diff --git a/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/fixture/example.vcf.gz b/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/fixture/example.vcf.gz
index 00f8a725..d73c435b 100644
Binary files a/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/fixture/example.vcf.gz and b/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/fixture/example.vcf.gz differ
diff --git a/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/fixture/example.vcf.gz.tbi b/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/fixture/example.vcf.gz.tbi
index 1a63a1ad..a26472fb 100644
Binary files a/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/fixture/example.vcf.gz.tbi and b/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/fixture/example.vcf.gz.tbi differ
diff --git a/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/sample_vcf_to_zarr.py b/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/sample_vcf_to_zarr.py
index 1c23bc10..1d48d500 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/sample_vcf_to_zarr.py
+++ b/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/sample_vcf_to_zarr.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import gzip
 import sys
 import allel
 import zarr
@@ -58,10 +59,10 @@ def main():
                         required=True,
                         help="Sample identifier.")
     parser.add_argument("--contig",
-                        required=True,
+                        required=False,
                         action='append',
                         dest='contigs',
-                        help="Contig to extract. Multiple values may be provided.")
+                        help="Contig to extract. Multiple values may be provided. Reads VCF contigs by default.")
     parser.add_argument("--field",
                         required=True,
                         action='append',
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ def main():
     chunk_length = args.chunk_length
     chunk_width = args.chunk_width
     do_zip = args.zip
-    contigs = args.contigs
+    contigs = args.contigs or [] # If no contigs provided, read from vcf file
     fields = args.fields
     log = args.log.strip()
 
@@ -132,9 +133,34 @@ def main():
     else:
         log_file = open(log, "w")
         log_file_needs_closing = True
-
+    
+    if not contigs:
+        if input_vcf_path.endswith((".gz", ".bgz")):
+            vcf_opener = gzip.open
+        else:
+            vcf_opener = open
+
+        with vcf_opener(input_vcf_path, mode="rt") as vcf_open:
+            for line in vcf_open:
+                # Assuming vcf header follows standard vcf convention
+                if line.startswith("#"):
+                    if "contig=<ID=" in line:
+                        chrom = line.split("<ID=")[1].split(",")[0]
+                        contigs.append(chrom)
+                else:
+                    # Header is finished, no need to read the rest
+                    break
+               
     try:
-
+        if not contigs:
+            # If there still aren't any contigs present, the vcf was faulty
+            log_file.write(f"contigs argument is empty and provided VCF does not have a valid contig header line\n\n"
+                           f"either supply contigs with the '--contig' option, "
+                           f"or ensure the VCF header contains a contig header as specified in the VCF specification: "
+                           f"https://samtools.github.io/hts-specs/VCFv4.2.pdf\n"
+                           f"example: '##contig=<ID=20,length=62435964>'\n")
+            sys.exit(1)
+            
         for contig in contigs:
 
             allel.vcf_to_zarr(
diff --git a/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/test_sample_vcf_to_zarr.py b/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/test_sample_vcf_to_zarr.py
index 9df0fc0f..21535b9f 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/test_sample_vcf_to_zarr.py
+++ b/dockerfiles/SampleVcfToZarr/test_sample_vcf_to_zarr.py
@@ -62,6 +62,21 @@ def test_conversion_zip(self):
         callset = zarr.open("output/example.zarr.zip")
         self.check_example_callset(callset)
 
+    def test_conversion_without_contigs_argument(self):
+        cmd = ["python", "sample_vcf_to_zarr.py",
+               "--input", "fixture/example.vcf.gz",
+               "--output", "output/example.zarr",
+               "--sample", "NA00001",
+               "--field", "variants/DP",
+               "--field", "calldata/GT",
+               "--field", "calldata/GQ",
+               ]
+        result = subprocess.run(cmd,
+                                check=True,
+                                capture_output=True)
+        print(result.stdout.decode())
+        callset = zarr.open("output/example.zarr")
+        self.check_example_callset(callset)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()