diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/VariantAnnotator.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/VariantAnnotator.java
index 9f864c40b..0d9ccf738 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/VariantAnnotator.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/VariantAnnotator.java
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ public class VariantAnnotator extends RodWalker<Integer, Integer> {
         if ( USE_ALL_ANNOTATIONS )
             engine = new VariantAnnotatorEngine(getToolkit());
         else
-            engine = new VariantAnnotatorEngine(getToolkit(), annotationGroupsToUse, annotationsToUse, expressionsToUse);
+            engine = new VariantAnnotatorEngine(getToolkit(), annotationGroupsToUse, annotationsToUse);
+        engine.initializeExpressions(expressionsToUse);
 
         // setup the header fields
         // note that if any of the definitions conflict with our new ones, then we want to overwrite the old ones
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/VariantAnnotatorEngine.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/VariantAnnotatorEngine.java
index f890f9964..3eb60a54f 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/VariantAnnotatorEngine.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/VariantAnnotatorEngine.java
@@ -96,17 +96,14 @@ public class VariantAnnotatorEngine {
         initializeDBs(engine);
     }
 
-    // use this constructor if you want to select specific annotations (and/or interfaces), but no expressions
+    // use this constructor if you want to select specific annotations (and/or interfaces)
     public VariantAnnotatorEngine(GenomeAnalysisEngine engine, List<String> annotationGroupsToUse, List<String> annotationsToUse) {
         initializeAnnotations(annotationGroupsToUse, annotationsToUse);
         initializeDBs(engine);
     }
 
-    // use this constructor if you want to select specific annotations (and/or interfaces) plus expressions
-    public VariantAnnotatorEngine(GenomeAnalysisEngine engine, List<String> annotationGroupsToUse, List<String> annotationsToUse, List<String> expressionsToUse) {
-        initializeAnnotations(annotationGroupsToUse, annotationsToUse);
-        initializeDBs(engine);
-
+    // select specific expressions to use
+    public void initializeExpressions(List<String> expressionsToUse) {
         // set up the expressions
         for ( String expression : expressionsToUse )
             requestedExpressions.add(new VAExpression(expression));