diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VariantBase.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VariantBase.java
index f151114087f2e7a559e255045a1115f1ed0f7ab1..7103c03b2476440c0e5f8eb67152c92e302716b2 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VariantBase.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VariantBase.java
@@ -63,10 +63,13 @@ public class VariantBase
       return true;
 
     // look at probability of each genotype (PL) information as well
-    String pl;
-    if ((pl = record.getFormatValue("PL")) != null && pl.split(",").length == 3 &&
-         pl.split(",")[1].equals("0")) // middle value is zero, e.g.
-      return true;
+    String pl = record.getFormatValue("PL");
+    if(pl != null)
+    {
+      String pls[] = pl.split(",");
+      if(pls.length == 3 && pls[1].equals("0")) // middle value is zero, e.g.
+        return true;
+    }
 
     return false;
   }