diff --git a/src/bam/mod.rs b/src/bam/mod.rs
index f232401e5..ddf1d3221 100644
--- a/src/bam/mod.rs
+++ b/src/bam/mod.rs
@@ -2451,7 +2451,7 @@ CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC"[..],
         where
             F: Fn(&record::Record) -> Option<bool>,
         {
-            let mut bam_reader = Reader::from_path(bamfile).unwrap(); // internal functions, just unwarp
+            let mut bam_reader = Reader::from_path(bamfile).unwrap(); // internal functions, just unwrap
             let header = header::Header::from_template(bam_reader.header());
             let mut sam_writer = Writer::from_path(samfile, &header, Format::Sam).unwrap();
             for record in bam_reader.records() {
@@ -3002,6 +3002,58 @@ CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC"[..],
         assert_eq!(header_refseqs[0].get("LN").unwrap(), "10000000",);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bam_new() {
+        // Create the path to write the tmp test BAM
+        let tmp = tempfile::Builder::new()
+            .prefix("rust-htslib")
+            .tempdir()
+            .expect("Cannot create temp dir");
+        let bampath = tmp.path().join("test.bam");
+
+        // write an unmapped BAM record (uBAM)
+        {
+            // Build the header
+            let mut header = Header::new();
+
+            // Add the version
+            header.push_record(
+                HeaderRecord::new(b"HD")
+                    .push_tag(b"VN", &"1.6")
+                    .push_tag(b"SO", &"unsorted"),
+            );
+
+            // Build the writer
+            let mut writer = Writer::from_path(&bampath, &header, Format::Bam).unwrap();
+
+            // Build an empty record
+            let mut record = Record::new();
+
+            // Write the record (this previously seg-faulted)
+            assert!(writer.write(&record).is_ok());
+        }
+
+        // Read the record
+        {
+            // Build th reader
+            let mut reader = Reader::from_path(&bampath).expect("Error opening file.");
+
+            // Read the record
+            let mut rec = Record::new();
+            match reader.read(&mut rec) {
+                Some(r) => r.expect("Failed to read record."),
+                None => panic!("No record read."),
+            };
+
+            // Check a few things
+            assert!(rec.is_unmapped());
+            assert_eq!(rec.tid(), -1);
+            assert_eq!(rec.pos(), -1);
+            assert_eq!(rec.mtid(), -1);
+            assert_eq!(rec.mpos(), -1);
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_idxstats_bam() {
         let mut reader = IndexedReader::from_path("test/test.bam").unwrap();
diff --git a/src/bam/record.rs b/src/bam/record.rs
index 83aded002..ced3cc8aa 100644
--- a/src/bam/record.rs
+++ b/src/bam/record.rs
@@ -114,12 +114,23 @@ fn extranul_from_qname(qname: &[u8]) -> usize {
 impl Record {
     /// Create an empty BAM record.
     pub fn new() -> Self {
-        Record {
+        let mut record = Record {
             inner: unsafe { MaybeUninit::zeroed().assume_init() },
             own: true,
             cigar: None,
             header: None,
-        }
+        };
+        // The read/query name needs to be set as empty to properly initialize
+        // the record
+        record.set_qname(b"");
+        // Developer note: these are needed so the returned record is properly
+        // initialized as unmapped.
+        record.set_unmapped();
+        record.set_tid(-1);
+        record.set_pos(-1);
+        record.set_mpos(-1);
+        record.set_mtid(-1);
+        record
     }
 
     pub fn from_inner(from: *mut htslib::bam1_t) -> Self {
diff --git a/src/bam/record_serde.rs b/src/bam/record_serde.rs
index 651867030..1bf8a2fa1 100644
--- a/src/bam/record_serde.rs
+++ b/src/bam/record_serde.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ use serde_bytes::{ByteBuf, Bytes};
 use crate::bam::record::Record;
 
 fn fix_l_extranul(rec: &mut Record) {
+    // first, reset the number of extranuls to 0 for calling .qname(); then calculate how many we actually have
+    rec.inner_mut().core.l_extranul = 0;
     let l_extranul = rec.qname().iter().rev().take_while(|x| **x == 0u8).count() as u8;
     rec.inner_mut().core.l_extranul = l_extranul;
 }