diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/GATKSAMRecord.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/GATKSAMRecord.java
index d95570d9b..3fe1060dd 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/GATKSAMRecord.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/GATKSAMRecord.java
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ public class GATKSAMRecord extends BAMRecord {
     public void setReadGroup( final GATKSAMReadGroupRecord readGroup ) {
         mReadGroup = readGroup;
         retrievedReadGroup = true;
+        setAttribute("RG", mReadGroup.getId());       // todo -- this should be standardized, but we don't have access to SAMTagUtils!
     }
 
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////