diff --git a/java/src/org/broad/tribble/vcf/VCFConstants.java b/java/src/org/broad/tribble/vcf/VCFConstants.java
index 179c69a55..616261287 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broad/tribble/vcf/VCFConstants.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broad/tribble/vcf/VCFConstants.java
@@ -25,11 +25,7 @@
 
 package org.broad.tribble.vcf;
 
-import java.util.Locale;
-
 public final class VCFConstants {
-    public static final Locale VCF_LOCALE = Locale.US;
-
     // standard INFO/FORMAT field keys
     public static final String ANCESTRAL_ALLELE_KEY = "AA";
     public static final String ALLELE_COUNT_KEY = "AC";
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/commandline/CommandLineProgram.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/commandline/CommandLineProgram.java
index 2d6c710ca..bedca9043 100644
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/commandline/CommandLineProgram.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/commandline/CommandLineProgram.java
@@ -32,10 +32,7 @@ import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.help.HelpFormatter;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.PrintStream;
-import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.EnumSet;
-import java.util.Enumeration;
+import java.util.*;
 
 public abstract class CommandLineProgram {
 
@@ -400,4 +397,11 @@ public abstract class CommandLineProgram {
     public void generateErrorLog(PrintStream stream, Exception e) {
         stream.println(e.getStackTrace().toString());
     }
+
+    /**
+     * A hack to ensure that numbers are always formatted in the US style.
+     */
+    protected static void forceJVMLocaleToUSEnglish() {
+        Locale.setDefault(Locale.US);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/CommandLineGATK.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/CommandLineGATK.java
index 98db32ecb..07fde5082 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/CommandLineGATK.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/CommandLineGATK.java
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ public class CommandLineGATK extends CommandLineExecutable {
         return argCollection;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The very first thing that the GATK does is forces the JVM locale into US English, so that we don't have
+     * to think about number formatting issues.
+     */
+    {
+        forceJVMLocaleToUSEnglish();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Required main method implementation.
      */
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/genotype/vcf/VCFWriter.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/genotype/vcf/VCFWriter.java
index 0d604e622..d8a77c6b0 100644
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/genotype/vcf/VCFWriter.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/genotype/vcf/VCFWriter.java
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ public class VCFWriter {
     }
 
     private String getQualValue(double qual) {
-        String s = String.format(VCFConstants.VCF_LOCALE, VCFConstants.DOUBLE_PRECISION_FORMAT_STRING, qual);
+        String s = String.format(VCFConstants.DOUBLE_PRECISION_FORMAT_STRING, qual);
         if ( s.endsWith(VCFConstants.DOUBLE_PRECISION_INT_SUFFIX) )
             s = s.substring(0, s.length() - VCFConstants.DOUBLE_PRECISION_INT_SUFFIX.length());
         return s;
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ public class VCFWriter {
         if ( val == null )
             result = VCFConstants.MISSING_VALUE_v4;
         else if ( val instanceof Double )
-            result = String.format(VCFConstants.VCF_LOCALE, VCFConstants.DOUBLE_PRECISION_FORMAT_STRING, (Double)val);
+            result = String.format(VCFConstants.DOUBLE_PRECISION_FORMAT_STRING, (Double)val);
         else if ( val instanceof Boolean )
             result = (Boolean)val ? "" : null; // empty string for true, null for false
         else if ( val instanceof List ) {