diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/UnifiedGenotypeLikelihoods.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/UnifiedGenotypeLikelihoods.java
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d06ba7c89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/UnifiedGenotypeLikelihoods.java
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.walkers.genotyper;
+
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.ReadBackedPileup;
+
+import net.sf.samtools.SAMRecord;
+
+
+/**
+ A wrapper around the GenotypeLikelihoods class for the UnifiedGenotyper.
+ This class incorporates both strand-based likelihoods and a combined likelihoods over both strands.
+*/
+
+public class UnifiedGenotypeLikelihoods {
+
+    private GenotypeLikelihoods forwardStrandGL;
+    private GenotypeLikelihoods reverseStrandGL;
+    private GenotypeLikelihoods combinedGL;
+
+    public UnifiedGenotypeLikelihoods(BaseMismatchModel baseModel, DiploidGenotypePriors priors, EmpiricalSubstitutionGenotypeLikelihoods.SequencerPlatform defaultPlatform, boolean VERBOSE) {
+        forwardStrandGL = GenotypeLikelihoodsFactory.makeGenotypeLikelihoods(baseModel, priors, defaultPlatform);
+        forwardStrandGL.setVerbose(VERBOSE);
+        reverseStrandGL = GenotypeLikelihoodsFactory.makeGenotypeLikelihoods(baseModel, priors, defaultPlatform);
+        reverseStrandGL.setVerbose(VERBOSE);
+        combinedGL = GenotypeLikelihoodsFactory.makeGenotypeLikelihoods(baseModel, priors, defaultPlatform);
+        combinedGL.setVerbose(VERBOSE);
+    }
+
+    public GenotypeLikelihoods getForwardStrandGenotypeLikelihoods() { return forwardStrandGL; }
+    public GenotypeLikelihoods getReverseStrandGenotypeLikelihoods() { return reverseStrandGL; }
+    public GenotypeLikelihoods getGenotypeLikelihoods() { return combinedGL; }
+
+    public void add(ReadBackedPileup pileup) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < pileup.getReads().size(); i++) {
+            int offset = pileup.getOffsets().get(i);
+            // ignore deletions
+            if ( offset == -1 )
+                continue;
+
+            SAMRecord read = pileup.getReads().get(i);
+            char base = read.getReadString().charAt(offset);
+            add(base, read, offset);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void add(char base, SAMRecord read, int offset) {
+        if ( !read.getReadNegativeStrandFlag() )
+            forwardStrandGL.add(base, read.getBaseQualities()[offset], read, offset);
+        else
+            reverseStrandGL.add(base, read.getBaseQualities()[offset], read, offset);
+        combinedGL.add(base, read.getBaseQualities()[offset], read, offset);
+    }
+
+    public void setPriors(DiploidGenotypePriors priors) {
+        forwardStrandGL.setPriors(priors);
+        reverseStrandGL.setPriors(priors);
+        combinedGL.setPriors(priors);
+    }
+}