diff --git a/src/db/db/dbTriangles.cc b/src/db/db/dbTriangles.cc
index 0d51148f9..b3e6a057d 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbTriangles.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbTriangles.cc
@@ -1393,9 +1393,9 @@ static bool is_skinny (db::Triangle *tri, const Triangles::TriangulateParameters
     return false;
   } else {
     auto cr = tri->circumcircle ();
-    double lmin = tri->edge (0)->d ().sq_length ();
+    double lmin = tri->edge (0)->d ().length ();
     for (int i = 1; i < 3; ++i) {
-      lmin = std::min (lmin, tri->edge (i)->d ().sq_length ());
+      lmin = std::min (lmin, tri->edge (i)->d ().length ());
     }
     double delta = (fabs (lmin / cr.second) + fabs (param.b)) * db::epsilon;
     return lmin / cr.second < param.b - delta;
@@ -1461,7 +1461,7 @@ Triangles::triangulate (const db::Region &region, const TriangulateParameters &p
   }
 
   // @@@ TODO: break if iteration gets stuck
-  while (nloop < 20) { // @@@
+  while (nloop < parameters.max_iterations) { // @@@
 
     ++nloop;
     tl::info << "Iteration " << nloop << " ..";
@@ -1548,7 +1548,7 @@ Triangles::triangulate (const db::Region &region, const TriangulateParameters &p
 
     }
 
-    // @@@ tris.dump_as_gdstxt("debug2.txt")
+    // @@@ dump ("debug2.gds"); // @@@
 
   }
 
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbTriangles.h b/src/db/db/dbTriangles.h
index 4e4743482..2cd5d8d62 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbTriangles.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbTriangles.h
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ public:
     TriangulateParameters ()
       : b (1.0),
         max_area (0.0),
-        max_area_border (0.0)
+        max_area_border (0.0),
+        max_iterations (std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max ())
     { }
 
     /**
@@ -62,6 +63,11 @@ public:
      *  @brief Max area for border triangles or zero for "use max_area"
      */
     double max_area_border;
+
+    /**
+     *  @brief Max number of iterations
+     */
+    size_t max_iterations;
   };
 
   typedef tl::shared_collection<db::Triangle> triangles_type;
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbTrianglesTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbTrianglesTests.cc
index 3807d6cb1..6bfaa1825 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbTrianglesTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbTrianglesTests.cc
@@ -623,18 +623,20 @@ TEST(Triangles_test_create_constrained_delaunay)
 TEST(Triangles_test_triangulate)
 {
   db::Region r;
-  r.insert (db::Box (0, 0, 1000, 1000));
+  r.insert (db::Box (0, 0, 10000, 10000));
 
   db::Region r2;
-  r2.insert (db::Box (200, 200, 800, 800));
+  r2.insert (db::Box (2000, 2000, 8000, 8000));
 
   r -= r2;
 
   db::Triangles::TriangulateParameters param;
-  param.max_area = 0.1;
+  param.b = 1.21;
+  param.max_area = 1.0;
+  param.max_area_border = 0.0;
 
   db::Triangles tri;
-  tri.triangulate (r, param);
+  tri.triangulate (r, param, 0.001);
 
   tri.dump ("debug.gds");