diff --git a/flopy/utils/binaryfile.py b/flopy/utils/binaryfile.py
index a669a8a20..5dc6b26d8 100644
--- a/flopy/utils/binaryfile.py
+++ b/flopy/utils/binaryfile.py
@@ -638,7 +638,10 @@ def __init__(
 
     def reverse(self, filename: Optional[os.PathLike] = None):
         """
-        Write a new binary file with the records in reverse order.
+        Write a new binary head file with the records in reverse order.
+        If a new filename is not provided, or if the filename is the same
+        as the existing filename, the file will be overwritten and data
+        reloaded from the rewritten/reversed file.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
@@ -647,6 +650,12 @@ def reverse(self, filename: Optional[os.PathLike] = None):
             Path of the new reversed binary file to create.
         """
 
+        filename = (
+            Path(filename).expanduser().absolute()
+            if filename
+            else self.filename
+        )
+
         # header array formats
         dt = np.dtype(
             [
@@ -678,7 +687,7 @@ def reverse(self, filename: Optional[os.PathLike] = None):
         nrecords = self.recordarray.shape[0]
 
         # open backward file
-        with open(filename if filename else self.filename, "wb") as fbin:
+        with open(filename, "wb") as fbin:
             # loop over head file records in reverse order
             for idx in range(nrecords - 1, -1, -1):
                 # load header array
@@ -705,6 +714,10 @@ def reverse(self, filename: Optional[os.PathLike] = None):
                 data = np.array(data, dtype=np.float64)
                 data.tofile(fbin)
 
+        # if we rewrote the original file, reinitialize
+        if not filename or filename == self.filename:
+            super().__init__(self.filename, self.precision, self.verbose)
+
 
 class UcnFile(BinaryLayerFile):
     """
@@ -2025,7 +2038,10 @@ def close(self):
 
     def reverse(self, filename: Optional[os.PathLike] = None):
         """
-        Write a new binary cell budget file with the records in reverse order.
+        Write a binary cell budget file with the records in reverse order.
+        If a new filename is not provided, or if the filename is the same
+        as the existing filename, the file will be overwritten and data
+        reloaded from the rewritten/reversed file.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
@@ -2034,6 +2050,12 @@ def reverse(self, filename: Optional[os.PathLike] = None):
             Path of the new reversed binary cell budget file to create.
         """
 
+        filename = (
+            Path(filename).expanduser().absolute()
+            if filename
+            else self.filename
+        )
+
         # header array formats
         dt1 = np.dtype(
             [
@@ -2078,7 +2100,7 @@ def reverse(self, filename: Optional[os.PathLike] = None):
         nrecords = self.get_nrecords()
 
         # open backward budget file
-        with open(filename, "wb") as fbin:
+        with open(filename if filename else self.filename, "wb") as fbin:
             # loop over budget file records in reverse order
             for idx in range(nrecords - 1, -1, -1):
                 # load header array
@@ -2165,6 +2187,10 @@ def reverse(self, filename: Optional[os.PathLike] = None):
                 # Write data
                 data.tofile(fbin)
 
+        # if we rewrote the original file, reinitialize
+        if not filename or (filename == self.filename):
+            self.__init__(self.filename, self.precision, self.verbose)
+
 
 class HeadUFile(BinaryLayerFile):
     """