diff --git a/lib/puppet-strings/tasks/generate.rb b/lib/puppet-strings/tasks/generate.rb
index 47c7a39..8046544 100644
--- a/lib/puppet-strings/tasks/generate.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet-strings/tasks/generate.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ require 'puppet-strings'
 # Implements the strings:generate task.
 namespace :strings do
   desc 'Generate Puppet documentation with YARD.'
-  task :generate, :patterns, :debug, :backtrace, :markup, :json, :markdown, :yard_args do |t, args|
+  task :generate, [:patterns, :debug, :backtrace, :markup, :json, :markdown, :yard_args] do |t, args|
     patterns = args[:patterns]
     patterns = patterns.split if patterns
     patterns ||= PuppetStrings::DEFAULT_SEARCH_PATTERNS
@@ -14,12 +14,30 @@ namespace :strings do
       markup: args[:markup] || 'markdown',
     }
 
-	# rubocop:disable Style/PreferredHashMethods
-	# `args` is a Rake::TaskArguments and has no key? method
-    options[:json] = args[:json] if args.has_key? :json
-    options[:markdown] = args[:markdown] if args.has_key? :markdown
+    raise("Error: Both JSON and Markdown output have been selected. Please select one.") if args[:json] == 'true' && args[:markdown] == 'true'
+
+    # rubocop:disable Style/PreferredHashMethods
+    # Because of Ruby, true and false from the args are both strings and both true. Here,
+    # when the arg is set to false (or empty), set it to real false, else real true. Then,
+    # if the arg is set simply to 'true', assume default behavior is expected and set the path
+    # to nil to elicit that, else set to the path given.
+    # @param [Hash] args from the Rake task cli
+    # @param [Hash] options to send to the generate function
+    # @param [Symbol] possible format option
+    # @return nil
+    def parse_format_option(args, options, format)
+      if args.has_key? format
+        options[format] = args[format] == 'false' || args[format].empty? ? false : true
+        if options[format]
+          options[:path] = args[format] == 'true' ? nil : args[format]
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    [:json,:markdown].each { |format| parse_format_option(args, options, format) }
+
+    warn('yard_args behavior is a little dodgy, use at your own risk') if args[:yard_args]
     options[:yard_args] = args[:yard_args].split if args.has_key? :yard_args
-	# rubocop:enable Style/PreferredHashMethods
 
     PuppetStrings.generate(patterns, options)
   end