diff --git a/src/main/java/htsjdk/samtools/SAMRecord.java b/src/main/java/htsjdk/samtools/SAMRecord.java
index d08a16e5fe..787b9d0485 100644
--- a/src/main/java/htsjdk/samtools/SAMRecord.java
+++ b/src/main/java/htsjdk/samtools/SAMRecord.java
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@ private boolean hasReferenceName() {
      */
     public boolean isPair(final SAMRecord record) {
         return record != null
+                && this.getReadName().equals(record.getReferenceName())
                 && this.getMateAlignmentStart() == record.getAlignmentStart()
                 && record.getMateAlignmentStart() == this.getAlignmentStart()
                 && !NO_ALIGNMENT_REFERENCE_NAME.equals(this.getMateReferenceName())