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 unicode_literals
 
 import argparse
-import io
+import collections
 
 expected_pragma = b'# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-\n'
 
@@ -21,34 +21,72 @@
     )
 
 
-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 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