diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/playground/gatk/walkers/vcftools/VCFCombine.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/playground/gatk/walkers/vcftools/VCFCombine.java
index 443271dbc..1ab6d79ad 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/playground/gatk/walkers/vcftools/VCFCombine.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/playground/gatk/walkers/vcftools/VCFCombine.java
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public class VCFCombine extends RodWalker<VCFRecord, VCFWriter> {
             vcfWriter = new VCFWriter(out);
 
         if ( PRIORITY_STRING != null )
-            priority = PRIORITY_STRING.toLowerCase().split(",");
+            priority = PRIORITY_STRING.split(",");
 
         Set<String> samples;
         switch (COMBO_TYPE ) {