diff --git a/irescue/count.py b/irescue/count.py
index ba8f3ed..de32e77 100644
--- a/irescue/count.py
+++ b/irescue/count.py
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ def parse_maps(maps_file, feature_index):
                 eqcl = [EquivalenceClass(i, umi, feat, count)]
         yield it, eqcl
 
-def compute_cell_counts(equivalence_classes, features_index, dumpEC):
+def compute_cell_counts(equivalence_classes, features_index, max_iters,
+                        tolerance, dumpEC):
     """
     Calculate TE counts of a single cell, given a list of equivalence classes.
 
@@ -204,6 +205,8 @@ def compute_cell_counts(equivalence_classes, features_index, dumpEC):
                 for x in path_:
                     # add parent's UMI sequence and dedup features
                     dump[x] += (dump[parent_][0], features[i])
+    # EM stats placeholder in case of no multimapped UMIs
+    em_stats = (None, None)
     if em_array:
         # optimize the assignment of UMI from multimapping reads
         em_array = np.array(em_array)
@@ -213,12 +216,16 @@ def compute_cell_counts(equivalence_classes, features_index, dumpEC):
         todel = np.argwhere(np.all(em_array[..., :] == 0, axis=0))
         em_array = np.delete(em_array, todel, axis=1)
         # run EM
-        em_counts = run_em(em_array, cycles=100)
+        em_counts, em_stats = run_em(
+            em_array,
+            cycles=max_iters,
+            tolerance=tolerance
+        )
         em_counts = [x*em_array.shape[0] for x in em_counts]
         for i, c in zip(tokeep, em_counts):
             if c > 0:
                 counts[i] += c
-    return dict(counts), dump
+    return dict(counts), dump, em_stats
 
 def split_barcodes(barcodes_file, n):
     """
@@ -232,8 +239,8 @@ def split_barcodes(barcodes_file, n):
         for i, chunk in enumerate(get_ranges(nBarcodes, n)):
             yield i, {next(f).strip(): x+1 for x in chunk}
 
-def run_count(maps_file, features_index, tmpdir, dumpEC, verbose,
-              barcodes_set):
+def run_count(maps_file, features_index, tmpdir, dumpEC, max_iters, tolerance,
+              verbose, barcodes_set):
     # NB: keep args order consistent with main.countFun
     taskn, barcodes = barcodes_set
     matrix_file = os.path.join(tmpdir, f'{taskn}_matrix.mtx.gz')
@@ -250,14 +257,16 @@ def run_count(maps_file, features_index, tmpdir, dumpEC, verbose,
                 f'{cellidx} ({cellbarcode.decode()})',
                 level=2, send=verbose
             )
-            cellcounts, dump = compute_cell_counts(
+            cellcounts, dump, em_stats = compute_cell_counts(
                 equivalence_classes=cellmaps,
                 features_index=features_index,
+                max_iters=max_iters,
+                tolerance=tolerance,
                 dumpEC=dumpEC
             )
             writerr(
-                f'[{taskn}] Write count for cell '
-                f'{cellidx} ({cellbarcode.decode()})',
+                f'[{taskn}] Write cell {cellidx} ({cellbarcode.decode()}). '
+                f'EM cycles: {em_stats[0]}. Coverged: {em_stats[1]}.',
                 level=1, send=verbose
             )
             # round counts to 3rd decimal point and write to matrix file
diff --git a/irescue/em.py b/irescue/em.py
index 39443df..7aa4c7d 100644
--- a/irescue/em.py
+++ b/irescue/em.py
@@ -17,7 +17,15 @@ def m_step(matrix):
     counts = matrix.sum(axis=0) / matrix.sum()
     return(counts)
 
-def run_em(matrix, cycles=100):
+def log_likelihood(matrix, counts):
+    """
+    Compute log-likelihood of data.
+    """
+    likelihoods = (matrix * counts).sum(axis=1)
+    log_likelihood = np.sum(np.log(likelihoods + np.finfo(float).eps))
+    return log_likelihood
+
+def run_em(matrix, cycles=100, tolerance=1e-5):
     """
     Run Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm to redistribute read counts
     across a set of features.
@@ -28,22 +36,45 @@ def run_em(matrix, cycles=100):
         Reads-features compatibility matrix.
     cycles : int, optional
         Number of EM cycles.
+    tolerance : float
+        Tolerance threshold of log-likelihood difference to infer convergence.
 
     Returns
     -------
     out : list
         Optimized relative feature abundances.
+    cycle : int
+        Number of EM cycles.
+    converged : bool
+        Indicates if convergence has been reached before cycles theshold.
     """
-    
+
     # calculate initial estimation of relative abundance.
     # (let the sum of counts of features be 1,
     # will be multiplied by the real UMI count later)
     nFeatures = matrix.shape[1]
     counts = np.array([1 / nFeatures] * nFeatures)
 
-    # run EM for n cycles
-    for _ in range(cycles):
+    # Initial log-likelihood
+    prev_loglik = log_likelihood(matrix, counts)
+
+    converged = False
+    curr_cycle = 0
+
+    # Run EM iterations
+    while curr_cycle < cycles:
+        curr_cycle += 1
         e_matrix = e_step(matrix=matrix, counts=counts)
         counts = m_step(matrix=e_matrix)
 
-    return(counts)
\ No newline at end of file
+        # Compute the new log-likelihood
+        loglik = log_likelihood(matrix, counts)
+
+        # Check for convergence
+        if np.abs(loglik - prev_loglik) < tolerance:
+            converged = True
+            break
+
+        prev_loglik = loglik
+
+    return counts, (curr_cycle, converged)
diff --git a/irescue/main.py b/irescue/main.py
index 3a6315a..a7ee712 100644
--- a/irescue/main.py
+++ b/irescue/main.py
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ def parseArguments():
                         help="Minimum overlap between read and TE"
                         " as a fraction of read's alignment"
                         " (i.e. 0.00 <= NUM <= 1.00) (Default: disabled).")
+    parser.add_argument('--max-iters', type=int, metavar='INT', default=100,
+                        help="Maximum number of EM iterations "
+                        "(Default: %(default)s).")
+    parser.add_argument('--tolerance', type=float, metavar='FLOAT',
+                        default=1e-4, help="Log-likelihood change below which "
+                        "convergence is assumed (Default: %(default)s).")
     parser.add_argument('--dump-ec', action='store_true',
                         help="Write a description log file of Equivalence "
                         "Classes.")
@@ -190,7 +196,7 @@ def main():
     # calculate TE counts
     countFun = partial(
         run_count, mappings_file, feature_index, dirs['tmp'],
-        args.dump_ec, args.verbose
+        args.dump_ec, args.max_iters, args.tolerance, args.verbose
     )
     if args.threads > 1:
         mtxFiles = pool.map(countFun, bc_per_thread)