diff --git a/map.c b/map.c
index 0864c09..d72dafd 100644
--- a/map.c
+++ b/map.c
@@ -505,10 +505,6 @@ static void *worker_pipeline(void *shared, int step, void *in)
 						mm_err_puts(p->str.s);
 					}
 				}
-				if (s->n_reg[i] == 0 && (p->opt->flag & MM_F_OUT_SAM)) { // write an unmapped record
-					mm_write_sam2(&p->str, mi, t, i - seg_st, -1, s->n_seg[k], &s->n_reg[seg_st], (const mm_reg1_t*const*)&s->reg[seg_st], km, p->opt->flag);
-					mm_err_puts(p->str.s);
-				}
 			}
 			for (i = seg_st; i < seg_en; ++i) {
 				for (j = 0; j < s->n_reg[i]; ++j) free(s->reg[i][j].p);