diff --git a/mnefun/_ssp.py b/mnefun/_ssp.py
index 0ec4cca..16f465b 100644
--- a/mnefun/_ssp.py
+++ b/mnefun/_ssp.py
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
 from ._epoching import _raise_bad_epochs
 from ._paths import get_raw_fnames, get_bad_fname
 from ._utils import (get_args, _fix_raw_eog_cals, _handle_dict, _safe_remove,
-                     _get_baseline, _restrict_reject_flat, _get_epo_kwargs)
+                     _get_baseline, _restrict_reject_flat, _get_epo_kwargs,
+                     _overwrite)
 
 
 def _get_fir_kwargs(fir_design):
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ def _compute_erm_proj(p, subj, projs, kind, bad_file, remove_existing=False,
     # When doing eSSS it's a bit weird to put this in pca_dir but why not
     pca_dir = _get_pca_dir(p, subj)
     cont_proj = op.join(pca_dir, 'preproc_cont-proj.fif')
-    write_proj(cont_proj, pr)
+    _overwrite(write_proj, cont_proj, pr)
     return pr
 
 
@@ -388,10 +389,7 @@ def do_preprocessing_combined(p, subjects, run_indices):
             print('  obtained %d epochs from %d events.' % (len(ecg_epochs),
                                                             len(ecg_events)))
             if len(ecg_epochs) >= 20:
-                kwargs = dict()
-                if "overwrite" in get_args(write_events):
-                    kwargs["overwrite"] = True
-                write_events(ecg_eve, ecg_epochs.events, **kwargs)
+                _overwrite(write_events, ecg_eve, ecg_epochs.events)
                 ecg_epochs.save(ecg_epo, **_get_epo_kwargs())
                 desc_prefix = 'ECG-%s-%s' % tuple(ecg_t_lims)
                 pr = compute_proj_wrap(
@@ -399,10 +397,7 @@ def do_preprocessing_combined(p, subjects, run_indices):
                     n_mag=proj_nums[0][1], n_eeg=proj_nums[0][2],
                     desc_prefix=desc_prefix, **proj_kwargs)
                 assert len(pr) == np.sum(proj_nums[0][::p_sl])
-                kwargs = dict()
-                if "overwrite" in get_args(write_events):
-                    kwargs["overwrite"] = True
-                write_proj(ecg_proj, pr, **kwargs)
+                _overwrite(write_proj, ecg_proj, pr)
                 projs.extend(pr)
             else:
                 _raise_bad_epochs(raw, ecg_epochs, ecg_events, 'ECG',
@@ -421,7 +416,7 @@ def do_preprocessing_combined(p, subjects, run_indices):
         del proj_nums
 
         # save the projectors
-        write_proj(all_proj, projs)
+        _overwrite(write_proj, all_proj, projs)
 
         #
         # Look at raw_orig for trial DQs now, it will be quick
@@ -500,7 +495,7 @@ def _compute_add_eog(p, subj, raw_orig, projs, eog_nums, kind, pca_dir,
                                                         len(eog_events)))
         del eog_events
         if len(eog_epochs) >= 5:
-            write_events(eog_eve, eog_epochs.events)
+            _overwrite(write_events, eog_eve, eog_epochs.events)
             eog_epochs.save(eog_epo, **_get_epo_kwargs())
             desc_prefix = f'{kind}-%s-%s' % tuple(eog_t_lims)
             pr = compute_proj_wrap(
@@ -508,7 +503,7 @@ def _compute_add_eog(p, subj, raw_orig, projs, eog_nums, kind, pca_dir,
                 n_mag=eog_nums[1], n_eeg=eog_nums[2],
                 desc_prefix=desc_prefix, **proj_kwargs)
             assert len(pr) == np.sum(eog_nums[::p_sl])
-            write_proj(eog_proj, pr)
+            _overwrite(write_proj, eog_proj, pr)
             projs.extend(pr)
         else:
             warnings.warn('Only %d usable EOG events!' % len(eog_epochs))
diff --git a/mnefun/_utils.py b/mnefun/_utils.py
index 8222f6e..053709a 100644
--- a/mnefun/_utils.py
+++ b/mnefun/_utils.py
@@ -463,3 +463,9 @@ def convert_ANTS_surrogate(subject, trans, subjects_dir):
 def get_args(obj):
     """Wrapper."""
     return inspect.signature(obj).parameters
+
+
+def _overwrite(func, *args, **kwargs):
+    if "overwrite" in get_args(func):
+        kwargs["overwrite"] = True
+    return func(*args, **kwargs)