diff --git a/src/letterset.rs b/src/letterset.rs
index 6514499..780db65 100644
--- a/src/letterset.rs
+++ b/src/letterset.rs
@@ -68,13 +68,6 @@ impl LetterSet {
         self.0 as usize
     }
 
-    pub fn from_index(index: usize) -> Option<Self> {
-        u32::try_from(index)
-            .ok()
-            .filter(|n| *n <= Self::FULL.0)
-            .map(Self)
-    }
-
     const fn letter_index(letter: u8) -> Option<u8> {
         if letter.is_ascii_alphabetic() {
             let lower = letter.to_ascii_lowercase();
@@ -227,12 +220,4 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(ABC.to_index(), 7);
         assert_eq!(LetterSet::FULL.to_index(), (1 << 26) - 1);
     }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn from_index() {
-        for ls in [LetterSet::EMPTY, A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, ABC, LetterSet::EMPTY] {
-            assert_eq!(LetterSet::from_index(ls.to_index()), Some(ls));
-        }
-        assert_eq!(LetterSet::from_index(1 << 26), None);
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 10fb23a..997d08a 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -18,9 +18,13 @@ fn main() {
         })
         .collect();
 
-    let target = env::args().nth(1).map_or(LetterSet::FULL, LetterSet::from);
-    eprintln!("letter count: {}", target.len());
-    let Some((len, path)) = solve(&mut dictionary, target) else {
+    let search_limit = env::args()
+        .nth(1)
+        .and_then(|n| n.parse::<usize>().ok())
+        .unwrap_or(1000);
+
+    eprintln!("search depth: {search_limit}");
+    let Some((len, path)) = solve(&mut dictionary, search_limit) else {
         println!("failed :(");
         process::exit(1);
     };
@@ -29,7 +33,9 @@ fn main() {
 
 const MAX_SOLUTION_LENGTH: u8 = 200;
 
-fn solve(dictionary: &mut [(String, LetterSet)], target: LetterSet) -> Option<(u8, Vec<&str>)> {
+fn solve(dictionary: &mut [(String, LetterSet)], search_limit: usize) -> Option<(u8, Vec<&str>)> {
+    let target = LetterSet::FULL;
+
     let mut bests = (0..=LetterSet::FULL.to_index())
         .map(|_| (u8::MAX, None))
         .collect::<Box<[_]>>();
@@ -39,7 +45,8 @@ fn solve(dictionary: &mut [(String, LetterSet)], target: LetterSet) -> Option<(u
     dictionary.sort_by_key(|(word, ls)| word.len() - usize::from(ls.len()));
     eprintln!("sorted!");
 
-    score(dictionary, &mut bests, target.negation(), 0);
+    score(dictionary, &mut bests, search_limit, target.negation(), 0);
+    eprintln!("scored!");
 
     let (len, start) = bests[target.negation().to_index()];
     let start = start?;
@@ -64,6 +71,7 @@ fn solve(dictionary: &mut [(String, LetterSet)], target: LetterSet) -> Option<(u
 fn score<'d>(
     dictionary: &'d [(String, LetterSet)],
     bests: &mut [(u8, Option<&'d str>)],
+    search_limit: usize,
     done_letters: LetterSet,
     length: u8,
 ) -> u8 {
@@ -85,10 +93,16 @@ fn score<'d>(
         .map(|(word, ls)| {
             let word_len = u8::try_from(word.len()).unwrap();
             let new_length = word_len.saturating_add(length);
-            let rest_score = score(dictionary, bests, done_letters.union(*ls), new_length);
+            let rest_score = score(
+                dictionary,
+                bests,
+                search_limit,
+                done_letters.union(*ls),
+                new_length,
+            );
             (word, word_len.saturating_add(rest_score))
         })
-        .take(1000)
+        .take(search_limit)
         .min_by_key(|(_, score)| *score)
     else {
         return u8::MAX;