diff --git a/autotest/test_mbase.py b/autotest/test_mbase.py
index 757909f960..8a2eddcadc 100644
--- a/autotest/test_mbase.py
+++ b/autotest/test_mbase.py
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 from flopy.utils.flopy_io import relpath_safe
 
 
+_system = system()
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def mf6_model_path(example_data_path):
     return example_data_path / "mf6" / "test006_gwf3"
@@ -18,10 +21,7 @@ def mf6_model_path(example_data_path):
 
 @requires_exe("mf6")
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("use_ext", [True, False])
-def test_resolve_exe_by_name(function_tmpdir, use_ext):
-    if use_ext and system() != "Windows":
-        pytest.skip(".exe extensions are Windows-only")
-
+def test_resolve_exe_by_name(use_ext):
     ext = ".exe" if use_ext else ""
     expected = which("mf6").lower()
     actual = resolve_exe(f"mf6{ext}")
@@ -31,13 +31,14 @@ def test_resolve_exe_by_name(function_tmpdir, use_ext):
 
 @requires_exe("mf6")
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("use_ext", [True, False])
-def test_resolve_exe_by_abs_path(function_tmpdir, use_ext):
-    if use_ext and system() != "Windows":
-        pytest.skip(".exe extensions are Windows-only")
-
-    ext = ".exe" if use_ext else ""
+def test_resolve_exe_by_abs_path(use_ext):
+    abs_path = which("mf6")
+    if _system == "Windows" and not use_ext:
+        abs_path = abs_path[:-4]
+    elif _system != "Windows" and use_ext:
+        abs_path = f"{abs_path}.exe"
     expected = which("mf6").lower()
-    actual = resolve_exe(which(f"mf6{ext}"))
+    actual = resolve_exe(abs_path)
     assert actual.lower() == expected
     assert which(actual)
 
@@ -46,9 +47,6 @@ def test_resolve_exe_by_abs_path(function_tmpdir, use_ext):
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("use_ext", [True, False])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("forgive", [True, False])
 def test_resolve_exe_by_rel_path(function_tmpdir, use_ext, forgive):
-    if use_ext and system() != "Windows":
-        pytest.skip(".exe extensions are Windows-only")
-
     ext = ".exe" if use_ext else ""
     expected = which("mf6").lower()
 
@@ -59,10 +57,11 @@ def test_resolve_exe_by_rel_path(function_tmpdir, use_ext, forgive):
 
     with set_dir(inner_dir):
         # copy exe to relative dir
-        copy(expected, bin_dir / "mf6")
-        assert (bin_dir / "mf6").is_file()
+        new_exe_path = bin_dir / Path(expected).name
+        copy(expected, new_exe_path)
+        assert new_exe_path.is_file()
 
-        expected = which(str(Path(bin_dir / "mf6").absolute())).lower()
+        expected = which(str(new_exe_path.absolute())).lower()
         actual = resolve_exe(f"../bin/mf6{ext}")
         assert actual.lower() == expected
         assert which(actual)
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ def test_resolve_exe_by_rel_path(function_tmpdir, use_ext, forgive):
 
 
 def test_run_model_when_namefile_not_in_model_ws(
-    mf6_model_path, example_data_path, function_tmpdir
+    mf6_model_path, function_tmpdir
 ):
     # copy input files to temp workspace
     ws = function_tmpdir / "ws"
diff --git a/autotest/test_modflow.py b/autotest/test_modflow.py
index 4f165dd11d..8e1c8b114a 100644
--- a/autotest/test_modflow.py
+++ b/autotest/test_modflow.py
@@ -207,10 +207,10 @@ def test_exe_selection(example_data_path, function_tmpdir):
 
     # no selection defaults to mf2005
     exe_name = "mf2005"
-    assert Path(Modflow().exe_name).name == exe_name
-    assert Path(Modflow(exe_name=None).exe_name).name == exe_name
+    assert Path(Modflow().exe_name).stem == exe_name
+    assert Path(Modflow(exe_name=None).exe_name).stem == exe_name
     assert (
-        Path(Modflow.load(namfile_path, model_ws=model_path).exe_name).name
+        Path(Modflow.load(namfile_path, model_ws=model_path).exe_name).stem
         == exe_name
     )
     assert (
@@ -218,20 +218,20 @@ def test_exe_selection(example_data_path, function_tmpdir):
             Modflow.load(
                 namfile_path, exe_name=None, model_ws=model_path
             ).exe_name
-        ).name
+        ).stem
         == exe_name
     )
 
     # user-specified (just for testing - there is no legitimate reason
     # to use mp7 with Modflow but Modpath7 derives from BaseModel too)
     exe_name = "mp7"
-    assert Path(Modflow(exe_name=exe_name).exe_name).name == exe_name
+    assert Path(Modflow(exe_name=exe_name).exe_name).stem == exe_name
     assert (
         Path(
             Modflow.load(
                 namfile_path, exe_name=exe_name, model_ws=model_path
             ).exe_name
-        ).name
+        ).stem
         == exe_name
     )
 
diff --git a/flopy/mbase.py b/flopy/mbase.py
index 846bc6fca9..c09c9b1e02 100644
--- a/flopy/mbase.py
+++ b/flopy/mbase.py
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@
 from .utils import flopy_io
 from .version import __version__
 
+on_windows = sys.platform.startswith("win")
+
 # Prepend flopy appdir bin directory to PATH to work with "get-modflow :flopy"
-if sys.platform.startswith("win"):
+if on_windows:
     flopy_bin = os.path.expandvars(r"%LOCALAPPDATA%\flopy\bin")
 else:
     flopy_bin = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~"), ".local/share/flopy/bin")
@@ -62,25 +64,34 @@ def resolve_exe(
         str: absolute path to the executable
     """
 
-    exe_name = str(exe_name)
-    exe = which(exe_name)
-    if exe is not None:
-        # in case which() returned a relative path, resolve it
-        exe = which(str(Path(exe).resolve()))
-    else:
-        if exe_name.lower().endswith(".exe"):
-            # try removing .exe suffix
-            exe = which(exe_name[:-4])
+    def _resolve(exe_name):
+        exe = which(exe_name)
         if exe is not None:
-            # in case which() returned a relative path, resolve it
+            # if which() returned a relative path, resolve it
             exe = which(str(Path(exe).resolve()))
         else:
-            # try tilde-expanded abspath
-            exe = which(Path(exe_name).expanduser().absolute())
-        if exe is None and exe_name.lower().endswith(".exe"):
-            # try tilde-expanded abspath without .exe suffix
-            exe = which(Path(exe_name[:-4]).expanduser().absolute())
-    if exe is None:
+            if exe_name.lower().endswith(".exe"):
+                # try removing .exe suffix
+                exe = which(exe_name[:-4])
+            if exe is not None:
+                # in case which() returned a relative path, resolve it
+                exe = which(str(Path(exe).resolve()))
+            else:
+                # try tilde-expanded abspath
+                exe = which(Path(exe_name).expanduser().absolute())
+            if exe is None and exe_name.lower().endswith(".exe"):
+                # try tilde-expanded abspath without .exe suffix
+                exe = which(Path(exe_name[:-4]).expanduser().absolute())
+        return exe
+
+    name = str(exe_name)
+    exe_path = _resolve(name)
+    if exe_path is None and on_windows and Path(name).suffix == "":
+        # try adding .exe suffix on windows (for portability from other OS)
+        exe_path = _resolve(f"{name}.exe")
+
+    # raise if we are unforgiving, otherwise return None
+    if exe_path is None:
         if forgive:
             warn(
                 f"The program {exe_name} does not exist or is not executable."
@@ -90,7 +101,8 @@ def resolve_exe(
         raise FileNotFoundError(
             f"The program {exe_name} does not exist or is not executable."
         )
-    return exe
+
+    return exe_path
 
 
 # external exceptions for users