diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/pileup/PileupElement.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/pileup/PileupElement.java
index 12899e898..053864791 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/pileup/PileupElement.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/pileup/PileupElement.java
@@ -81,20 +81,17 @@ public class PileupElement {
     //
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    private Integer getReducedReadQualityTagValue() {
-        return getRead().getIntegerAttribute(ReadUtils.REDUCED_READ_QUALITY_TAG);
-    }
-
     public boolean isReducedRead() {
-        return getReducedReadQualityTagValue() != null;
+        return ReadUtils.isReducedRead(getRead());
     }
 
     public int getReducedCount() {
+        if ( ! isReducedRead() ) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot get reduced count for non-reduced read " + getRead().getReadName());
         return (int)getQual();
     }
 
     public byte getReducedQual() {
-        return (byte)(int)getReducedReadQualityTagValue();
+        return (byte)(int)ReadUtils.getReducedReadQualityTagValue(getRead());
     }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ReadUtils.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ReadUtils.java
index 49d79a72c..8beb1b21a 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ReadUtils.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ReadUtils.java
@@ -43,10 +43,43 @@ import java.util.*;
  * @version 0.1
  */
 public class ReadUtils {
-    public static final String REDUCED_READ_QUALITY_TAG = "RQ";
-
     private ReadUtils() { }
 
+    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    //
+    // Reduced read utilities
+    //
+    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    public static final String REDUCED_READ_QUALITY_TAG = "RQ";
+
+    public final static Integer getReducedReadQualityTagValue(final SAMRecord read) {
+        return read.getIntegerAttribute(ReadUtils.REDUCED_READ_QUALITY_TAG);
+    }
+
+    public final static boolean isReducedRead(final SAMRecord read) {
+        return getReducedReadQualityTagValue(read) != null;
+    }
+
+    public final static SAMRecord reducedReadWithReducedQuals(final SAMRecord read) {
+        if ( ! isReducedRead(read) ) throw new IllegalArgumentException("read must be a reduced read");
+        try {
+            SAMRecord newRead = (SAMRecord)read.clone();
+            byte reducedQual = (byte)(int)getReducedReadQualityTagValue(read);
+            byte[] newQuals = new byte[read.getBaseQualities().length];
+            Arrays.fill(newQuals, reducedQual);
+            newRead.setBaseQualities(newQuals);
+            return newRead;
+        } catch ( CloneNotSupportedException e ) {
+            throw new ReviewedStingException("SAMRecord no longer supports clone", e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    //
+    // General utilities
+    //
+    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     public static SAMFileHeader copySAMFileHeader(SAMFileHeader toCopy) {
         SAMFileHeader copy = new SAMFileHeader();
 
diff --git a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/ReadUtilsUnitTest.java b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/ReadUtilsUnitTest.java
index 7cb7fec98..e1fdadadc 100755
--- a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/ReadUtilsUnitTest.java
+++ b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/ReadUtilsUnitTest.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package org.broadinstitute.sting.utils;
 import net.sf.samtools.SAMFileHeader;
 import net.sf.samtools.SAMRecord;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.BaseTest;
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.pileup.PileupElement;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.sam.ArtificialSAMUtils;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.sam.ReadUtils;
 import org.testng.Assert;
@@ -12,9 +13,10 @@ import org.testng.annotations.Test;
 
 
 public class ReadUtilsUnitTest extends BaseTest {
-    SAMRecord read;
+    SAMRecord read, reducedRead;
     final static String BASES = "ACTG";
     final static String QUALS = "!+5?";
+    final private static int REDUCED_READ_QUAL = 20;
 
     @BeforeTest
     public void init() {
@@ -23,6 +25,11 @@ public class ReadUtilsUnitTest extends BaseTest {
         read.setReadUnmappedFlag(true);
         read.setReadBases(new String(BASES).getBytes());
         read.setBaseQualityString(new String(QUALS));
+
+        reducedRead = ArtificialSAMUtils.createArtificialRead(header, "reducedRead", 0, 1, BASES.length());
+        reducedRead.setReadBases(BASES.getBytes());
+        reducedRead.setBaseQualityString(QUALS);
+        reducedRead.setAttribute(ReadUtils.REDUCED_READ_QUALITY_TAG, REDUCED_READ_QUAL);
     }
 
     private void testReadBasesAndQuals(SAMRecord read, int expectedStart, int expectedStop) {
@@ -38,4 +45,40 @@ public class ReadUtilsUnitTest extends BaseTest {
     @Test public void testClip2Front() { testReadBasesAndQuals(read, 2, 4); }
     @Test public void testClip1Back() { testReadBasesAndQuals(read, 0, 3); }
     @Test public void testClip2Back() { testReadBasesAndQuals(read, 0, 2); }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testReducedReads() {
+        Assert.assertFalse(ReadUtils.isReducedRead(read), "isReducedRead is false for normal read");
+        Assert.assertEquals(ReadUtils.getReducedReadQualityTagValue(read), null, "No reduced read tag in normal read");
+
+        Assert.assertTrue(ReadUtils.isReducedRead(reducedRead), "isReducedRead is true for reduced read");
+        Assert.assertEquals((int) ReadUtils.getReducedReadQualityTagValue(reducedRead), REDUCED_READ_QUAL, "Reduced read tag is set to expected value");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testreducedReadWithReducedQualsWithReducedRead() {
+        SAMRecord replacedRead = ReadUtils.reducedReadWithReducedQuals(reducedRead);
+        Assert.assertEquals(replacedRead.getReadBases(), reducedRead.getReadBases());
+        Assert.assertEquals(replacedRead.getBaseQualities().length, reducedRead.getBaseQualities().length);
+        for ( int i = 0; i < replacedRead.getBaseQualities().length; i++)
+            Assert.assertEquals(replacedRead.getBaseQualities()[i], REDUCED_READ_QUAL);
+    }
+
+    @Test(expectedExceptions = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void testreducedReadWithReducedQualsWithNormalRead() {
+        ReadUtils.reducedReadWithReducedQuals(read);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testReducedReadPileupElement() {
+        PileupElement readp = new PileupElement(read,0);
+        PileupElement reducedreadp = new PileupElement(reducedRead,0);
+
+        Assert.assertFalse(readp.isReducedRead());
+
+        Assert.assertTrue(reducedreadp.isReducedRead());
+        Assert.assertEquals(reducedreadp.getReducedCount(), 0);
+        Assert.assertEquals(reducedreadp.getReducedQual(), REDUCED_READ_QUAL);
+
+    }
 }