diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/io/ReadAndWriteEntry.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/io/ReadAndWriteEntry.java
index f88495a74292f4e6680ad4d4b8fb63040f94f6dc..168d3b759f7ce46ea30dafd18b75eed54ee88df3 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/io/ReadAndWriteEntry.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/io/ReadAndWriteEntry.java
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ public class ReadAndWriteEntry
         suffix = suffix + ".gz";
 
       if(noprivates)
-        System.setProperty("noprivates", "true");
+        System.setProperty("noprivate", "true");
       
       for(int i=0;i < names.length; i++)
       {