diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/report/GATKReport.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/report/GATKReport.java
index 7edadfc4b..bec1ea543 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/report/GATKReport.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/report/GATKReport.java
@@ -283,6 +283,41 @@ public class GATKReport {
         return output;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The constructor for a simplified GATK Report. Simplified GATK report are designed for reports that do not need
+     * the advanced functionality of a full GATK Report.
+     * <p/>
+     * A simple GATK Report consists of:
+     * <p/>
+     * - A single table
+     * - No primary key ( it is hidden )
+     * <p/>
+     * Optional:
+     * - Only untyped columns. As long as the data is an Object, it will be accepted.
+     * - Default column values being empty strings.
+     * <p/>
+     * Limitations:
+     * <p/>
+     * - A simple GATK report cannot contain multiple tables.
+     * - It cannot contain typed columns, which prevents arithmetic gathering.
+     *
+     * @param tableName The name of your simple GATK report table
+     * @param columns   The names of the columns in your table
+     * @return a simplified GATK report
+     */
+    public static GATKReport newSimpleReport(final String tableName, final List<String> columns) {
+        GATKReportTable table = new GATKReportTable(tableName, "A simplified GATK table report", columns.size());
+
+        for (String column : columns) {
+            table.addColumn(column, "");
+        }
+
+        GATKReport output = new GATKReport();
+        output.addTable(table);
+
+        return output;
+    }
+
     /**
      * This method provides an efficient way to populate a simplified GATK report. This method will only work on reports
      * that qualify as simplified GATK reports. See the newSimpleReport() constructor for more information.
@@ -303,4 +338,27 @@ public class GATKReport {
         for ( int i = 0; i < values.length; i++ )
             table.set(rowIndex, i, values[i]);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * This method provides an efficient way to populate a simplified GATK report. This method will only work on reports
+     * that qualify as simplified GATK reports. See the newSimpleReport() constructor for more information.
+     *
+     * @param values     the row of data to be added to the table.
+     *               Note: the number of arguments must match the columns in the table.
+     */
+    public void addRowList(final List<Object> values) {
+        if ( tables.size() != 1 )
+            throw new ReviewedStingException("Cannot write a row to a complex GATK Report");
+
+        GATKReportTable table = tables.firstEntry().getValue();
+        if ( table.getNumColumns() != values.size() )
+            throw new ReviewedStingException("The number of arguments in writeRow() must match the number of columns in the table");
+
+        final int rowIndex = table.getNumRows();
+        int idx = 0;
+        for ( Object value : values ) {
+            table.set(rowIndex,idx,value);
+            idx++;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/coverage/DepthOfCoverageWalker.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/coverage/DepthOfCoverageWalker.java
index 833dce932..ef52014f3 100644
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/coverage/DepthOfCoverageWalker.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/coverage/DepthOfCoverageWalker.java
@@ -405,15 +405,19 @@ public class DepthOfCoverageWalker extends LocusWalker<Map<DoCOutputType.Partiti
             printGeneStats(statsByInterval);
         }
 
-        for(DoCOutputType.Partition partition: partitionTypes) {
-            if ( checkType(statsByInterval.get(0).getSecond().getCoverageByAggregationType(partition) ,partition) ) {
-                printIntervalStats(statsByInterval,
-                        getCorrectStream(partition, DoCOutputType.Aggregation.interval, DoCOutputType.FileType.summary),
-                        getCorrectStream(partition, DoCOutputType.Aggregation.interval, DoCOutputType.FileType.statistics),
-                        partition);
-            } else {
-                throw new ReviewedStingException("Partition type "+partition.toString()+" had no entries. Please check that your .bam header has all appropriate partition types.");
+        if ( statsByInterval.size() > 0 ) {
+            for(DoCOutputType.Partition partition: partitionTypes) {
+                if ( checkType(statsByInterval.get(0).getSecond().getCoverageByAggregationType(partition) ,partition) ) {
+                    printIntervalStats(statsByInterval,
+                            getCorrectStream(partition, DoCOutputType.Aggregation.interval, DoCOutputType.FileType.summary),
+                            getCorrectStream(partition, DoCOutputType.Aggregation.interval, DoCOutputType.FileType.statistics),
+                            partition);
+                } else {
+                    throw new ReviewedStingException("Partition type "+partition.toString()+" had no entries. Please check that your .bam header has all appropriate partition types.");
+                }
             }
+        } else {
+            throw new UserException.CommandLineException("Cannot reduce by interval without interval list provided. Please provide a -L argument.");
         }
 
         onTraversalDone(mergeAll(statsByInterval));