diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/MissingReadGroupFilter.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/MissingReadGroupFilter.java
index e46d1f09d..88e09f989 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/MissingReadGroupFilter.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/MissingReadGroupFilter.java
@@ -36,9 +36,6 @@ import net.sf.samtools.SAMRecord;
 
 public class MissingReadGroupFilter implements SamRecordFilter {
     public boolean filterOut(SAMRecord rec) {
-        String RG = (String)(rec.getAttribute("RG"));
-        return RG == null ||
-               rec.getHeader() == null ||
-               rec.getHeader().getReadGroup(RG) == null;
+        return rec.getReadGroup() == null;
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/EmpiricalSubstitutionGenotypeLikelihoods.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/EmpiricalSubstitutionGenotypeLikelihoods.java
index 3130f785f..faf5f3479 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/EmpiricalSubstitutionGenotypeLikelihoods.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/EmpiricalSubstitutionGenotypeLikelihoods.java
@@ -56,8 +56,7 @@ public class EmpiricalSubstitutionGenotypeLikelihoods extends GenotypeLikelihood
     public static SequencerPlatform getReadSequencerPlatform( SAMRecord read ) {
         if ( lastReadForPL != read ) {
             lastReadForPL = read;
-            final String readGroupString = ((String)read.getAttribute("RG"));
-            SAMReadGroupRecord readGroup = readGroupString == null ? null : read.getHeader().getReadGroup(readGroupString);
+            SAMReadGroupRecord readGroup = read.getReadGroup();
             final String platformName = readGroup == null ? null : (String)readGroup.getAttribute(SAM_PLATFORM_TAG);
             plOfLastRead = standardizeSequencerPlatform(platformName);
         }
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/OneStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/OneStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods.java
index 1dae5e5db..6651a933f 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/OneStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/OneStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods.java
@@ -3,12 +3,7 @@ package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.walkers.genotyper;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.BaseUtils;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.QualityUtils;
 
-import static java.lang.Math.log10;
-import java.util.TreeMap;
-import java.util.EnumMap;
-
 import net.sf.samtools.SAMRecord;
-import net.sf.samtools.SAMReadGroupRecord;
 
 /**
  * This implements the old style CRD calculation of the chance that a base being a true chromBase given
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/ThreeStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/ThreeStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods.java
index fde835d3d..67c1dbad3 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/ThreeStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/genotyper/ThreeStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods.java
@@ -4,11 +4,8 @@ import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.BaseUtils;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.QualityUtils;
 
 import static java.lang.Math.log10;
-import java.util.TreeMap;
-import java.util.EnumMap;
 
 import net.sf.samtools.SAMRecord;
-import net.sf.samtools.SAMReadGroupRecord;
 
 public class ThreeStateErrorGenotypeLikelihoods extends GenotypeLikelihoods {
     //