diff --git a/lib/generator.ts b/lib/generator.ts
index 46b915a2..781cb008 100644
--- a/lib/generator.ts
+++ b/lib/generator.ts
@@ -179,24 +179,28 @@ export async function generate(path: string, options?: GenerateOptions) {
       urlRuleDoc
     );
 
-    const contents = readFileSync(pathToDoc).toString();
+    const contentsOld = readFileSync(pathToDoc).toString();
     const contentsNew = await postprocess(
       updateRuleOptionsList(
-        replaceOrCreateHeader(contents, newHeaderLines, END_RULE_HEADER_MARKER),
+        replaceOrCreateHeader(
+          contentsOld,
+          newHeaderLines,
+          END_RULE_HEADER_MARKER
+        ),
         rule
       ),
       resolve(pathToDoc)
     );
 
     if (check) {
-      if (contentsNew !== contents) {
+      if (contentsNew !== contentsOld) {
         console.error(
           `Please run eslint-doc-generator. A rule doc is out-of-date: ${relative(
             getPluginRoot(path),
             pathToDoc
           )}`
         );
-        console.error(diff(contentsNew, contents, { expand: false }));
+        console.error(diff(contentsNew, contentsOld, { expand: false }));
         process.exitCode = 1;
       }
     } else {
@@ -209,7 +213,7 @@ export async function generate(path: string, options?: GenerateOptions) {
     for (const section of ruleDocSectionInclude) {
       expectSectionHeaderOrFail(
         `\`${name}\` rule doc`,
-        contents,
+        contentsNew,
         [section],
         true
       );
@@ -219,7 +223,7 @@ export async function generate(path: string, options?: GenerateOptions) {
     for (const section of ruleDocSectionExclude) {
       expectSectionHeaderOrFail(
         `\`${name}\` rule doc`,
-        contents,
+        contentsNew,
         [section],
         false
       );
@@ -229,7 +233,7 @@ export async function generate(path: string, options?: GenerateOptions) {
       // Options section.
       expectSectionHeaderOrFail(
         `\`${name}\` rule doc`,
-        contents,
+        contentsNew,
         ['Options', 'Config'],
         hasOptions(schema)
       );
@@ -237,7 +241,7 @@ export async function generate(path: string, options?: GenerateOptions) {
         expectContentOrFail(
           `\`${name}\` rule doc`,
           'rule option',
-          contents,
+          contentsNew,
           namedOption,
           true
         ); // Each rule option is mentioned.
diff --git a/test/lib/generate/__snapshots__/rule-options-list-test.ts.snap b/test/lib/generate/__snapshots__/rule-options-list-test.ts.snap
index 67b872aa..4cb62c09 100644
--- a/test/lib/generate/__snapshots__/rule-options-list-test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/lib/generate/__snapshots__/rule-options-list-test.ts.snap
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ exports[`generate (rule options list) with no options generates the documentatio
 "# test/no-foo
 
 <!-- end auto-generated rule header -->
-## Options
+
 <!-- begin auto-generated rule options list -->
 
 
diff --git a/test/lib/generate/rule-options-list-test.ts b/test/lib/generate/rule-options-list-test.ts
index 5ef92b46..8c490381 100644
--- a/test/lib/generate/rule-options-list-test.ts
+++ b/test/lib/generate/rule-options-list-test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { dirname, resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { jest } from '@jest/globals';
+import * as sinon from 'sinon';
 
 const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 
@@ -74,7 +75,10 @@ describe('generate (rule options list)', function () {
     });
 
     it('generates the documentation', async function () {
+      const consoleErrorStub = sinon.stub(console, 'error');
       await generate('.');
+      expect(consoleErrorStub.callCount).toBe(0);
+      consoleErrorStub.restore();
       expect(readFileSync('docs/rules/no-foo.md', 'utf8')).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
   });
@@ -126,7 +130,10 @@ describe('generate (rule options list)', function () {
     });
 
     it('generates the documentation', async function () {
+      const consoleErrorStub = sinon.stub(console, 'error');
       await generate('.');
+      expect(consoleErrorStub.callCount).toBe(0);
+      consoleErrorStub.restore();
       expect(readFileSync('docs/rules/no-foo.md', 'utf8')).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
   });
@@ -155,7 +162,7 @@ describe('generate (rule options list)', function () {
 
         'README.md': '## Rules\n',
 
-        'docs/rules/no-foo.md': `## Options
+        'docs/rules/no-foo.md': `
 <!-- begin auto-generated rule options list -->
 <!-- end auto-generated rule options list -->`,
 
@@ -170,7 +177,10 @@ describe('generate (rule options list)', function () {
     });
 
     it('generates the documentation', async function () {
+      const consoleErrorStub = sinon.stub(console, 'error');
       await generate('.');
+      expect(consoleErrorStub.callCount).toBe(0);
+      consoleErrorStub.restore();
       expect(readFileSync('docs/rules/no-foo.md', 'utf8')).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
   });
@@ -211,7 +221,10 @@ describe('generate (rule options list)', function () {
     });
 
     it('generates the documentation', async function () {
+      const consoleErrorStub = sinon.stub(console, 'error');
       await generate('.');
+      expect(consoleErrorStub.callCount).toBe(0);
+      consoleErrorStub.restore();
       expect(readFileSync('docs/rules/no-foo.md', 'utf8')).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
   });
@@ -255,7 +268,10 @@ describe('generate (rule options list)', function () {
     });
 
     it('generates the documentation', async function () {
+      const consoleErrorStub = sinon.stub(console, 'error');
       await generate('.');
+      expect(consoleErrorStub.callCount).toBe(0);
+      consoleErrorStub.restore();
       expect(readFileSync('docs/rules/no-foo.md', 'utf8')).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
   });