diff --git a/src/base/abci/abcCas.c b/src/base/abci/abcCas.c
index def9e34a8..a2bfea56a 100644
--- a/src/base/abci/abcCas.c
+++ b/src/base/abci/abcCas.c
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ void Abc_LutBddTest( DdManager * dd, DdNode * bFunc, char ** ppNames, int nNames
 #else
 
 Abc_Ntk_t * Abc_NtkCascade( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk, int nLutSize, int fCheck, int fVerbose ) { return NULL; }
-word * Abc_LutCascade( Mini_Aig_t * p, int nLutSize, int nLuts, int nRails, int nIters, int fVerbose ) { return NULL; }
+word * Abc_LutCascade( Mini_Aig_t * p, int nLutSize, int nStages, int nRails, int nIters, int fVerbose ) { return NULL; }
 
 #endif
 
@@ -716,14 +716,19 @@ static inline int Abc_LutCascadeDecStage( char * pGuide, int Iter, Vec_Wrd_t * v
     Vec_IntShrink( vVarIDs, nFVars+nSVars+nEVars );
     return nEVars;
 }
-word * Abc_LutCascadeDec( char * pGuide, word * pTruth, int nVarsOrig, Vec_Int_t * vVarIDs, int nRails, int nLutSize, int fVerbose )
+word * Abc_LutCascadeDec( char * pGuide, word * pTruth, int nVarsOrig, Vec_Int_t * vVarIDs, int nRails, int nLutSize, int nStages, int fVerbose, int * pnStages )
 {
     word * pRes = NULL; int i, nRVars = 0, nVars = Vec_IntSize(vVarIDs);
     Vec_Wrd_t * vFuncs[3] = { Vec_WrdStart(Abc_TtWordNum(nVars)), Vec_WrdAlloc(0), Vec_WrdAlloc(0) };
     Abc_TtCopy( Vec_WrdArray(vFuncs[0]), pTruth, Abc_TtWordNum(nVars), 0 );
     Vec_Wrd_t * vCas = Vec_WrdAlloc( 100 ); Vec_WrdPush( vCas, nVarsOrig );
+    if ( pnStages ) *pnStages = 0;
     for ( i = 0; Vec_IntSize(vVarIDs) > nLutSize; i++ ) {
         nRVars = Abc_LutCascadeDecStage( pGuide, i, vFuncs, vVarIDs, nRVars, nRails, nLutSize, fVerbose, vCas );
+        if ( i+2 > nStages ) {
+            printf( "The length of the cascade (%d) exceeds the max allowed number of stages (%d).\n", i+2, nStages );
+            nRVars = -1;
+        }
         if ( nRVars == -1 )
             break;
     }
@@ -731,6 +736,7 @@ word * Abc_LutCascadeDec( char * pGuide, word * pTruth, int nVarsOrig, Vec_Int_t
         Abc_LutCascadeGenOne( vCas, Vec_IntSize(vVarIDs), Vec_IntArray(vVarIDs), Vec_WrdEntry(vCas, 0), Vec_WrdArray(vFuncs[0]) );
         Vec_WrdAddToEntry( vCas, 0, -nVarsOrig );
         pRes = Vec_WrdReleaseArray(vCas);
+        if ( pnStages ) *pnStages = i+1;
     }
     Vec_WrdFree( vCas );
     for ( i = 0; i < 3; i++ )
@@ -814,14 +820,14 @@ Abc_Ntk_t * Abc_NtkLutCascadeFromLuts( word * pLuts, int nVars, Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk
     }
     return pNtkNew;    
 }
-Abc_Ntk_t * Abc_NtkLutCascade( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk, int nLutSize, int nLuts, int nRails, int nIters, int fVerbose )
+Abc_Ntk_t * Abc_NtkLutCascade( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk, int nLutSize, int nStages, int nRails, int nIters, int fVerbose )
 {
     extern Gia_Man_t *  Abc_NtkStrashToGia( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk );
     extern Mini_Aig_t * Gia_ManToMiniAig( Gia_Man_t * pGia );
-    extern word *       Abc_LutCascade( Mini_Aig_t * p, int nLutSize, int nLuts, int nRails, int nIters, int fVerbose );    
+    //extern word *       Abc_LutCascade( Mini_Aig_t * p, int nLutSize, int nStages, int nRails, int nIters, int fVerbose );    
     Gia_Man_t * pGia  = Abc_NtkStrashToGia( pNtk );
     Mini_Aig_t * pM   = Gia_ManToMiniAig( pGia );
-    //word * pLuts      = Abc_LutCascade( pM, nLutSize, nLuts, nRails, nIters, fVerbose );
+    //word * pLuts      = Abc_LutCascade( pM, nLutSize, nStages, nRails, nIters, fVerbose );
     word * pLuts      = Abc_LutCascadeTest( pM, nLutSize, 0 );
     Abc_Ntk_t * pNew  = pLuts ? Abc_NtkLutCascadeFromLuts( pLuts, Abc_NtkCiNum(pNtk), pNtk, nLutSize, fVerbose ) : NULL;
     ABC_FREE( pLuts );
@@ -829,10 +835,9 @@ Abc_Ntk_t * Abc_NtkLutCascade( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk, int nLutSize, int nLuts, int nR
     Gia_ManStop( pGia );
     return pNew;
 }
-Abc_Ntk_t * Abc_NtkLutCascade2( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk, int nLutSize, int nLuts, int nRails, int nIters, int Seed, int fVerbose, char * pGuide )
+Abc_Ntk_t * Abc_NtkLutCascade2( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk, int nLutSize, int nStages, int nRails, int nIters, int Seed, int fVerbose, char * pGuide )
 {
     extern Gia_Man_t *  Abc_NtkStrashToGia( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk );
-    extern word *       Abc_LutCascade2( word * p, int nVars, int nLutSize, int nLuts, int nRails, int nIters, int fVerbose );
     int i, nWords     = Abc_TtWordNum(Abc_NtkCiNum(pNtk));
     word * pCopy      = ABC_ALLOC( word, nWords );
     Gia_Man_t * pGia  = Abc_NtkStrashToGia( pNtk );
@@ -858,7 +863,7 @@ Abc_Ntk_t * Abc_NtkLutCascade2( Abc_Ntk_t * pNtk, int nLutSize, int nLuts, int n
             printf( ".\n" );
         }
 
-        word * pLuts = Abc_LutCascadeDec( pGuide, pTruth1, Abc_NtkCiNum(pNtk), vVarIDs, nRails, nLutSize, fVerbose );
+        word * pLuts = Abc_LutCascadeDec( pGuide, pTruth1, Abc_NtkCiNum(pNtk), vVarIDs, nRails, nLutSize, nStages, fVerbose, NULL );
         pNew = pLuts ? Abc_NtkLutCascadeFromLuts( pLuts, Abc_NtkCiNum(pNtk), pNtk, nLutSize, fVerbose ) : NULL;
         Vec_IntFree( vVarIDs );
         
@@ -1371,10 +1376,10 @@ Vec_Wrd_t * Abc_NtkLutCasReadTruths( char * pFileName, int nVarsOrig )
   SeeAlso     []
 
 ***********************************************************************/
-void Abc_NtkLutCascadeFile( char * pFileName, int nVarsOrig, int nLutSize, int nLuts, int nRails, int nIters, int Seed, int fVerbose, int fVeryVerbose )
+void Abc_NtkLutCascadeFile( char * pFileName, int nVarsOrig, int nLutSize, int nStages, int nRails, int nIters, int Seed, int fVerbose, int fVeryVerbose )
 {
     abctime clkStart = Abc_Clock();   
-    int i, Sum = 0, nTotalLuts = 0, nWords = Abc_TtWordNum(nVarsOrig);
+    int i, Sum = 0, nStageCount, nTotalLuts = 0, nWords = Abc_TtWordNum(nVarsOrig);
     Vec_Wrd_t * vTruths = NULL;
     if ( strstr(pFileName, ".txt") )
         vTruths = Abc_NtkLutCasReadTruths( pFileName, nVarsOrig );
@@ -1392,7 +1397,7 @@ void Abc_NtkLutCascadeFile( char * pFileName, int nVarsOrig, int nLutSize, int n
 
     printf( "Considering %d functions having %d variables from file \"%s\".\n", nFuncs, nVarsOrig, pFileName );
     word * pCopy = ABC_ALLOC( word, nWords );
-    int Iter = 0, LutStats[100] = {0};
+    int Iter = 0, LutStats[100] = {0}, StageStats[100] = {0};
     Abc_Random(1);
     for ( i = 0; i < Seed; i++ )
         Abc_Random(0);
@@ -1419,7 +1424,7 @@ void Abc_NtkLutCascadeFile( char * pFileName, int nVarsOrig, int nLutSize, int n
             printf( "Decomposing %d-var function into %d-rail cascade of %d-LUTs.\n", nVars, nRails, nLutSize );
         }
         
-        word * pLuts = Abc_LutCascadeDec( NULL, pTruth, nVarsOrig, vVarIDs, nRails, nLutSize, fVeryVerbose );
+        word * pLuts = Abc_LutCascadeDec( NULL, pTruth, nVarsOrig, vVarIDs, nRails, nLutSize, nStages, fVeryVerbose, &nStageCount );
         Vec_IntFree( vVarIDs );
         if ( pLuts == NULL ) {
             if ( ++Iter < nIters ) {
@@ -1435,6 +1440,7 @@ void Abc_NtkLutCascadeFile( char * pFileName, int nVarsOrig, int nLutSize, int n
         Sum++;
         nTotalLuts += Abc_LutCascadeCount(pLuts);
         LutStats[Abc_LutCascadeCount(pLuts)]++;
+        StageStats[nStageCount]++;
         word * pTruth2 = Abc_LutCascadeTruth( pLuts, nVarsOrig );
         if ( fVeryVerbose )
             Abc_LutCascadePrint( pLuts );
@@ -1452,10 +1458,14 @@ void Abc_NtkLutCascadeFile( char * pFileName, int nVarsOrig, int nLutSize, int n
     }
     ABC_FREE( pCopy );
     Vec_WrdFree( vTruths );
-    printf( "Statistics for %d-rail LUT cascade:\n", nRails );
+    printf( "Level count statistics for %d-rail LUT cascade:\n", nRails );
+    for ( i = 0; i < 100; i++ )
+        if ( StageStats[i] )
+            printf( "   %2d level : Function count = %8d (%6.2f %%)\n", i, StageStats[i], 100.0*StageStats[i]/nFuncs );
+    printf( "LUT count statistics for %d-rail LUT cascade:\n", nRails );
     for ( i = 0; i < 100; i++ )
         if ( LutStats[i] )
-            printf( "   %2d LUT%d : Function count = %8d (%6.2f %%)\n", i, nLutSize, LutStats[i], 100.0*LutStats[i]/nFuncs );
+            printf( "   %2d LUT%d  : Function count = %8d (%6.2f %%)\n", i, nLutSize, LutStats[i], 100.0*LutStats[i]/nFuncs );
     printf( "Non-decomp : Function count = %8d (%6.2f %%)\n", nFuncs-Sum, 100.0*(nFuncs-Sum)/Abc_MaxInt(1, nFuncs) );
     printf( "Finished %d functions (%.2f LUTs / function; %.2f functions / sec).  ", 
         nFuncs, 1.0*nTotalLuts/Sum, 1.0*nFuncs/(((double)(Abc_Clock() - clkStart))/((double)CLOCKS_PER_SEC)) );