diff --git a/cli/reporter/cli_reporter.go b/cli/reporter/cli_reporter.go
index 3d0bbc47..347eec9d 100644
--- a/cli/reporter/cli_reporter.go
+++ b/cli/reporter/cli_reporter.go
@@ -101,6 +101,13 @@ func NewReporter(format Format, incognito bool) *Reporter {
 	}
 }
 
+// This allows the packer-plugin-cnspec to set the output writer directly
+// The plugin needs this to work the the packer output
+func (r *Reporter) WithOutput(out io.Writer) *Reporter {
+	r.out = out
+	return r
+}
+
 func (r *Reporter) WriteReport(ctx context.Context, data *policy.ReportCollection) error {
 	switch r.Format {
 	case Compact:
diff --git a/cli/reporter/file_handler.go b/cli/reporter/file_handler.go
index 60d2e5c9..8cf20724 100644
--- a/cli/reporter/file_handler.go
+++ b/cli/reporter/file_handler.go
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ func (h *localFileHandler) WriteReport(ctx context.Context, report *policy.Repor
 	}
 	defer f.Close() //nolint: errcheck
 	reporter := NewReporter(h.format, false)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	reporter.out = f
 	err = reporter.WriteReport(ctx, report)
 	if err != nil {