diff --git a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/WalkerTest.java b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/WalkerTest.java
index 708dd042e..a997385d6 100755
--- a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/WalkerTest.java
+++ b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/WalkerTest.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class WalkerTest extends BaseTest {
 
     public void validateOutputBCFIfPossible(final String name, final File resultFile) {
         final File bcfFile = BCF2Utils.shadowBCF(resultFile);
-        if ( bcfFile.exists() ) {
+        if ( bcfFile != null && bcfFile.exists() ) {
             logger.warn("Checking shadow BCF output file " + bcfFile + " against VCF file " + resultFile);
             try {
                 VariantContextTestProvider.assertVCFandBCFFilesAreTheSame(resultFile, bcfFile);
diff --git a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/variantrecalibration/VariantRecalibrationWalkersIntegrationTest.java b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/variantrecalibration/VariantRecalibrationWalkersIntegrationTest.java
index 9bf01ad71..56bf8a567 100755
--- a/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/variantrecalibration/VariantRecalibrationWalkersIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/public/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/variantrecalibration/VariantRecalibrationWalkersIntegrationTest.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ public class VariantRecalibrationWalkersIntegrationTest extends WalkerTest {
                         " -recalFile %s" +
                         " -tranchesFile %s",
                 Arrays.asList(params.recalMD5, params.tranchesMD5));
+        spec.disableShadowBCF(); // TODO -- enable when we support symbolic alleles
         executeTest("testVariantRecalibrator-"+params.inVCF, spec).getFirst();
     }
 
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ public class VariantRecalibrationWalkersIntegrationTest extends WalkerTest {
                         " -recalFile %s" +
                         " -tranchesFile %s",
                 Arrays.asList(params.recalMD5, params.tranchesMD5));
+        spec.disableShadowBCF(); // TODO -- enable when we support symbolic alleles
         executeTest("testVariantRecalibratorIndel-"+params.inVCF, spec).getFirst();
     }