diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 67718f6..6241694 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ e.g. inside your `flake.nix` file:
    * from GitHub like https://github.com/ryantm.keys.
 4. Create a secret file:
    ```ShellSession
-   $ agenix -e secret1.age
+   $ agenix -c secret1.age
    ```
    It will open a temporary file in the app configured in your $EDITOR environment variable.
    When you save that file its content will be encrypted with all the public keys mentioned in the `secrets.nix` file.
@@ -548,11 +548,13 @@ Overriding `age.secretsMountPoint` example:
 ```
 agenix - edit and rekey age secret files
 
+agenix -c FILE
 agenix -e FILE [-i PRIVATE_KEY]
 agenix -r [-i PRIVATE_KEY]
 
 options:
 -h, --help                show help
+-c, --create FILE         create or replace FILE using $EDITOR
 -e, --edit FILE           edits FILE using $EDITOR
 -r, --rekey               re-encrypts all secrets with specified recipients
 -d, --decrypt FILE        decrypts FILE to STDOUT
diff --git a/pkgs/agenix.nix b/pkgs/agenix.nix
index e51a5c6..3c0bfaf 100644
--- a/pkgs/agenix.nix
+++ b/pkgs/agenix.nix
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ in
       )
 
       cd $HOME/secrets
+      echo hello | ${bin} -c secret1.age
       test $(${bin} -d secret1.age) = "hello"
     '';
 
diff --git a/pkgs/agenix.sh b/pkgs/agenix.sh
index 3d0415e..ba71050 100644
--- a/pkgs/agenix.sh
+++ b/pkgs/agenix.sh
@@ -6,12 +6,15 @@ PACKAGE="agenix"
 function show_help () {
   echo "$PACKAGE - edit and rekey age secret files"
   echo " "
+  echo "$PACKAGE -c FILE"
   echo "$PACKAGE -e FILE [-i PRIVATE_KEY]"
   echo "$PACKAGE -r [-i PRIVATE_KEY]"
   echo ' '
   echo 'options:'
   echo '-h, --help                show help'
   # shellcheck disable=SC2016
+  echo '-c, --create FILE         create or replace FILE using $EDITOR'
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2016
   echo '-e, --edit FILE           edits FILE using $EDITOR'
   echo '-r, --rekey               re-encrypts all secrets with specified recipients'
   echo '-d, --decrypt FILE        decrypts FILE to STDOUT'
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ function err() {
 test $# -eq 0 && (show_help && exit 1)
 
 REKEY=0
+ENCRYPT_ONLY=0
 DECRYPT_ONLY=0
 DEFAULT_DECRYPT=(--decrypt)
 
@@ -55,6 +59,17 @@ while test $# -gt 0; do
       show_help
       exit 0
       ;;
+    -c|--create)
+      shift
+      ENCRYPT_ONLY=1
+      if test $# -gt 0; then
+        export FILE=$1
+      else
+        echo "no FILE specified"
+        exit 1
+      fi
+      shift
+      ;;
     -e|--edit)
       shift
       if test $# -gt 0; then
@@ -153,22 +168,29 @@ function edit {
     CLEARTEXT_FILE="$CLEARTEXT_DIR/$(basename "$FILE")"
     DEFAULT_DECRYPT+=(-o "$CLEARTEXT_FILE")
 
-    decrypt "$FILE" "$KEYS" || exit 1
-
-    [ ! -f "$CLEARTEXT_FILE" ] || cp "$CLEARTEXT_FILE" "$CLEARTEXT_FILE.before"
+    # Decrypt file
+    if [ $ENCRYPT_ONLY -eq 0 ]
+    then
+      decrypt "$FILE" "$KEYS" || exit 1
+      [ ! -f "$CLEARTEXT_FILE" ] || cp "$CLEARTEXT_FILE" "$CLEARTEXT_FILE.before"
+    else
+      touch "$CLEARTEXT_FILE.before"
+    fi
 
+    # Prompt file edit
     [ -t 0 ] || EDITOR='cp /dev/stdin'
-
     $EDITOR "$CLEARTEXT_FILE"
 
+    # Check file status
     if [ ! -f "$CLEARTEXT_FILE" ]
     then
       warn "$FILE wasn't created."
       return
     fi
-    [ -f "$FILE" ] && [ "$EDITOR" != ":" ] && @diffBin@ -q "$CLEARTEXT_FILE.before" "$CLEARTEXT_FILE" && warn "$FILE wasn't changed, skipping re-encryption." && return
+    [ $ENCRYPT_ONLY -eq 0 ] && [ -f "$FILE" ] && [ "$EDITOR" != ":" ] && @diffBin@ -q "$CLEARTEXT_FILE.before" "$CLEARTEXT_FILE" && warn "$FILE wasn't changed, skipping re-encryption." && return
 
     ENCRYPT=()
+    # Build recipient list
     while IFS= read -r key
     do
         if [ -n "$key" ]; then
diff --git a/test/integration.nix b/test/integration.nix
index e0ee85a..3e92d32 100644
--- a/test/integration.nix
+++ b/test/integration.nix
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ pkgs.nixosTest {
     # and get it back out via --decrypt
     assert "secret1234" in system1.succeed(userDo("agenix -d passwordfile-user1.age"))
 
+    # user1 can recreate the secret without decrypting it
+    system1.succeed(userDo("echo 'secret5678' | agenix -c passwordfile-user1.age"))
+    assert "secret5678" in system1.succeed(userDo("agenix -d passwordfile-user1.age"))
+
     # finally, the plain text should not linger around anywhere in the filesystem.
     system1.fail("grep -r secret1234 /tmp")
   '';