.swift b/Tests/ParserTests.swift
index 87f3891..533b811 100644
--- a/Tests/ParserTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/ParserTests.swift
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ final class ParserTests {
         "myfile.txt"
     )
     let filePathforFileBackupTest = FileManager.default.urls(for: .downloadsDirectory, in: .userDomainMask)[0].appendingPathComponent(
-        "myfile.txt_copy"
+        "myfile_copy.txt"
     )
     
     deinit {
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ final class ParserTests {
         let written = writeFishHistory(
             to: filePathforWriteTest.path,
             history: [historyItem],
-            historyFileLocation: fishHistoryFile
+            backup: false
         )
         #expect(written)
         
@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@ final class ParserTests {
         
         """
         #expect(fileContent == expectedEntry)
+        
+        // confirm backup functionality is working
+        let write_again = writeFishHistory(
+            to: filePathforWriteTest.path,
+            history: [historyItem],
+            backup: true
+        )
+        #expect(write_again)
         #expect(FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: filePathforFileBackupTest.path))
     }