diff --git a/Sources/XcodeGenKit/ProjectWriter.swift b/Sources/XcodeGenKit/ProjectWriter.swift
index 84ef2a59..9029f42e 100644
--- a/Sources/XcodeGenKit/ProjectWriter.swift
+++ b/Sources/XcodeGenKit/ProjectWriter.swift
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ public class ProjectWriter {
 
     private func writePlist(_ plist: [String: Any], path: String) throws {
         let path = project.basePath + path
+        if path.exists, let data: Data = try? path.read(),
+            let existingPlist = (try? PropertyListSerialization.propertyList(from: data, format: nil)) as? [String: Any], NSDictionary(dictionary: plist).isEqual(to: existingPlist) {
+            // file is the same
+            return
+        }
         let data = try PropertyListSerialization.data(fromPropertyList: plist, format: .xml, options: 0)
         try? path.delete()
         try path.parent().mkpath()