diff --git a/pkg/action/generate.go b/pkg/action/generate.go
index 67feeaf7..3ebb11f3 100644
--- a/pkg/action/generate.go
+++ b/pkg/action/generate.go
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ func (s *Action) Generate(ctx context.Context, c *cli.Context) error {
 	name := args.Get(0)
 	key, length := keyAndLength(args)
 
+	ctx = ctxutil.WithForce(ctx, force)
+
 	// ask for name of the secret if it wasn't provided already
 	if name == "" {
 		var err error
diff --git a/pkg/ctxutil/ctxutil.go b/pkg/ctxutil/ctxutil.go
index 1dbf008a..3d102f09 100644
--- a/pkg/ctxutil/ctxutil.go
+++ b/pkg/ctxutil/ctxutil.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ const (
 	ctxKeyAlias
 	ctxKeyAutoPrint
 	ctxKeyGitInit
+	ctxKeyForce
 )
 
 // ProgressCallback is a callback for updateing progress
@@ -541,3 +542,23 @@ func IsGitInit(ctx context.Context) bool {
 	}
 	return bv
 }
+
+// WithForce returns a context with the force flag set
+func WithForce(ctx context.Context, bv bool) context.Context {
+	return context.WithValue(ctx, ctxKeyForce, bv)
+}
+
+// HasForce returns true if the context has the force flag set
+func HasForce(ctx context.Context) bool {
+	_, ok := ctx.Value(ctxKeyForce).(bool)
+	return ok
+}
+
+// IsForce returns the force flag value of the default (false)
+func IsForce(ctx context.Context) bool {
+	bv, ok := ctx.Value(ctxKeyForce).(bool)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	return bv
+}
diff --git a/pkg/store/sub/write.go b/pkg/store/sub/write.go
index 45b1c42b..cca20875 100644
--- a/pkg/store/sub/write.go
+++ b/pkg/store/sub/write.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func (s *Store) Set(ctx context.Context, name string, sec store.Secret) error {
 
 	p := s.passfile(name)
 
-	if s.IsDir(ctx, name) {
+	if s.IsDir(ctx, name) && !ctxutil.IsForce(ctx) {
 		return errors.Errorf("a folder named %s already exists", name)
 	}