diff --git a/lib/Minimizer.cpp b/lib/Minimizer.cpp
index 163dc96..7354e8f 100644
--- a/lib/Minimizer.cpp
+++ b/lib/Minimizer.cpp
@@ -49,9 +49,13 @@ void Minimizer::resize(const Index dim)
     }
 }
 
-// limits //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 double Minimizer::getHighLimit(const Index i) const
 {
+    if (i >= getDim())
+    {
+        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid variable index");
+    }
+    
     return highLimit_(i);
 }
 
@@ -62,6 +66,11 @@ const DVec & Minimizer::getHighLimit(const PlaceHolder ph __dumb) const
 
 double Minimizer::getLowLimit(const Index i) const
 {
+    if (i >= getDim())
+    {
+        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid variable index");
+    }
+    
     return lowLimit_(i);
 }
 
@@ -72,11 +81,21 @@ const DVec & Minimizer::getLowLimit(const PlaceHolder ph __dumb) const
 
 bool Minimizer::hasHighLimit(const Index i) const
 {
+    if (i >= getDim())
+    {
+        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid variable index");
+    }
+    
     return hasHighLimit_(i);
 }
 
 bool Minimizer::hasLowLimit(const Index i) const
 {
+    if (i >= getDim())
+    {
+        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid variable index");
+    }
+    
     return hasLowLimit_(i);
 }
 
@@ -84,7 +103,7 @@ void Minimizer::setHighLimit(const Index i, const double l)
 {
     if (i >= getDim())
     {
-        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid limit index");
+        resize(i + 1);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -97,7 +116,7 @@ void Minimizer::setHighLimit(const PlaceHolder ph __dumb, const DVec &l)
 {
     if (l.size() != getDim())
     {
-        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid limit vector size");
+        resize(l.size());
     }
     else
     {
@@ -110,7 +129,7 @@ void Minimizer::setLowLimit(const Index i, const double l)
 {
     if (i >= getDim())
     {
-        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid limit index");
+        resize(i + 1);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -123,7 +142,7 @@ void Minimizer::setLowLimit(const PlaceHolder ph __dumb, const DVec &l)
 {
     if (l.size() != getDim())
     {
-        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid limit vector size");
+        resize(l.size());
     }
     else
     {
@@ -136,7 +155,7 @@ void Minimizer::useHighLimit(const Index i, const bool use)
 {
     if (i >= getDim())
     {
-        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid limit index");
+        resize(i + 1);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -153,7 +172,7 @@ void Minimizer::useLowLimit(const Index i, const bool use)
 {
     if (i >= getDim())
     {
-        LATAN_ERROR(Size, "invalid limit index");
+        resize(i + 1);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -165,3 +184,13 @@ void Minimizer::useLowLimit(const PlaceHolder ph __dumb, const bool use)
 {
     hasLowLimit_.fill(use);
 }
+
+unsigned int Minimizer::getMaxPass(void) const
+{
+    return maxPass_;
+}
+
+void Minimizer::setMaxPass(const unsigned int maxPass)
+{
+    maxPass_ = maxPass;
+}
diff --git a/lib/Minimizer.hpp b/lib/Minimizer.hpp
index c0fa8a0..97c589b 100644
--- a/lib/Minimizer.hpp
+++ b/lib/Minimizer.hpp
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ public:
     // destructor
     virtual ~Minimizer(void) = default;
     // access
-    virtual void resize(const Index dim);
-    // limits
+    virtual void         resize(const Index dim);
     virtual double       getHighLimit(const Index i) const ;
     virtual const DVec & getHighLimit(const PlaceHolder ph = _) const;
     virtual double       getLowLimit(const Index i) const;
@@ -58,11 +57,14 @@ public:
     virtual void         useLowLimit(const Index i, const bool use = true);
     virtual void         useLowLimit(const PlaceHolder ph = _,
                                      const bool use = true);
+    virtual unsigned int getMaxPass(void) const;
+    virtual void         setMaxPass(const unsigned int maxPass);
     // minimization
     virtual const DVec & operator()(const DoubleFunction &f) = 0;
 private:
-    DVec      highLimit_, lowLimit_;
-    Vec<bool> hasHighLimit_, hasLowLimit_;
+    DVec         highLimit_, lowLimit_;
+    Vec<bool>    hasHighLimit_, hasLowLimit_;
+    unsigned int maxPass_{5u};
 };
 
 END_LATAN_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/lib/MinuitMinimizer.cpp b/lib/MinuitMinimizer.cpp
index a9684ae..2715068 100644
--- a/lib/MinuitMinimizer.cpp
+++ b/lib/MinuitMinimizer.cpp
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@
 using namespace std;
 using namespace Latan;
 
-static constexpr double       initErr = 0.1;
-static constexpr unsigned int maxTry  = 10u;
+static constexpr double initErr = 0.1;
 
 /******************************************************************************
  *                    MinuitMinimizer implementation                          *
@@ -137,28 +136,21 @@ const DVec & MinuitMinimizer::operator()(const DoubleFunction &f)
     int          status;
     unsigned int n = 0;
     
-    if (getVerbosity() >= Verbosity::Normal)
-    {
-        cout << "========== Minuit minimization, pass #1";
-        cout << " ==========" << endl;
-    }
-    min->SetStrategy(0);
-    min->Minimize();
+    min->SetStrategy(2);
     do
     {
-        n++;
         if (getVerbosity() >= Verbosity::Normal)
         {
             cout << "========== Minuit minimization, pass #" << n + 1;
-            cout << " ==========" << endl;
+            cout << " =========" << endl;
         }
-        min->SetStrategy(2);
         min->Minimize();
         status = min->Status();
-    } while (status and (n < maxTry));
+        n++;
+    } while (status and (n < getMaxPass()));
     if (getVerbosity() >= Verbosity::Normal)
     {
-        cout << "======================================" << endl;
+        cout << "=================================================" << endl;
     }
     switch (status)
     {
diff --git a/lib/MinuitMinimizer.hpp b/lib/MinuitMinimizer.hpp
index c5ea135..dfe42ed 100644
--- a/lib/MinuitMinimizer.hpp
+++ b/lib/MinuitMinimizer.hpp
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@
 BEGIN_LATAN_NAMESPACE
 
 /******************************************************************************
- *        interface to CERN Minuit minimizer (http://www.cern.ch/minuit)      *
+ *                  interface to CERN Minuit minimizer                        *
+ * ( http://www.cern.ch/minuit )                                              *
  ******************************************************************************/
 class MinuitMinimizer: public Minimizer
 {