diff --git a/src/python/pants/goal/run_tracker.py b/src/python/pants/goal/run_tracker.py
index 01b5353d9b9..eaf4e071a34 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/goal/run_tracker.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/goal/run_tracker.py
@@ -13,14 +13,12 @@
 import threading
 import time
 import uuid
-from builtins import open
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 import requests
-from future.utils import PY2, PY3
+from future.utils import PY3
 
 from pants.auth.cookies import Cookies
-from pants.base.build_environment import get_pants_cachedir
 from pants.base.exiter import PANTS_FAILED_EXIT_CODE, PANTS_SUCCEEDED_EXIT_CODE
 from pants.base.run_info import RunInfo
 from pants.base.worker_pool import SubprocPool, WorkerPool
@@ -394,21 +392,14 @@ def _json_dump_options(cls, stats):
 
   @classmethod
   def write_stats_to_json(cls, file_name, stats):
-    """Write stats to a local json file.
-
-    :return: True if successfully written, False otherwise.
-    """
+    """Write stats to a local json file."""
     params = cls._json_dump_options(stats)
-    if PY2:
-      params = params.decode('utf-8')
+    mode = 'w' if PY3 else 'wb'
     try:
-      with open(file_name, 'w') as f:
-        f.write(params)
-    except Exception as e:  # Broad catch - we don't want to fail in stats related failure.
+      safe_file_dump(file_name, params, mode=mode)
+    except Exception as e: # Broad catch - we don't want to fail in stats related failure.
       print('WARNING: Failed to write stats to {} due to Error: {}'.format(file_name, e),
             file=sys.stderr)
-      return False
-    return True
 
   def store_stats(self):
     """Store stats about this run in local and optionally remote stats dbs."""
@@ -428,12 +419,10 @@ def store_stats(self):
       'recorded_options': self._get_options_to_record(),
     }
 
-    # Dump individual stat file.
-    # TODO(benjy): Do we really need these, once the statsdb is mature?
-    stats_file = os.path.join(get_pants_cachedir(), 'stats',
-                              '{}.json'.format(self.run_info.get_info('id')))
-    mode = 'w' if PY3 else 'wb'
-    safe_file_dump(stats_file, self._json_dump_options(stats), mode=mode)
+    # Write stats to user-defined json file.
+    stats_json_file_name = self.get_options().stats_local_json_file
+    if stats_json_file_name:
+      self.write_stats_to_json(stats_json_file_name, stats)
 
     # Add to local stats db.
     StatsDBFactory.global_instance().get_db().insert_stats(stats)
@@ -444,11 +433,6 @@ def store_stats(self):
     for stats_url, auth_provider in stats_upload_urls.items():
       self.post_stats(stats_url, stats, timeout=timeout, auth_provider=auth_provider)
 
-    # Write stats to local json file.
-    stats_json_file_name = self.get_options().stats_local_json_file
-    if stats_json_file_name:
-      self.write_stats_to_json(stats_json_file_name, stats)
-
   _log_levels = [Report.ERROR, Report.ERROR, Report.WARN, Report.INFO, Report.INFO]
 
   def has_ended(self):
diff --git a/tests/python/pants_test/goal/test_run_tracker.py b/tests/python/pants_test/goal/test_run_tracker.py
index ba75b4bbc36..6ffbbd67ea7 100644
--- a/tests/python/pants_test/goal/test_run_tracker.py
+++ b/tests/python/pants_test/goal/test_run_tracker.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def test_write_stats_to_json_file(self):
 
     # Execute & verify
     with temporary_file_path() as file_name:
-      self.assertTrue(RunTracker.write_stats_to_json(file_name, stats))
+      RunTracker.write_stats_to_json(file_name, stats)
       with open(file_name, 'r') as f:
         result = json.load(f)
         self.assertEqual(stats, result)