diff --git a/pttodoer/src/main.rs b/pttodoer/src/main.rs
index 239da76..d18a9e1 100644
--- a/pttodoer/src/main.rs
+++ b/pttodoer/src/main.rs
@@ -167,22 +167,14 @@ impl TasksAndMetadata {
       }
    }
 
-   pub fn save(&self, dry_run: bool) -> Result<(), String> {
+   fn save(&self, dry_run: bool) -> Result<(), String> {
       let version = file_version(self.file.clone())?;
       let mut file = self.file.clone();
       if version != self.version {
-         file = format!("{}.{}", &self.file, &self.version.to_string());
+         file = format!("{}.{}", &self.file, TS::now().to_string());
+         eprintln!("saving conflicting {} as {}", &self.file, &file);
       }
 
-      self.save_as(file.clone(), dry_run)?;
-
-      match file == self.file {
-         true => Ok(()),
-         false => Err(format!("{} has been updated", self.file)),
-      }
-   }
-
-   fn save_as(&self, file: String, dry_run: bool) -> Result<(), String> {
       match dry_run {
          true => {
             match &file == &self.file {
@@ -193,10 +185,16 @@ impl TasksAndMetadata {
             Ok(())
          },
          false => {
-            match std::fs::File::create(&file) {
+            let tmpf = format!("{}.{}", &file, TS::now().to_string());
+            match std::fs::File::create(&tmpf) {
                Ok(mut f) => {
                   match f.write_all(self.tasks.to_string().as_bytes()) {
-                     Ok(_) => Ok(()),
+                     Ok(_) => {
+                        match std::fs::rename(&tmpf, &file) {
+                           Ok(_) => Ok(()),
+                           Err(msg) => Err(format!("failed to flush {}: {}", file, msg)),
+                        }
+                     },
                      Err(msg) => Err(format!("failed to write {}: {}", file, msg)),
                   }
                },