diff --git a/src/eynollah/cli.py b/src/eynollah/cli.py
index 5f4b5a4..a9b5765 100644
--- a/src/eynollah/cli.py
+++ b/src/eynollah/cli.py
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@ def binarization(patches, model_dir, input_image, output_image, dir_in, dir_out)
     type=click.Path(exists=True, file_okay=False),
     required=True,
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--overwrite",
+    "-O",
+    help="overwrite (instead of skipping) if output xml exists",
+    is_flag=True,
+)
 @click.option(
     "--dir_in",
     "-di",
@@ -253,7 +259,7 @@ def binarization(patches, model_dir, input_image, output_image, dir_in, dir_out)
     help="Override log level globally to this",
 )
 
-def layout(image, out, dir_in, model, save_images, save_layout, save_deskewed, save_all, extract_only_images, save_page, enable_plotting, allow_enhancement, curved_line, textline_light, full_layout, tables, right2left, input_binary, allow_scaling, headers_off, light_version, reading_order_machine_based, do_ocr, num_col_upper, num_col_lower, skip_layout_and_reading_order, ignore_page_extraction, log_level):
+def layout(image, out, overwrite, dir_in, model, save_images, save_layout, save_deskewed, save_all, extract_only_images, save_page, enable_plotting, allow_enhancement, curved_line, textline_light, full_layout, tables, right2left, input_binary, allow_scaling, headers_off, light_version, reading_order_machine_based, do_ocr, num_col_upper, num_col_lower, skip_layout_and_reading_order, ignore_page_extraction, log_level):
     initLogging()
     if log_level:
         getLogger('eynollah').setLevel(getLevelName(log_level))
@@ -273,6 +279,7 @@ def layout(image, out, dir_in, model, save_images, save_layout, save_deskewed, s
         sys.exit(1)
     eynollah = Eynollah(
         image_filename=image,
+        overwrite=overwrite,
         dir_out=out,
         dir_in=dir_in,
         dir_models=model,
diff --git a/src/eynollah/eynollah.py b/src/eynollah/eynollah.py
index 8b8808c..8883f19 100644
--- a/src/eynollah/eynollah.py
+++ b/src/eynollah/eynollah.py
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ class Eynollah:
         image_filename=None,
         image_pil=None,
         image_filename_stem=None,
+        overwrite=False,
         dir_out=None,
         dir_in=None,
         dir_of_cropped_images=None,
@@ -203,6 +204,7 @@ class Eynollah:
             if override_dpi:
                 self.dpi = override_dpi
             self.image_filename = image_filename
+        self.overwrite = overwrite
         self.dir_out = dir_out
         self.dir_in = dir_in
         self.dir_of_all = dir_of_all
@@ -360,6 +362,7 @@ class Eynollah:
             curved_line=self.curved_line,
             textline_light = self.textline_light,
             pcgts=self.pcgts)
+
     def imread(self, grayscale=False, uint8=True):
         key = 'img'
         if grayscale:
@@ -4460,8 +4463,14 @@ class Eynollah:
             if self.dir_in:
                 self.reset_file_name_dir(os.path.join(self.dir_in,img_name))
                 #print("text region early -11 in %.1fs", time.time() - t0)
-                
-                
+
+            if os.path.exists(self.writer.output_filename):
+                if self.overwrite:
+                    self.logger.warning("will overwrite existing output file '%s'", self.writer.output_filename)
+                else:
+                    self.logger.warning("will skip input for existing output file '%s'", self.writer.output_filename)
+                    continue
+
             if self.extract_only_images:
                 img_res, is_image_enhanced, num_col_classifier, num_column_is_classified = self.run_enhancement(self.light_version)
                 self.logger.info("Enhancing took %.1fs ", time.time() - t0)
diff --git a/src/eynollah/writer.py b/src/eynollah/writer.py
index 5f282f2..dc5a5dc 100644
--- a/src/eynollah/writer.py
+++ b/src/eynollah/writer.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class EynollahXmlWriter():
         self.counter = EynollahIdCounter()
         self.dir_out = dir_out
         self.image_filename = image_filename
+        self.output_filename = os.path.join(self.dir_out, self.image_filename_stem) + ".xml"
         self.curved_line = curved_line
         self.textline_light = textline_light
         self.pcgts = pcgts
@@ -163,9 +164,8 @@ class EynollahXmlWriter():
             coords.set_points(points_co[:-1])
 
     def write_pagexml(self, pcgts):
-        out_fname = os.path.join(self.dir_out, self.image_filename_stem) + ".xml"
-        self.logger.info("output filename: '%s'", out_fname)
-        with open(out_fname, 'w') as f:
+        self.logger.info("output filename: '%s'", self.output_filename)
+        with open(self.output_filename, 'w') as f:
             f.write(to_xml(pcgts))
 
     def build_pagexml_no_full_layout(self, found_polygons_text_region, page_coord, order_of_texts, id_of_texts, all_found_textline_polygons, all_box_coord, found_polygons_text_region_img, found_polygons_marginals, all_found_textline_polygons_marginals, all_box_coord_marginals, slopes, slopes_marginals, cont_page, polygons_lines_to_be_written_in_xml, found_polygons_tables, ocr_all_textlines):