diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/refdata/utils/GATKFeature.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/refdata/utils/GATKFeature.java
index 9618b7485..f24df2a4a 100644
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/refdata/utils/GATKFeature.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/refdata/utils/GATKFeature.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import org.broad.tribble.Feature;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.refdata.ReferenceOrderedDatum;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLocParser;
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.exceptions.ReviewedStingException;
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.exceptions.UserException;
 
 
 /**
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ public abstract class GATKFeature implements Feature {
         this.name = name;
     }
 
-    private String name;
+    String name;
 
     protected void setName(String name) {
         this.name = name;
@@ -73,6 +75,9 @@ public abstract class GATKFeature implements Feature {
         }
         public GenomeLoc getLocation() {
             if (position == null) position = genomeLocParser.createGenomeLoc(feature.getChr(), feature.getStart(), feature.getEnd());
+            if (position.getStart() > position.getStop()) {
+                throw new UserException.BadInput("A feature produced by the reference metadata track named \"" + this.name + "\" at position " + position + " has a start greater than the stop; this is an invalid this is an invalid position");
+            }
             return position;
         }