diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/MVLikelihoodRatio.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/MVLikelihoodRatio.java
index e0a2329f8..8da64608f 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/MVLikelihoodRatio.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/annotator/MVLikelihoodRatio.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public class MVLikelihoodRatio extends InfoFieldAnnotation implements Experiment
 
     public Map<String, Object> annotate(RefMetaDataTracker tracker, AnnotatorCompatibleWalker walker, ReferenceContext ref, Map<String, AlignmentContext> stratifiedContexts, VariantContext vc) {
         if ( mendelianViolation == null ) {
-            if ( walker instanceof VariantAnnotator ) {
+            if ( walker instanceof VariantAnnotator && ((VariantAnnotator) walker).familyStr != null) {
                 mendelianViolation = new MendelianViolation(((VariantAnnotator)walker).familyStr, ((VariantAnnotator)walker).minGenotypeQualityP );
             }
             else {
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ public class MVLikelihoodRatio extends InfoFieldAnnotation implements Experiment
         }
 
         Map<String,Object> toRet = new HashMap<String,Object>(1);
-        boolean hasAppropriateGenotypes = vc.hasGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleChild()) &&
-                vc.hasGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleDad()) &&
-                vc.hasGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleMom());
+        boolean hasAppropriateGenotypes = vc.hasGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleChild()) && vc.getGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleChild()).hasLikelihoods() &&
+                vc.hasGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleDad()) && vc.getGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleDad()).hasLikelihoods() &&
+                vc.hasGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleMom()) && vc.getGenotype(mendelianViolation.getSampleMom()).hasLikelihoods();
         if ( hasAppropriateGenotypes )
             toRet.put("MVLR",mendelianViolation.violationLikelihoodRatio(vc));
 
diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/codecs/table/TableCodec.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/codecs/table/TableCodec.java
index 1919ccbf0..fac926587 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/codecs/table/TableCodec.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/codecs/table/TableCodec.java
@@ -86,7 +86,13 @@ public class TableCodec implements ReferenceDependentFeatureCodec {
     public Object readHeader(LineReader reader) {
         String line = "";
         try {
+            boolean isFirst = true;
             while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
+                System.out.println(line);
+                if ( isFirst && ! line.startsWith(headerDelimiter) ) {
+                    throw new UserException.MalformedFile("TableCodec file does not have a header");
+                }
+                isFirst &= false;
                 if (line.startsWith(headerDelimiter)) {
                     if (header.size() > 0) throw new IllegalStateException("Input table file seems to have two header lines.  The second is = " + line);
                     String spl[] = line.split(delimiterRegex);
diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/codecs/table/TableFeature.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/codecs/table/TableFeature.java
index a85849f0b..4b5c51bd4 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/codecs/table/TableFeature.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/codecs/table/TableFeature.java
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.codecs.table;
 
+
 import org.broad.tribble.Feature;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.Utils;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -44,6 +46,10 @@ public class TableFeature implements Feature {
         return values.get(columnPosition);
     }
 
+    public String toString() {
+        return String.format("%s\t%s",position.toString(), Utils.join("\t",values));
+    }
+
     public String get(String columnName) {
         int position = keys.indexOf(columnName);
         if (position < 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException("We don't have a column named " + columnName);