diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
index 752bed8cf..49fef7934 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
@@ -2649,7 +2649,7 @@ NetGraph::derive_node_identities_from_node_set (std::vector<std::pair<const NetG
     indent_s += "*" + tl::to_string (n_branch) + " ";
   }
 
-  if (depth > data->max_depth) {
+  if (data->max_depth != std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max() && depth > data->max_depth) {
     if (options ()->debug_netcompare) {
       tl::info << indent_s << "max. depth exhausted (" << depth + 1 << ">" << data->max_depth << ")";
     }
@@ -2783,7 +2783,7 @@ NetGraph::derive_node_identities_from_node_set (std::vector<std::pair<const NetG
 
       new_nodes += n;
 
-    } else if (nr->num * n_branch > data->max_n_branch) {
+    } else if (data->max_n_branch != std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max () && double (nr->num) * double (n_branch) > double (data->max_n_branch)) {
 
       if (options ()->debug_netcompare) {
         tl::info << indent_s << "max. complexity exhausted (" << nr->num << "*" << n_branch << ">" << data->max_n_branch << ") - mismatch.";
@@ -2828,8 +2828,8 @@ NetlistComparer::NetlistComparer (NetlistCompareLogger *logger)
   m_cap_threshold = -1.0;   //  not set
   m_res_threshold = -1.0;   //  not set
 
-  m_max_depth = 50;
-  m_max_n_branch = 500;
+  m_max_depth = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max ();
+  m_max_n_branch = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max ();
   m_depth_first = true;
 
   m_dont_consider_net_names = false;
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlistCompare.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlistCompare.cc
index ee10d9365..3b886efcf 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlistCompare.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlistCompare.cc
@@ -519,6 +519,9 @@ Class<db::NetlistComparer> decl_dbNetlistComparer ("db", "NetlistComparer",
     "@brief Sets the maximum seach depth\n"
     "This value limits the search depth of the backtracking algorithm to the\n"
     "given number of jumps.\n"
+    "\n"
+    "By default, from version 0.27 on the depth is unlimited and can be reduced in cases where runtimes need to be limited at the cost "
+    "less elaborate matching evaluation.\n"
   ) +
   gsi::method ("max_depth", &db::NetlistComparer::max_depth,
     "@brief Gets the maximum seach depth\n"
@@ -531,6 +534,9 @@ Class<db::NetlistComparer> decl_dbNetlistComparer ("db", "NetlistComparer",
     "net matches. Backtracking will stop when the maximum number of options\n"
     "has been exceeded.\n"
     "\n"
+    "By default, from version 0.27 on the complexity is unlimited and can be reduced in cases where runtimes need to be limited at the cost "
+    "less elaborate matching evaluation.\n"
+    "\n"
     "As the computational complexity is the square of the branch count,\n"
     "this value should be adjusted carefully.\n"
   ) +
diff --git a/src/lvs/lvs/built-in-macros/_lvs_netter.rb b/src/lvs/lvs/built-in-macros/_lvs_netter.rb
index f80bc7940..ca20ae82f 100644
--- a/src/lvs/lvs/built-in-macros/_lvs_netter.rb
+++ b/src/lvs/lvs/built-in-macros/_lvs_netter.rb
@@ -616,6 +616,12 @@ module LVS
     # pursues this "deduction path" in greater depth while with 
     # smaller values, the algorithm prefers picking nets in a random fashion
     # as the seeds for this deduction path. The default value is 8. 
+    # 
+    # By default, the depth is unlimited, but it may
+    # be reduced in order to limit the compare runtimes at the cost
+    # of a less elaborate compare attempt. The preferred solution 
+    # however is to use labels for net name hints which also reduces
+    # the branch complexity.
 
     def max_depth(value)
       v = value.to_i
@@ -638,6 +644,12 @@ module LVS
     # can be increased at the expense of potentially larger runtimes.
     # The runtime penality is roughly proportional to the branch
     # complexity.
+    # 
+    # By default, the branch complexity is unlimited, but it may
+    # be reduced in order to limit the compare runtimes at the cost
+    # of a less elaborate compare attempt. The preferred solution 
+    # however is to use labels for net name hints which also reduces
+    # the depth.
  
     def max_branch_complexity(value)
       v = value.to_i