diff --git a/cli/pbjs.js b/cli/pbjs.js
index 1af431364..b062125bd 100644
--- a/cli/pbjs.js
+++ b/cli/pbjs.js
@@ -275,15 +275,19 @@ exports.main = function main(args, callback) {
                     return callback(err);
                 throw err;
             }
-            if (output !== "") {
+            try {
                 if (argv.out)
                     fs.writeFileSync(argv.out, output, { encoding: "utf8" });
                 else if (!callback)
                     process.stdout.write(output, "utf8");
+                return callback
+                    ? callback(null, output)
+                    : undefined;
+            } catch (err) {
+                if (callback)
+                    return callback(err);
+                throw err;
             }
-            return callback
-                ? callback(null, output)
-                : undefined;
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/cli/pbts.js b/cli/pbts.js
index 4d373bd2c..d74404ed5 100644
--- a/cli/pbts.js
+++ b/cli/pbts.js
@@ -140,16 +140,15 @@ exports.main = function(args, callback) {
 
             try {
                 if (argv.out)
-                    fs.writeFileSync(argv.out, output);
-                else
+                    fs.writeFileSync(argv.out, output, { encoding: "utf8" });
+                else if (!callback)
                     process.stdout.write(output, "utf8");
-                if (callback)
-                    callback(null); // eslint-disable-line callback-return
+                return callback
+                    ? callback(null, output)
+                    : undefined;
             } catch (err) {
-                if (callback) {
-                    callback(err);
-                    return;
-                }
+                if (callback)
+                    return callback(err);
                 throw err;
             }
         });