diff --git a/cmd/constant.go b/cmd/constant.go
index efc0d1bd..98e20796 100644
--- a/cmd/constant.go
+++ b/cmd/constant.go
@@ -14,3 +14,5 @@ var noDocSeparators = false
 var nullInput = false
 var verbose = false
 var version = false
+
+var completedSuccessfully = false
diff --git a/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go b/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
index 00daffda..ec4bf20a 100644
--- a/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
+++ b/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
@@ -45,15 +45,17 @@ func evaluateAll(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Write inplace flag only applicable when giving an expression and at least one file")
 	}
 
-	completedSuccessfully := false
-
 	if writeInplace {
+		// only use colors if its forced
+		colorsEnabled = forceColor
 		writeInPlaceHandler := yqlib.NewWriteInPlaceHandler(args[1])
 		out, err = writeInPlaceHandler.CreateTempFile()
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		defer writeInPlaceHandler.FinishWriteInPlace(completedSuccessfully)
+		// need to indirectly call the function so  that completedSuccessfully is
+		// passed when we finish execution as opposed to now
+		defer func() { writeInPlaceHandler.FinishWriteInPlace(completedSuccessfully) }()
 	}
 
 	printer := yqlib.NewPrinter(out, outputToJSON, unwrapScalar, colorsEnabled, indent, !noDocSeparators)
diff --git a/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go b/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
index 56125fbb..cdd70bd0 100644
--- a/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
+++ b/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/mikefarah/yq/v4/pkg/yqlib"
@@ -39,6 +40,24 @@ func evaluateSequence(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if forceColor || (!forceNoColor && (fileInfo.Mode()&os.ModeCharDevice) != 0) {
 		colorsEnabled = true
 	}
+
+	if writeInplace && len(args) < 2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Write inplace flag only applicable when giving an expression and at least one file")
+	}
+
+	if writeInplace {
+		// only use colors if its forced
+		colorsEnabled = forceColor
+		writeInPlaceHandler := yqlib.NewWriteInPlaceHandler(args[1])
+		out, err = writeInPlaceHandler.CreateTempFile()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		// need to indirectly call the function so  that completedSuccessfully is
+		// passed when we finish execution as opposed to now
+		defer func() { writeInPlaceHandler.FinishWriteInPlace(completedSuccessfully) }()
+	}
+
 	printer := yqlib.NewPrinter(out, outputToJSON, unwrapScalar, colorsEnabled, indent, !noDocSeparators)
 
 	streamEvaluator := yqlib.NewStreamEvaluator()
@@ -61,7 +80,7 @@ func evaluateSequence(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	default:
 		err = streamEvaluator.EvaluateFiles(args[0], args[1:], printer)
 	}
-
+	completedSuccessfully = err == nil
 	cmd.SilenceUsage = true
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/constants.go b/pkg/yqlib/constants.go
deleted file mode 100644
index d8c4f7d6..00000000
--- a/pkg/yqlib/constants.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-package yqlib
-
-import "gopkg.in/op/go-logging.v1"
-
-var log = logging.MustGetLogger("yq-lib")
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
index d6782658..e3693f06 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
+var log = logging.MustGetLogger("yq-lib")
+
 type OperationType struct {
 	Type       string
 	NumArgs    uint // number of arguments to the op
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/write_in_place_handler.go b/pkg/yqlib/write_in_place_handler.go
index b282c044..a4fbb013 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/write_in_place_handler.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/write_in_place_handler.go
@@ -41,15 +41,19 @@ func (w *writeInPlaceHandler) CreateTempFile() (*os.File, error) {
 	}
 
 	err = os.Chmod(file.Name(), info.Mode())
+	log.Debug("writing to tempfile: %v", file.Name())
 	w.tempFile = file
 	return file, err
 }
 
 func (w *writeInPlaceHandler) FinishWriteInPlace(evaluatedSuccessfully bool) {
+	log.Debug("Going to write-inplace, evaluatedSuccessfully=%v, target=%v", evaluatedSuccessfully, w.inputFilename)
 	safelyCloseFile(w.tempFile)
 	if evaluatedSuccessfully {
+		log.Debug("moved temp file to target")
 		safelyRenameFile(w.tempFile.Name(), w.inputFilename)
 	} else {
+		log.Debug("removed temp file")
 		os.Remove(w.tempFile.Name())
 	}
 }