diff --git a/java/org/jlab/coda/hipo/Writer.java b/java/org/jlab/coda/hipo/Writer.java
index 006acc83..9c452f77 100644
--- a/java/org/jlab/coda/hipo/Writer.java
+++ b/java/org/jlab/coda/hipo/Writer.java
@@ -122,9 +122,7 @@ public class Writer implements AutoCloseable {
      * <b>No</b> file is opened. Any file will have little endian byte order.
      */
     public Writer() {
-        outputRecord = new RecordOutputStream();
-        fileHeader = new FileHeader(true);
-        headerBuffer.order(byteOrder);
+        this(HeaderType.EVIO_FILE, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, 0, 0);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -422,6 +420,35 @@ public void addTrailerWithIndex(boolean addTrailingIndex) {
         }
     }
 
+    /** Called by open(), needed if open called multiple times in succession. */
+    private void clear() {
+        // If writing to file ...
+        if (toFile) {
+            future1 = null;
+            future2 = null;
+            futureIndex = 0;
+            fileWritingPosition = 0L;
+
+            internalRecords[0].reset();
+            internalRecords[1].reset();
+            internalRecords[2].reset();
+            outputRecord = internalRecords[0];
+
+            usedRecords[0] = null;
+            usedRecords[1] = null;
+        }
+
+        // For both files & buffers
+        outputRecord.reset();
+        headerBuffer.clear();
+        recordLengths.clear();
+        writerBytesWritten = 0;
+        recordNumber = 1;
+        closed = false;
+        opened = false;
+        firstRecordWritten = false;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Open a new file and write file header with no user header.
      * Will not overwrite existing file.
@@ -482,6 +509,8 @@ else if (!toFile) {
             throw new HipoException("filename arg is null");
         }
 
+        clear();
+
         ByteBuffer headBuffer;
         haveUserHeader = false;
 
@@ -573,6 +602,8 @@ else if (toFile) {
             throw new HipoException("bad arg");
         }
 
+        clear();
+
         if (userHdr == null) {
             if (dictionaryFirstEventBuffer != null) {
                 userHeader = dictionaryFirstEventBuffer.array();
@@ -1215,21 +1246,6 @@ private void writeOutputToBuffer() {
     //---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-    /** Get this object ready for re-use.
-     * Follow calling this with call to {@link #open(String)}. */
-    public void reset() {
-        outputRecord.reset();
-        fileHeader.reset();
-        writerBytesWritten = 0L;
-        recordNumber = 1;
-        addTrailer = false;
-        firstRecordWritten = false;
-
-        closed = false;
-        opened = false;
-    }
-
-
     /**
      * Close opened file. If the output record contains events,
      * they will be flushed to file/buffer. Trailer and its optional index
diff --git a/java/org/jlab/coda/hipo/WriterMT.java b/java/org/jlab/coda/hipo/WriterMT.java
index b9966409..2054a8f6 100644
--- a/java/org/jlab/coda/hipo/WriterMT.java
+++ b/java/org/jlab/coda/hipo/WriterMT.java
@@ -113,8 +113,6 @@ public class WriterMT implements AutoCloseable {
     private boolean closed;
     /** Has open() been called? */
     private boolean opened;
-    /** Has the first record been written already? */
-    private boolean firstRecordWritten;
     /** Has a dictionary been defined? */
     private boolean haveDictionary;
     /** Has a first event been defined? */
@@ -547,6 +545,20 @@ public void addTrailerWithIndex(boolean addTrailingIndex) {
         }
     }
 
+    /** Called by open(), needed if open called multiple times in succession. */
+    private void clear() {
+        // outputRecord belongs to ringItem which is taken from supply and is put back in close()
+        if (outputRecord == null || ringItem == null) {
+            ringItem = supply.get();
+            outputRecord = ringItem.getRecord();
+        }
+
+        writerBytesWritten = 0L;
+        recordNumber = 1;
+        closed = false;
+        opened = false;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Open a new file and write file header with no user header.
      * Existing file is NOT overwritten.
@@ -592,6 +604,8 @@ public final void open(String filename, byte[] userHdr, boolean overwrite) throw
             throw new HipoException("bad filename");
         }
 
+        clear();
+
         ByteBuffer fileHeaderBuffer;
         haveUserHeader = false;
 
@@ -1048,16 +1062,6 @@ public void addEvent(EvioNode node) throws HipoException {
 
     //---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    /** Get this object ready for re-use.
-     * Follow calling this with call to {@link #open(String)}. */
-    public void reset() {
-        outputRecord.reset();
-        fileHeader.reset();
-        writerBytesWritten = 0L;
-        recordNumber = 1;
-        addingTrailer = false;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Close opened file. If the output record contains events,
      * they will be flushed to file. Trailer and its optional index
@@ -1072,6 +1076,9 @@ public void close() {
             supply.publish(ringItem);
         }
 
+        outputRecord = null;
+        ringItem = null;
+
         // Since the writer thread is the last to process each record,
         // wait until it's done with the last item, then exit the thread.
         recordWriterThread.waitForLastItem();
diff --git a/src/libsrc++/Writer.cpp b/src/libsrc++/Writer.cpp
index 2ac91255..7f31c35e 100644
--- a/src/libsrc++/Writer.cpp
+++ b/src/libsrc++/Writer.cpp
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ namespace evio {
             dictionaryFirstEventBuffer = createDictionaryRecord();
 //std::cout << "Writer const: created dict/fe event buffer of size " << dictionaryFirstEventBuffer->remaining() << std::endl;
 //Util::printBytes(dictionaryFirstEventBuffer, 0, dictionaryFirstEventBuffer->remaining(), "FIRST RECORD Bytes");
-            // make this the user header by default since open() may not get called for buffers
+            // make this the user header by default
             // TODO: SHOULD NOT AVOID the shared pointer!!!!! Look at userHeader uses!!!
             userHeader = dictionaryFirstEventBuffer->array();
             userHeaderLength = dictionaryFirstEventBuffer->remaining();
@@ -439,6 +439,27 @@ namespace evio {
     }
 
 
+    /**
+     * Called by open(), needed if open called multiple times in succession.
+     */
+    void Writer::clear() {
+
+        // For both files & buffers
+        unusedRecord->reset();
+        outputRecord->reset();
+        beingWrittenRecord = nullptr;
+
+        recordLengths->clear();
+        writerBytesWritten = 0;
+        recordNumber = 1;
+        closed = false;
+        opened = false;
+        firstRecordWritten = false;
+
+        headerArray.clear();
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * Open a new file and write file header with no user header.
      * @param filename output file name
@@ -480,6 +501,8 @@ namespace evio {
             throw EvioException("bad filename");
         }
 
+        clear();
+
         std::shared_ptr<ByteBuffer> fileHeaderBuffer;
         haveUserHeader = false;
 
@@ -556,6 +579,8 @@ namespace evio {
             throw EvioException("can only write to a file, call open(filename, userHdr)");
         }
 
+        clear();
+
         if (userHdr == nullptr) {
             if (dictionaryFirstEventBuffer->remaining() > 0) {
                 userHeader = dictionaryFirstEventBuffer->array();
@@ -698,6 +723,7 @@ namespace evio {
         int userHeaderBytes = 0;
         if (userHdr != nullptr) {
             userHeaderBytes = userLen;
+             +
         }
         // TODO: make sure next line is necessary (taken from WriterMT)
         fileHeader.reset();
@@ -1233,21 +1259,6 @@ namespace evio {
 
     //---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    /** Get this object ready for re-use.
-     * Follow calling this with call to {@link #open(const std::string &)}. */
-    void Writer::reset() {
-        outputRecord->reset();
-        fileHeader.reset();
-        writerBytesWritten = 0L;
-        recordNumber = 1;
-        addingTrailer = false;
-        firstRecordWritten = false;
-
-        closed = false;
-        opened = false;
-    }
-
-
     /**
      * Close opened file. If the output record contains events,
      * they will be flushed to file/buffer. Trailer and its optional index
diff --git a/src/libsrc++/Writer.h b/src/libsrc++/Writer.h
index ebf6b1fe..f78d977c 100644
--- a/src/libsrc++/Writer.h
+++ b/src/libsrc++/Writer.h
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ namespace evio {
 
     private:
 
+        void clear();
         void writeTrailer(bool writeIndex, uint32_t recordNum, uint64_t trailerPos);
 
     };
diff --git a/src/libsrc++/WriterMT.cpp b/src/libsrc++/WriterMT.cpp
index 062e2011..3c088cb7 100644
--- a/src/libsrc++/WriterMT.cpp
+++ b/src/libsrc++/WriterMT.cpp
@@ -248,6 +248,21 @@ namespace evio {
     }
 
 
+    /** Called by open(), needed if open called multiple times in succession. */
+    void WriterMT::clear() {
+        // outputRecord belongs to ringItem which is taken from supply and is put back in close()
+        if (outputRecord == nullptr || ringItem == nullptr) {
+            ringItem = supply->get();
+            outputRecord = ringItem->getRecord();
+        }
+
+        writerBytesWritten = 0L;
+        recordNumber = 1;
+        closed = false;
+        opened = false;
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * Open a new file and write file header with no user header.
      * @param filename output file name
@@ -285,6 +300,8 @@ namespace evio {
             throw EvioException("bad filename");
         }
 
+        clear();
+
         std::shared_ptr<ByteBuffer> fileHeaderBuffer;
         haveUserHeader = false;
 
@@ -671,21 +688,6 @@ namespace evio {
     //---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-    /** Get this object ready for re-use.
-     * Follow calling this with call to {@link #open(const std::string &)}. */
-    void WriterMT::reset() {
-        outputRecord->reset();
-        fileHeader.reset();
-        writerBytesWritten = 0L;
-        recordNumber = 1;
-        addingTrailer = false;
-        firstRecordWritten = false;
-
-        closed = false;
-        opened = false;
-    }
-
-
     /**
      * Close opened file. If the output record contains events,
      * they will be flushed to file. Trailer and its optional index
@@ -701,6 +703,9 @@ namespace evio {
             supply->publish(ringItem);
         }
 
+        outputRecord = nullptr;
+        ringItem = nullptr;
+
         // Since the writer thread is the last to process each record,
         // wait until it's done with the last item, then exit the thread.
         recordWriterThreads[0].waitForLastItem();
diff --git a/src/libsrc++/WriterMT.h b/src/libsrc++/WriterMT.h
index 2d1081f7..48522f14 100644
--- a/src/libsrc++/WriterMT.h
+++ b/src/libsrc++/WriterMT.h
@@ -306,8 +306,6 @@ namespace evio {
         bool closed = false;
         /** Has open() been called? */
         bool opened = false;
-        /** Has the first record been written already? */
-        bool firstRecordWritten = false;
         /** Has a dictionary been defined? */
         bool haveDictionary = false;
         /** Has a first event been defined? */
@@ -349,6 +347,7 @@ namespace evio {
 
         std::shared_ptr<ByteBuffer> createDictionaryRecord();
         void writeTrailer(bool writeIndex, uint32_t recordNum);
+        void clear();
 
     public:
 
@@ -379,7 +378,7 @@ namespace evio {
 //    void addEvent(EvioBank & bank);
         void addEvent(EvioNode & node);
 
-        void reset();
+    //    void reset();
         void close();
 
     };