diff --git a/src/fiber.rs b/src/fiber.rs
index 2ee21bb6..7180e7c8 100644
--- a/src/fiber.rs
+++ b/src/fiber.rs
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ impl FiberseqData {
         };
 
         // get fiberseq basemods
-        let base_mods = BaseMods::new(&record, filters.min_ml_score);
+        let mut base_mods = BaseMods::new(&record, filters.min_ml_score);
+        base_mods.filter_at_read_ends(filters.strip_starting_basemods);
+
         //let (m6a, cpg) = FiberMods::new(&base_mods);
         let m6a = base_mods.m6a();
         let cpg = base_mods.cpg();
diff --git a/src/utils/bamranges.rs b/src/utils/bamranges.rs
index e522b9d4..64a13f90 100644
--- a/src/utils/bamranges.rs
+++ b/src/utils/bamranges.rs
@@ -162,6 +162,44 @@ impl Ranges {
         self.reference_lengths = to_keep.iter().map(|&i| self.reference_lengths[i]).collect();
     }
 
+    /// filter out ranges that are within the first or last X bp of the read
+    pub fn filter_starts_at_read_ends(&mut self, strip: i64) {
+        if strip == 0 {
+            return;
+        }
+        let to_keep = self
+            .starts
+            .iter()
+            .enumerate()
+            .filter_map(|(i, &s)| {
+                if let Some(s) = s {
+                    if s < strip || s > self.seq_len - strip {
+                        None
+                    } else {
+                        Some(i)
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    None
+                }
+            })
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+        if to_keep.len() != self.starts.len() {
+            log::trace!(
+                "basemods stripped, {} basemods removed",
+                self.starts.len() - to_keep.len()
+            );
+        }
+
+        self.starts = to_keep.iter().map(|&i| self.starts[i]).collect();
+        self.ends = to_keep.iter().map(|&i| self.ends[i]).collect();
+        self.lengths = to_keep.iter().map(|&i| self.lengths[i]).collect();
+        self.qual = to_keep.iter().map(|&i| self.qual[i]).collect();
+        self.reference_starts = to_keep.iter().map(|&i| self.reference_starts[i]).collect();
+        self.reference_ends = to_keep.iter().map(|&i| self.reference_ends[i]).collect();
+        self.reference_lengths = to_keep.iter().map(|&i| self.reference_lengths[i]).collect();
+    }
+
     pub fn to_strings(&self, reference: bool, skip_none: bool) -> Vec<String> {
         let (s, e, l, q) = if reference {
             (
diff --git a/src/utils/basemods.rs b/src/utils/basemods.rs
index 770eac9f..d7f45025 100644
--- a/src/utils/basemods.rs
+++ b/src/utils/basemods.rs
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ impl BaseMod {
     pub fn is_cpg(&self) -> bool {
         self.modification_type == 'm'
     }
+
+    pub fn filter_at_read_ends(&mut self, n_strip: i64) {
+        if n_strip <= 0 {
+            return;
+        }
+        self.ranges.filter_starts_at_read_ends(n_strip);
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Eq, PartialEq, Debug, Clone)]
@@ -257,6 +264,16 @@ impl BaseMods {
             .for_each(|bm| bm.ranges.filter_by_qual(min_ml_score));
     }
 
+    /// filter the basemods at the read ends
+    pub fn filter_at_read_ends(&mut self, n_strip: i64) {
+        if n_strip <= 0 {
+            return;
+        }
+        self.base_mods
+            .iter_mut()
+            .for_each(|bm| bm.filter_at_read_ends(n_strip));
+    }
+
     /// combine the forward and reverse m6a data
     pub fn m6a(&self) -> Ranges {
         let ranges = self
diff --git a/src/utils/input_bam.rs b/src/utils/input_bam.rs
index 72020c0a..d1df1df2 100644
--- a/src/utils/input_bam.rs
+++ b/src/utils/input_bam.rs
@@ -40,6 +40,15 @@ pub struct FiberFilters {
     /// Minium score in the ML tag to use or include in the output
     #[clap(long="ml", alias="min-ml-score", default_value = MIN_ML_SCORE, help_heading = "BAM-Options", env="FT_MIN_ML_SCORE")]
     pub min_ml_score: u8,
+    /// strip basemods in the first or last X bp of the read
+    #[clap(
+        global = true,
+        long,
+        default_value = "0",
+        help_heading = "BAM-Options",
+        hide = true
+    )]
+    pub strip_starting_basemods: i64,
 }
 
 impl std::default::Default for FiberFilters {
@@ -48,6 +57,7 @@ impl std::default::Default for FiberFilters {
             bit_flag: 0,
             min_ml_score: MIN_ML_SCORE.parse().unwrap(),
             filter_expression: None,
+            strip_starting_basemods: 0,
         }
     }
 }