diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/executive/Accumulator.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/executive/Accumulator.java
index 3cdcaddcf..3e335733d 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/executive/Accumulator.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/executive/Accumulator.java
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public abstract class Accumulator {
          * The result of the traversal is the list of accumulated intervals.
          */
         public Object finishTraversal() {
-            walker.onTraversalDone(accumulator);
+            walker.onTraversalDone(getReduceInit());  // must call getReduceInit to ensure that we get the accumulator value or the reduceInit value
             return this.accumulator;
         }
     }