diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index d72e2d1..c3d2b7e 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ void mm_write_sam2(kstring_t *s, const mm_idx_t *mi, const mm_bseq1_t *t, int se
 		if (r_prev) {
 			this_rid = r_prev->rid, this_pos = r_prev->rs;
 			mm_sprintf_lite(s, "\t%s\t%d\t0\t*", mi->seq[this_rid].name, this_pos);
-		} else mm_sprintf_lite(s, "\t0\t*\t0\t*");
+		} else mm_sprintf_lite(s, "\t*\t0\t0\t*");
 	} else {
 		this_rid = r->rid, this_pos = r->rs, this_rev = r->rev;
 		mm_sprintf_lite(s, "\t%s\t%d\t%d\t", mi->seq[r->rid].name, r->rs+1, r->mapq);