diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/varianteval/VariantEvalWalker.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/varianteval/VariantEvalWalker.java
index e727f04a1..60a8298a4 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/varianteval/VariantEvalWalker.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/varianteval/VariantEvalWalker.java
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ public class VariantEvalWalker extends RodWalker<Integer, Integer> {
     protected double MENDELIAN_VIOLATION_QUAL_THRESHOLD = 50;
 
     @Argument(shortName="outputVCF", fullName="InterestingSitesVCF", doc="If provided, interesting sites emitted to this vcf and the INFO field annotated as to why they are interesting", required=false)
-    protected String outputVCF = null;
+    protected VCFWriter writer = null;
 
     @Argument(shortName="gcLog", fullName="GenotypeCocordanceLog", doc="If provided, sites with genotype concordance problems (e.g., FP and FNs) will be emitted ot this file", required=false)
     protected PrintStream gcLog = null;
@@ -291,7 +291,6 @@ public class VariantEvalWalker extends RodWalker<Integer, Integer> {
     private Set<Class<? extends VariantEvaluator>> evaluationClasses = null;
 
     /** output writer for interesting sites */
-    private VCFWriter writer = null;
     private boolean wroteHeader = false;
 
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -348,9 +347,6 @@ public class VariantEvalWalker extends RodWalker<Integer, Integer> {
         contexts = initializeEvaluationContexts(evalNames, compNames, selectExps);
         determineContextNamePartSizes();
 
-        if ( outputVCF != null )
-            writer = new StandardVCFWriter(new File(outputVCF));
-
         if ( rsIDFile != null ) {
             if ( maxRsIDBuild == Integer.MAX_VALUE )
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("rsIDFile " + rsIDFile + " was given but associated max RSID build parameter wasn't available");
diff --git a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/varianteval/VariantEvalIntegrationTest.java b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/varianteval/VariantEvalIntegrationTest.java
index 0e7acc5b0..eb39cd234 100755
--- a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/varianteval/VariantEvalIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/varianteval/VariantEvalIntegrationTest.java
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public class
 
     @Test
     public void testVEWriteVCF() {
-        String extraArgs = "-L 1:1-10,000,000 -family NA19238+NA19239=NA19240 -MVQ 30 -E MendelianViolationEvaluator";
+        String extraArgs = "-L 1:1-10,000,000 -NO_HEADER -family NA19238+NA19239=NA19240 -MVQ 30 -E MendelianViolationEvaluator";
         for (String tests : testsEnumerations) {
             WalkerTestSpec spec = new WalkerTestSpec(tests + " " + extraArgs + " -o %s -outputVCF %s",
                     2,