diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
index 335fae3c1e56060f7c034191f0348483e2cc2e31..6cb838fba2b3f06facc6bc56be8f9910cd951036 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ public class VCFRecord
   
   protected void appendFilter(String filter)
   {
-    if(getFilter().length() == 0)
+    if(getFilter().length() == 0 || (getFilter().length() == 1 && getFilter().equals(".")))
       this.filter = filter;
     else
       this.filter += ";" + filter;