diff --git a/src/utils/bedFilePE/bedFilePE.cpp b/src/utils/bedFilePE/bedFilePE.cpp
index e1b84b3f99d39d769f8dd1ab865f19fcba28a491..adc447cd81c0bb6b81aa685c50b8206c93860736 100644
--- a/src/utils/bedFilePE/bedFilePE.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/bedFilePE/bedFilePE.cpp
@@ -29,41 +29,16 @@ void BedFilePE::Open(void) {
         _bedStream = &cin;
     }
     else {
-        size_t foundPos;
-        foundPos = bedFile.find_last_of(".gz");
-        // is this a GZIPPED BED file?
-        if (foundPos == bedFile.size() - 1) {
-            igzstream beds(bedFile.c_str(), ios::in);
-            if ( !beds ) {
-                cerr << "Error: The requested bedpe file (" << bedFile << ") could not be opened. Exiting!" << endl;
-                exit (1);
-            }
-            else {
-                // if so, close it (this was just a test)
-                beds.close();
-                // now set a pointer to the stream so that we
-                // can read the file later on.
-                // Thank God for Josuttis, p. 631!
-                _bedStream = new igzstream(bedFile.c_str(), ios::in);
-            }
-        }
-        // not GZIPPED.
-        else {
+        _bedStream = new ifstream(bedFile.c_str(), ios::in);
 
-            ifstream beds(bedFile.c_str(), ios::in);
-            // can we open the file?
-            if ( !beds ) {
-                cerr << "Error: The requested bed file (" << bedFile << ") could not be opened. Exiting!" << endl;
-                exit (1);
-            }
-            else {
-                // if so, close it (this was just a test)
-                beds.close();
-                // now set a pointer to the stream so that we
-                // can read the file later on.
-                // Thank God for Josuttis, p. 631!
-                _bedStream = new ifstream(bedFile.c_str(), ios::in);
-            }
+        if (isGzipFile(_bedStream) == true) {
+            delete _bedStream;
+            _bedStream = new igzstream(bedFile.c_str(), ios::in);
+        }
+        // can we open the file?
+        if ( !(_bedStream->good()) ) {
+            cerr << "Error: The requested bed file (" << bedFile << ") could not be opened. Exiting!" << endl;
+            exit (1);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/bedGraphFile/bedGraphFile.cpp b/src/utils/bedGraphFile/bedGraphFile.cpp
index df73d8c53f30e12b079ce22ad3c30e06021b4a4c..f3df54026f55a23d7ef3249d265b70e4736d3293 100644
--- a/src/utils/bedGraphFile/bedGraphFile.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/bedGraphFile/bedGraphFile.cpp
@@ -29,45 +29,20 @@ BedGraphFile::~BedGraphFile() {
 void BedGraphFile::Open() {
     if (bedGraphFile == "stdin" || bedGraphFile == "-") {
         _bedGraphStream = &cin;
-        return;
     }
-    // unzipped, regular
-    else if ((isGzipFile(bedGraphFile) == false) && (isRegularFile(bedGraphFile) == true)) {
+    else {
         _bedGraphStream = new ifstream(bedGraphFile.c_str(), ios::in);
 
-        // open an ifstream
-        ifstream bedg(bedGraphFile.c_str(), ios::in);
-
+        if (isGzipFile(_bedGraphStream) == true) {
+            delete _bedGraphStream;
+            _bedGraphStream = new igzstream(bedGraphFile.c_str(), ios::in);
+        }
         // can we open the file?
-        if ( !bedg ) {
-             cerr << "Error: The requested bedgraph file (" << bedGraphFile << ") could not be opened. Exiting!" << endl;
-             exit (1);
-         }
-         else {
-             // if so, close it (this was just a test)
-             bedg.close();
-             // now set a pointer to the stream so that we
-             _bedGraphStream = new ifstream(bedGraphFile.c_str(), ios::in);
-         }
-     }
-     else if ((isGzipFile(bedGraphFile) == true) && (isRegularFile(bedGraphFile) == true)) {
-
-        igzstream bedg(bedGraphFile.c_str(), ios::in);
-        if ( !bedg ) {
-            cerr << "Error: The requested bedgraph file (" << bedGraphFile << ") could not be opened. Exiting!" << endl;
+        if ( !(_bedGraphStream->good()) ) {
+            cerr << "Error: The requested bed file (" << bedGraphFile << ") could not be opened. Exiting!" << endl;
             exit (1);
         }
-        else {
-            // if so, close it (this was just a test)
-            bedg.close();
-            // now set a pointer to the stream so that we
-            _bedGraphStream = new igzstream(bedGraphFile.c_str(), ios::in);
-        }
-     }
-     else {
-         cerr << "Error: Unexpected file type (" << bedGraphFile << "). Exiting!" << endl;
-         exit(1);
-     }
+    }
 }