diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/RealignerTargetCreator.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/RealignerTargetCreator.java
index 10466f9c5..6d871af3f 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/RealignerTargetCreator.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/indels/RealignerTargetCreator.java
@@ -114,9 +114,14 @@ public class RealignerTargetCreator extends LocusWalker<RealignerTargetCreator.E
                 hasPointEvent = true;
         }
 
+        // return null if no event occurred
         if ( !hasIndel && !hasPointEvent )
             return null;
 
+        // return null if we didn't find any usable reads associated with the event
+        if ( furthestStopPos == -1 )
+            return null;
+
         GenomeLoc eventLoc = context.getLocation();
         if ( hasInsertion )
             eventLoc =  GenomeLocParser.createGenomeLoc(eventLoc.getContigIndex(), eventLoc.getStart(), eventLoc.getStart()+1);