diff --git a/MonteCarloMarginalizeCode/Code/bin/util_RIFT_pseudo_pipe.py b/MonteCarloMarginalizeCode/Code/bin/util_RIFT_pseudo_pipe.py
index 85a656e6b..cd06be5a5 100755
--- a/MonteCarloMarginalizeCode/Code/bin/util_RIFT_pseudo_pipe.py
+++ b/MonteCarloMarginalizeCode/Code/bin/util_RIFT_pseudo_pipe.py
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ def run_lisa_known_sky_surface(opts):
 parser.add_argument("--archive-pesummary-label",default=None,help="If provided, creates a 'pesummary' directory and fills it with this run's final output at the end of the run")
 parser.add_argument("--archive-pesummary-event-label",default="this_event",help="Label to use on the pesummary page itself")
 parser.add_argument("--internal-mitigate-fd-J-frame",default="L_frame",help="L_frame|rotate, choose method to deal with ChooseFDWaveform being in wrong frame. Default is to request L frame for inputs")
-parser.add_argument("--internal-force-puff-iterations", default=4, type=int, help="Number of iterations to be puffed")
+parser.add_argument("--internal-force-puff-iterations", default=None, type=int, help="Number of iterations to be puffed. If None, will use the algorithm to determine the number of iterations to puff.")
 opts=  parser.parse_args()
 
 # Multi-GPU ILE fan-out: --ile-gpu-fanout funnels through RIFT_ILE_GPU_FANOUT, which
@@ -1691,7 +1691,7 @@ def run_lisa_known_sky_surface(opts):
 
 # Write puff file
 #puff_params = " --parameter mc --parameter delta_mc --parameter chieff_aligned "
-puff_max_it = opts.internal_force_puff_iterations
+puff_max_it = 4 
 #  Read puff args from file, if present
 try:
     with open("helper_puff_max_it.txt",'r') as f:
@@ -1712,7 +1712,10 @@ def run_lisa_known_sky_surface(opts):
 if opts.assume_highq:
         puff_params = puff_params.replace(' delta_mc ', ' eta ')  # use natural coordinates in the high q strategy. May want to do this always
         puff_max_it +=3
-                                                                                                                                
+
+if opts.internal_force_puff_iterations is not None:
+    puff_max_it = int(opts.internal_force_puff_iterations)
+
 with open("args_puff.txt",'w') as f:
         puff_args =''  # note used below
         if opts.assume_nospin: