diff --git a/src/cljam/pileup.clj b/src/cljam/pileup.clj
index 6bf445ea..a94e7f34 100644
--- a/src/cljam/pileup.clj
+++ b/src/cljam/pileup.clj
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
   {:n-threads 0})
 
 (defn pileup
+  ([bam-reader rname]
+   (pileup bam-reader rname {}))
   ([bam-reader rname option]
    (pileup bam-reader rname -1 -1 option))
   ([bam-reader rname start end option]
diff --git a/test/cljam/t_pileup.clj b/test/cljam/t_pileup.clj
index 2ab755d4..02e0816e 100644
--- a/test/cljam/t_pileup.clj
+++ b/test/cljam/t_pileup.clj
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
     (plp/pileup (bam/reader test-sorted-bam-file) "ref2" nil)))
 
 (deftest about-pileup
+  (is (= (with-open [r (bam/reader test-sorted-bam-file)]
+           (plp/pileup r "ref"))
+         test-bam-pileup-ref))
   (is (= (with-open [r (bam/reader test-sorted-bam-file)]
            (plp/pileup r "ref" nil))
          test-bam-pileup-ref))