diff --git a/adam-core/src/main/scala/org/bdgenomics/adam/models/RecordGroupDictionary.scala b/adam-core/src/main/scala/org/bdgenomics/adam/models/RecordGroupDictionary.scala
index a5548c2109..ef75da0cf8 100644
--- a/adam-core/src/main/scala/org/bdgenomics/adam/models/RecordGroupDictionary.scala
+++ b/adam-core/src/main/scala/org/bdgenomics/adam/models/RecordGroupDictionary.scala
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ object RecordGroupDictionary {
  */
 case class RecordGroupDictionary(recordGroups: Seq[RecordGroup]) {
 
+  /**
+   * @return Returns true if this dictionary contains no record groups.
+   */
+  def isEmpty: Boolean = {
+    recordGroups.isEmpty
+  }
+
   /**
    * A representation of this record group dictionary that can be indexed into
    * by record group name.
diff --git a/adam-core/src/test/scala/org/bdgenomics/adam/models/RecordGroupDictionarySuite.scala b/adam-core/src/test/scala/org/bdgenomics/adam/models/RecordGroupDictionarySuite.scala
index 14e807eb4d..7f07ce1e84 100644
--- a/adam-core/src/test/scala/org/bdgenomics/adam/models/RecordGroupDictionarySuite.scala
+++ b/adam-core/src/test/scala/org/bdgenomics/adam/models/RecordGroupDictionarySuite.scala
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ class RecordGroupDictionarySuite extends FunSuite {
       RecordGroup("sample2", "rgSample2"),
       RecordGroup("sample3", "rg1Sample3"),
       RecordGroup("sample3", "rg2Sample3")))
+    assert(!rgd.isEmpty)
     val samples = rgd.toSamples
 
     assert(samples.size === 3)
@@ -76,4 +77,11 @@ class RecordGroupDictionarySuite extends FunSuite {
     assert(samples.count(_.getSampleId == "sample2") === 1)
     assert(samples.count(_.getSampleId == "sample3") === 1)
   }
+
+  test("empty record group is empty") {
+    val emptyRgd = RecordGroupDictionary.empty
+
+    assert(emptyRgd.isEmpty)
+    assert(emptyRgd.recordGroups.size === 0)
+  }
 }