diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalDatum.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalDatum.java
index 8ae2eed82..1ab3b10c4 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalDatum.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalDatum.java
@@ -135,14 +135,6 @@ public class RecalDatum {
         this.estimatedQReported = estimatedQReported;
     }
 
-    public static RecalDatum createRandomRecalDatum(int maxObservations, int maxErrors) {
-        final Random random = new Random();
-        final int nObservations = random.nextInt(maxObservations);
-        final int nErrors = random.nextInt(maxErrors);
-        final int qual = random.nextInt(QualityUtils.MAX_QUAL_SCORE);
-        return new RecalDatum(nObservations, nErrors, (byte)qual);
-    }
-
     public final double getEstimatedQReported() {
         return estimatedQReported;
     }
diff --git a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalDatumUnitTest.java b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalDatumUnitTest.java
index 715acad03..0f0c74362 100644
--- a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalDatumUnitTest.java
+++ b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalDatumUnitTest.java
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ public class RecalDatumUnitTest extends BaseTest {
             Assert.assertEquals(datum.getEstimatedQReportedAsByte(), cfg.getReportedQual());
         BaseTest.assertEqualsDoubleSmart(datum.getEmpiricalQuality(), cfg.getErrorRatePhredScaled());
         BaseTest.assertEqualsDoubleSmart(datum.getEmpiricalErrorRate(), cfg.getErrorRate());
+
+        final double e = datum.getEmpiricalQuality();
+        Assert.assertTrue(datum.getEmpiricalQualityAsByte() >= Math.floor(e));
+        Assert.assertTrue(datum.getEmpiricalQualityAsByte() <= Math.ceil(e));
+        Assert.assertNotNull(datum.toString());
     }
 
     @Test(dataProvider = "RecalDatumTestProvider")
@@ -145,10 +150,32 @@ public class RecalDatumUnitTest extends BaseTest {
         cfg.exTotal++;
         assertBasicFeaturesOfRecalDatum(datum, cfg);
 
+        datum = cfg.makeRecalDatum();
+        datum.increment(false);
+        cfg.exTotal++;
+        assertBasicFeaturesOfRecalDatum(datum, cfg);
+
+        datum = cfg.makeRecalDatum();
+        datum.incrementNumObservations(2);
+        cfg.exTotal += 2;
+        assertBasicFeaturesOfRecalDatum(datum, cfg);
+
+        datum = cfg.makeRecalDatum();
+        datum.incrementNumMismatches(2);
+        cfg.exError += 2;
+        assertBasicFeaturesOfRecalDatum(datum, cfg);
+
+
         datum = cfg.makeRecalDatum();
         datum.increment(10, 5);
         cfg.exError += 5;
         cfg.exTotal += 10;
         assertBasicFeaturesOfRecalDatum(datum, cfg);
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNoObs() {
+        final RecalDatum rd = new RecalDatum(0, 0, (byte)10);
+        Assert.assertEquals(rd.getEmpiricalErrorRate(), 0.0);
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalibrationReportUnitTest.java b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalibrationReportUnitTest.java
index d597b9f2c..b190f2ff2 100644
--- a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalibrationReportUnitTest.java
+++ b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/recalibration/RecalibrationReportUnitTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ import java.util.*;
  * @since 4/21/12
  */
 public class RecalibrationReportUnitTest {
+    private static RecalDatum createRandomRecalDatum(int maxObservations, int maxErrors) {
+        final Random random = new Random();
+        final int nObservations = random.nextInt(maxObservations);
+        final int nErrors = random.nextInt(maxErrors);
+        final int qual = random.nextInt(QualityUtils.MAX_QUAL_SCORE);
+        return new RecalDatum(nObservations, nErrors, (byte)qual);
+    }
+
     @Test(enabled = false)
     public void testOutput() {
         final int length = 100;
@@ -86,12 +94,12 @@ public class RecalibrationReportUnitTest {
                 final int[] covariates = rc.getKeySet(offset, errorMode);
                 final int randomMax = errorMode == EventType.BASE_SUBSTITUTION ? 10000 : 100000;
 
-                rgTable.put(RecalDatum.createRandomRecalDatum(randomMax, 10), covariates[0], errorMode.index);
-                qualTable.put(RecalDatum.createRandomRecalDatum(randomMax, 10), covariates[0], covariates[1], errorMode.index);
+                rgTable.put(createRandomRecalDatum(randomMax, 10), covariates[0], errorMode.index);
+                qualTable.put(createRandomRecalDatum(randomMax, 10), covariates[0], covariates[1], errorMode.index);
                 nKeys += 2;
                 for (int j = 0; j < optionalCovariates.size(); j++) {
                     final NestedIntegerArray<RecalDatum> covTable = recalibrationTables.getTable(RecalibrationTables.TableType.OPTIONAL_COVARIATE_TABLES_START.index + j);
-                    covTable.put(RecalDatum.createRandomRecalDatum(randomMax, 10), covariates[0], covariates[1], j, covariates[RecalibrationTables.TableType.OPTIONAL_COVARIATE_TABLES_START.index + j], errorMode.index);
+                    covTable.put(createRandomRecalDatum(randomMax, 10), covariates[0], covariates[1], j, covariates[RecalibrationTables.TableType.OPTIONAL_COVARIATE_TABLES_START.index + j], errorMode.index);
                     nKeys++;
                 }
             }