diff --git a/src/PlusCommon/Tools/EditSequenceFile.cxx b/src/PlusCommon/Tools/EditSequenceFile.cxx
index a6eec15d1..cb3326327 100644
--- a/src/PlusCommon/Tools/EditSequenceFile.cxx
+++ b/src/PlusCommon/Tools/EditSequenceFile.cxx
@@ -373,39 +373,53 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }
 
+  std::string fileExtension = vtksys::SystemTools::GetFilenameLastExtension(inputFileName);
+  bool headerOnlyUpdatePossible = (inputFileName == outputFileName) // file overwrite requested
+      && (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(fileExtension, ".mhd") || igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(fileExtension, ".nhdr"))
+      && !useCompression; // hard to carry over compressed data size
+  bool headerOnlyOperation = false; // false by default
+
   // Set operation
   if (strOperation.empty())
   {
     operation = NO_OPERATION;
     LOG_INFO("No modification operation has been specified (specify --operation parameter to change the input sequence).");
+    headerOnlyOperation = true;
   }
   else if (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(strOperation, "UPDATE_FRAME_FIELD_NAME"))
   {
     operation = UPDATE_FRAME_FIELD_NAME;
+    headerOnlyOperation = true;
   }
   else if (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(strOperation, "UPDATE_FRAME_FIELD_VALUE"))
   {
     operation = UPDATE_FRAME_FIELD_VALUE;
+    headerOnlyOperation = true;
   }
   else if (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(strOperation, "DELETE_FRAME_FIELD"))
   {
     operation = DELETE_FRAME_FIELD;
+    headerOnlyOperation = true;
   }
   else if (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(strOperation, "UPDATE_FIELD_NAME"))
   {
     operation = UPDATE_FIELD_NAME;
+    headerOnlyOperation = true;
   }
   else if (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(strOperation, "UPDATE_FIELD_VALUE"))
   {
     operation = UPDATE_FIELD_VALUE;
+    headerOnlyOperation = true;
   }
   else if (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(strOperation, "DELETE_FIELD"))
   {
     operation = DELETE_FIELD;
+    headerOnlyOperation = true;
   }
   else if (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(strOperation, "ADD_TRANSFORM"))
   {
     operation = ADD_TRANSFORM;
+    headerOnlyOperation = true;
   }
   else if (igsioCommon::IsEqualInsensitive(strOperation, "TRIM"))
   {
@@ -780,7 +794,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
   // Save output file to file
 
   LOG_INFO("Save output sequence file to: " << outputFileName);
-  if (vtkPlusSequenceIO::Write(outputFileName, trackedFrameList, trackedFrameList->GetImageOrientation(), useCompression, operation != REMOVE_IMAGE_DATA) != PLUS_SUCCESS)
+  if (vtkPlusSequenceIO::Write(outputFileName, trackedFrameList, trackedFrameList->GetImageOrientation(),
+      useCompression, operation == REMOVE_IMAGE_DATA, headerOnlyUpdatePossible && headerOnlyOperation) != PLUS_SUCCESS)
   {
     LOG_ERROR("Couldn't write sequence file: " << outputFileName);
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/src/PlusCommon/vtkPlusSequenceIO.cxx b/src/PlusCommon/vtkPlusSequenceIO.cxx
index 698e5faaf..64978214b 100644
--- a/src/PlusCommon/vtkPlusSequenceIO.cxx
+++ b/src/PlusCommon/vtkPlusSequenceIO.cxx
@@ -13,25 +13,25 @@
 #include <vtkNew.h>
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-igsioStatus vtkPlusSequenceIO::Write(const std::string& filename, vtkIGSIOTrackedFrameList* frameList, US_IMAGE_ORIENTATION orientationInFile/*=US_IMG_ORIENT_MF*/, bool useCompression/*=true*/, bool enableImageDataWrite/*=true*/)
+igsioStatus vtkPlusSequenceIO::Write(const std::string& filename, vtkIGSIOTrackedFrameList* frameList, US_IMAGE_ORIENTATION orientationInFile/*=US_IMG_ORIENT_MF*/, bool useCompression/*=true*/, bool reduceImageDataToOnePixel/*=false*/, bool writeHeaderOnly/*=false*/)
 {
   std::string outputDirectory = "";
   if (!vtksys::SystemTools::FileIsFullPath(filename))
   {
     outputDirectory = vtkPlusConfig::GetInstance()->GetOutputDirectory();
   }
-  return vtkIGSIOSequenceIO::Write(filename, outputDirectory, frameList, orientationInFile, useCompression, enableImageDataWrite);
+  return vtkIGSIOSequenceIO::Write(filename, outputDirectory, frameList, orientationInFile, useCompression, reduceImageDataToOnePixel, writeHeaderOnly);
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-igsioStatus vtkPlusSequenceIO::Write(const std::string& filename, igsioTrackedFrame* frame, US_IMAGE_ORIENTATION orientationInFile /*= US_IMG_ORIENT_MF*/, bool useCompression /*= true*/, bool enableImageDataWrite /*=true*/)
+igsioStatus vtkPlusSequenceIO::Write(const std::string& filename, igsioTrackedFrame* frame, US_IMAGE_ORIENTATION orientationInFile /*= US_IMG_ORIENT_MF*/, bool useCompression /*= true*/, bool reduceImageDataToOnePixel/*=false*/, bool writeHeaderOnly/*=false*/)
 {
   std::string outputDirectory = "";
   if (!vtksys::SystemTools::FileIsFullPath(filename))
   {
     outputDirectory = vtkPlusConfig::GetInstance()->GetOutputDirectory();
   }
-  return vtkIGSIOSequenceIO::Write(filename, outputDirectory, frame, orientationInFile, useCompression, enableImageDataWrite);
+  return vtkIGSIOSequenceIO::Write(filename, outputDirectory, frame, orientationInFile, useCompression, reduceImageDataToOnePixel, writeHeaderOnly);
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/PlusCommon/vtkPlusSequenceIO.h b/src/PlusCommon/vtkPlusSequenceIO.h
index 4326b8974..ab5d66078 100644
--- a/src/PlusCommon/vtkPlusSequenceIO.h
+++ b/src/PlusCommon/vtkPlusSequenceIO.h
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ class vtkPlusCommonExport vtkPlusSequenceIO : public vtkObject
 {
 public:
   /*! Write object contents into file */
-  static igsioStatus Write(const std::string& filename, igsioTrackedFrame* frame, US_IMAGE_ORIENTATION orientationInFile = US_IMG_ORIENT_MF, bool useCompression = true, bool EnableImageDataWrite = true);
+  static igsioStatus Write(const std::string& filename, igsioTrackedFrame* frame, US_IMAGE_ORIENTATION orientationInFile = US_IMG_ORIENT_MF, bool useCompression = true, bool reduceImageDataToOnePixel = false, bool writeHeaderOnly = false);
 
   /*! Write object contents into file */
-  static igsioStatus Write(const std::string& filename, vtkIGSIOTrackedFrameList* frameList, US_IMAGE_ORIENTATION orientationInFile = US_IMG_ORIENT_MF, bool useCompression = true, bool EnableImageDataWrite = true);
+  static igsioStatus Write(const std::string& filename, vtkIGSIOTrackedFrameList* frameList, US_IMAGE_ORIENTATION orientationInFile = US_IMG_ORIENT_MF, bool useCompression = true, bool reduceImageDataToOnePixel = false, bool writeHeaderOnly = false);
 
   /*! Read file contents into the object */
   static igsioStatus Read(const std::string& filename, vtkIGSIOTrackedFrameList* frameList);