diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/PrintReadsWalker.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/PrintReadsWalker.java
index 885343d9e..242a294d5 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/PrintReadsWalker.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/PrintReadsWalker.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.walkers;
 
 import net.sf.samtools.SAMRecord;
+import net.sf.samtools.SAMReadGroupRecord;
 import net.sf.samtools.SAMFileWriter;
 import net.sf.samtools.SAMFileHeader;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.cmdLine.Argument;
@@ -49,6 +50,17 @@ public class PrintReadsWalker extends ReadWalker<SAMRecord, SAMFileWriter> {
     String outputBamFile = null;
     @Argument(fullName = "maxReadLength", shortName = "maxRead", doc="Discard reads with length greater than the specified value", required = false)
     Integer maxLength = null;
+    @Argument(fullName = "platform", shortName = "platform", doc="Discard reads not generated by the specified platform", required = false)
+    String platform = null;
+    // E.g. ILLUMINA, 454
+
+    /**
+     * The initialize function.
+     */
+    public void initialize() {
+        if  ( platform != null )
+            platform = platform.toUpperCase();
+    }
 
     /**
      * The reads filter function.
@@ -57,7 +69,20 @@ public class PrintReadsWalker extends ReadWalker<SAMRecord, SAMFileWriter> {
      * @return true if the read passes the filter, false if it doesn't
      */
     public boolean filter(char[] ref, SAMRecord read) {
-		return (maxLength == null || read.getReadLength() <= maxLength);
+        if ( maxLength != null && read.getReadLength() > maxLength )
+            return false;
+        if  ( platform != null ) {
+            Object readGroupAttr = read.getAttribute("RG");
+            if ( readGroupAttr != null ) {
+                SAMReadGroupRecord readGroup = getToolkit().getEngine().getSAMHeader().getReadGroup(readGroupAttr.toString());
+                if ( readGroup != null ) {
+                    Object readPlatformAttr = readGroup.getAttribute("PL");
+                    if ( readPlatformAttr != null )
+                        return readPlatformAttr.toString().toUpperCase().contains(platform);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
 	}
 
     /**