diff --git a/protected/gatk-protected/src/main/java/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/ReadBin.java b/protected/gatk-protected/src/main/java/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/ReadBin.java
index 758256c82..b086568e6 100644
--- a/protected/gatk-protected/src/main/java/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/ReadBin.java
+++ b/protected/gatk-protected/src/main/java/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/ReadBin.java
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class ReadBin implements HasGenomeLocation {
         final int readStart = read.getSoftStart();
         final int readStop = read.getSoftEnd();
         if ( loc == null )
-            loc = parser.createGenomeLoc(read.getReferenceName(), readStart, readStop);
+            loc = parser.createGenomeLoc(read.getReferenceName(), readStart, Math.max(readStop, readStart)); // in case it's all an insertion
         else if ( readStop > loc.getStop() )
             loc = parser.createGenomeLoc(loc.getContig(), loc.getStart(), readStop);
 
diff --git a/protected/gatk-protected/src/test/java/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/ReadBinUnitTest.java b/protected/gatk-protected/src/test/java/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/ReadBinUnitTest.java
index bc65f1a48..58dd9be13 100644
--- a/protected/gatk-protected/src/test/java/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/ReadBinUnitTest.java
+++ b/protected/gatk-protected/src/test/java/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/ReadBinUnitTest.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ public class ReadBinUnitTest {
                 {"20S80M", 80},
                 {"80M20S", 1},
                 {"20S60M20S", 50},
+                {"50I", 60},
                 {"100M", 500}
         };
     }
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ public class ReadBinUnitTest {
     @Test(enabled = true, dataProvider = "reads")
     public void testAddingReads(String cigarString, int alignmentStart) {
         final GATKSAMRecord read = createReadAndAddToBin(cigarString, alignmentStart);
-        final GenomeLoc readLoc = parser.createGenomeLoc(read.getReferenceName(), read.getReferenceIndex(), read.getSoftStart(), read.getSoftEnd());
+        final GenomeLoc readLoc = parser.createGenomeLoc(read.getReferenceName(), read.getReferenceIndex(), read.getSoftStart(), Math.max(read.getSoftStart(), read.getSoftEnd()));
         Assert.assertEquals(readBin.getLocation(), readLoc);
         readBin.clear();
     }