diff --git a/patoolib/programs/bzip2.py b/patoolib/programs/bzip2.py
index 0bbf31c..6b10a14 100644
--- a/patoolib/programs/bzip2.py
+++ b/patoolib/programs/bzip2.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def extract_bzip2 (archive, encoding, cmd, **kwargs):
     if kwargs['verbose']:
         cmdlist.append('-v')
     cmdlist.extend(['-c', '-d'])
-    outfile = os.path.join(kwargs['outdir'], util.stripext(archive))
+    outfile = util.get_single_outfile(kwargs['outdir'], archive)
     cmdlist.append('--')
     cmdlist.extend([archive, '>', outfile])
     # note that for shell calls the command must be a string
diff --git a/patoolib/programs/gzip.py b/patoolib/programs/gzip.py
index ff8fffa..129da2b 100644
--- a/patoolib/programs/gzip.py
+++ b/patoolib/programs/gzip.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def extract_gzip (archive, encoding, cmd, **kwargs):
         cmdlist.append('-v')
     cmdlist.extend(['-c', '-d'])
     cmdlist.append('--')
-    outfile = os.path.join(kwargs['outdir'], util.stripext(archive))
+    outfile = util.get_single_outfile(kwargs['outdir'], archive)
     cmdlist.extend([archive, '>', outfile])
     # note that for shell calls the command must be a string
     cmd = " ".join([util.shell_quote(x) for x in cmdlist])
diff --git a/patoolib/programs/lzma.py b/patoolib/programs/lzma.py
index c348704..bf82e03 100644
--- a/patoolib/programs/lzma.py
+++ b/patoolib/programs/lzma.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def extract_lzma (archive, encoding, cmd, **kwargs):
         cmdlist.append('-v')
     cmdlist.extend(['-c', '-d'])
     cmdlist.append('--')
-    outfile = os.path.join(kwargs['outdir'], util.stripext(archive))
+    outfile = util.get_single_outfile(kwargs['outdir'], archive)
     cmdlist.extend([archive, '>', outfile])
     # note that for shell calls the command must be a string
     cmd = " ".join([util.shell_quote(x) for x in cmdlist])
diff --git a/patoolib/programs/lzop.py b/patoolib/programs/lzop.py
index c0c96d3..62cb645 100644
--- a/patoolib/programs/lzop.py
+++ b/patoolib/programs/lzop.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 """Archive commands for the lzop program."""
 import os
-from patoolib import util
+from .. import util
 
 
 def extract_lzop (archive, encoding, cmd, **kwargs):
@@ -25,9 +25,7 @@ def extract_lzop (archive, encoding, cmd, **kwargs):
     if kwargs['verbose']:
         cmdlist.append('--verbose')
     cmdlist.append('--')
-    outfile = os.path.join(kwargs['outdir'], util.stripext(archive))
-    if archive == outfile:
-        outfile = archive + ".raw"
+    outfile = util.get_single_outfile(kwargs['outdir'], archive)
     cmdlist.extend([archive, '>', outfile])
     # note that for shell calls the command must be a string
     cmd = " ".join([util.shell_quote(x) for x in cmdlist])
diff --git a/patoolib/programs/uncompress.py b/patoolib/programs/uncompress.py
index 2e4c9a3..7832a93 100644
--- a/patoolib/programs/uncompress.py
+++ b/patoolib/programs/uncompress.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def extract_compress (archive, encoding, cmd, **kwargs):
     if kwargs['verbose']:
         cmdlist.append('-v')
     cmdlist.append('-c')
-    outfile = os.path.join(kwargs['outdir'], util.stripext(archive))
+    outfile = util.get_single_outfile(kwargs['outdir'], archive)
     cmdlist.extend([archive, '>', outfile])
     # note that for shell calls the command must be a string
     cmd = " ".join([util.shell_quote(x) for x in cmdlist])
diff --git a/patoolib/programs/xz.py b/patoolib/programs/xz.py
index ce8d36a..3706ca3 100644
--- a/patoolib/programs/xz.py
+++ b/patoolib/programs/xz.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def extract_xz (archive, encoding, cmd, **kwargs):
         cmdlist.append('-v')
     cmdlist.extend(['-c', '-d'])
     cmdlist.append('--')
-    outfile = os.path.join(kwargs['outdir'], util.stripext(archive))
+    outfile = util.get_single_outfile(kwargs['outdir'], archive)
     cmdlist.extend([archive, '>', outfile])
     # note that for shell calls the command must be a string
     cmd = " ".join([util.shell_quote(x) for x in cmdlist])
diff --git a/patoolib/util.py b/patoolib/util.py
index 06c4634..a9d5500 100644
--- a/patoolib/util.py
+++ b/patoolib/util.py
@@ -224,6 +224,15 @@ def stripext (filename):
     return os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(filename))[0]
 
 
+def get_single_outfile (directory, archive):
+    """Get output filename if archive is in a single file format like gzip."""
+    outfile = os.path.join(directory, stripext(archive))
+    if archive == outfile:
+        # prevent overwriting the archive itself
+        outfile += ".raw"
+    return outfile
+
+
 def log_error (msg, out=sys.stderr):
     """Print error message to stderr (or any other given output)."""
     print >> out, "patool error:", msg