diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/IndelRealigner.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/IndelRealigner.java
index 4b38d76eb..4bd2f408f 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/IndelRealigner.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/IndelRealigner.java
@@ -589,12 +589,12 @@ public class IndelRealigner extends ReadWalker<Integer, Integer> {
 
                         // fix the attribute tags
                         if ( read.getAttribute(SAMTag.NM.name()) != null )
-                            read.setAttribute("NM", SequenceUtil.calculateSamNmTag(read, reference, (int)leftmostIndex-1));
+                            read.setAttribute(SAMTag.NM.name(), SequenceUtil.calculateSamNmTag(read, reference, (int)leftmostIndex-1));
                         if ( read.getAttribute(SAMTag.UQ.name()) != null )
-                            read.setAttribute("UQ", SequenceUtil.sumQualitiesOfMismatches(read, reference, (int)leftmostIndex-1));
+                            read.setAttribute(SAMTag.UQ.name(), SequenceUtil.sumQualitiesOfMismatches(read, reference, (int)leftmostIndex-1));
                         // TODO -- this is only temporary until Tim adds code to recalculate this value
                         if ( read.getAttribute(SAMTag.MD.name()) != null )
-                            read.setAttribute("MD", null);
+                            read.setAttribute(SAMTag.MD.name(), null);
                     }
                 }
             }