diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/PrintReadsWalker.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/PrintReadsWalker.java
index a656fc175..25e1c50b1 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/PrintReadsWalker.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/PrintReadsWalker.java
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ public class PrintReadsWalker extends ReadWalker<SAMRecord, SAMFileWriter> {
     SAMFileWriter outputBamFile = null;
     @Argument(fullName = "maxReadLength", shortName = "maxRead", doc="Discard reads with length greater than the specified value", required = false)
     Integer maxLength = null;
+    @Argument(fullName = "readGroup", shortName = "readGroup", doc="Discard reads not belonging to the specified read group", required = false)
+    String readGroup = null;
     @Argument(fullName = "platform", shortName = "platform", doc="Discard reads not generated by the specified platform", required = false)
     String platform = null;
     // E.g. ILLUMINA, 454
@@ -63,19 +65,28 @@ public class PrintReadsWalker extends ReadWalker<SAMRecord, SAMFileWriter> {
      * @return true if the read passes the filter, false if it doesn't
      */
     public boolean filter(char[] ref, SAMRecord read) {
+        // check the length
         if ( maxLength != null && read.getReadLength() > maxLength )
             return false;
-        if  ( platform != null ) {
-            Object readGroupAttr = read.getAttribute("RG");
-            if ( readGroupAttr != null ) {
-                SAMReadGroupRecord readGroup = getToolkit().getSAMFileHeader().getReadGroup(readGroupAttr.toString());
-                if ( readGroup != null ) {
-                    Object readPlatformAttr = readGroup.getAttribute("PL");
-                    if ( readPlatformAttr != null )
-                        return readPlatformAttr.toString().toUpperCase().contains(platform);
-                }
-            }
+
+        // check the read group
+        if  ( readGroup != null ) {
+            SAMReadGroupRecord myReadGroup = read.getReadGroup();
+            if ( myReadGroup == null || !readGroup.equals(myReadGroup) )
+                return false;
         }
+
+        // check the platform
+        if  ( platform != null ) {
+            SAMReadGroupRecord readGroup = read.getReadGroup();
+            if ( readGroup == null )
+                return false;
+
+            Object readPlatformAttr = readGroup.getAttribute("PL");
+            if ( readPlatformAttr == null || !readPlatformAttr.toString().toUpperCase().contains(platform))
+                return false;
+        }
+
         return true;
 	}