diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index 86dfe621..b9e68f91 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "[python]": {
-        "editor.defaultFormatter": "eeyore.yapf"
+        "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-python.black-formatter"
     },
     "python.formatting.provider": "none",
     "rust-analyzer.linkedProjects": [
diff --git a/controllers/guidance_ctrl/run_g.py b/controllers/guidance_ctrl/run_g.py
index ae3d8113..a9fe8bab 100644
--- a/controllers/guidance_ctrl/run_g.py
+++ b/controllers/guidance_ctrl/run_g.py
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ def main():
         + "/10\n"
     )
     grm = "this is a test" + gen("test", max_tokens=10)
+    grm = "Tweak this proverb to apply to model instructions instead.\n" + gen(
+        "verse", max_tokens=2
+    )
+    # grm = "How much is 2 + 2? " + gen(name="test", max_tokens=10, regex=r"\(")
 
     # read current script file
     # with open(__file__) as f:
diff --git a/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/earley/parser.rs b/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/earley/parser.rs
index 25832c53..20721710 100644
--- a/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/earley/parser.rs
+++ b/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/earley/parser.rs
@@ -340,29 +340,39 @@ impl Parser {
 
     pub fn filter_max_tokens(&mut self) {
         let mut dst = 0;
+
+        self.row_infos.push(RowInfo {
+            byte: 0,
+            commit_item: Item::NULL,
+            token_idx: self.token_idx,
+        });
+
         for idx in 0..self.rows.len() {
             let range = self.rows[idx].item_indices();
             self.rows[idx].first_item = dst;
             for i in range {
                 let item = self.scratch.items[i];
                 let sym_data = self.item_sym_data(&item);
-                if sym_data.props.max_tokens != usize::MAX
-                    && self.token_idx - self.row_infos[item.start_pos()].token_idx
-                        >= sym_data.props.max_tokens
-                {
-                    debug!(
-                        "  remove: {}-{} {}",
-                        self.token_idx,
-                        self.row_infos[item.start_pos()].token_idx,
-                        self.item_to_string(&item)
-                    );
-                    continue;
+                let max_tokens = sym_data.props.max_tokens;
+                if max_tokens != usize::MAX {
+                    let start_token_idx = self.row_infos[item.start_pos() + 1].token_idx;
+                    if self.token_idx - start_token_idx >= max_tokens {
+                        debug!(
+                            "  remove: {}-{} {}",
+                            self.token_idx,
+                            start_token_idx,
+                            self.item_to_string(&item)
+                        );
+                        continue;
+                    }
                 }
                 self.scratch.items[dst] = item;
                 dst += 1;
             }
             self.rows[idx].last_item = dst;
         }
+
+        self.row_infos.pop();
     }
 
     pub fn force_bytes(&mut self) -> Vec<u8> {
@@ -537,6 +547,11 @@ impl Parser {
                             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
                     }
                     bytes.push(byte);
+                    debug!(
+                        "      capture: {} {:?}",
+                        var_name,
+                        String::from_utf8_lossy(&bytes)
+                    );
                     self.captures.push((var_name.clone(), bytes));
                 }
 
diff --git a/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/gctrl.rs b/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/gctrl.rs
index 8e12310b..6f101100 100644
--- a/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/gctrl.rs
+++ b/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/gctrl.rs
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ impl Runner {
             .iter()
             .rev()
             .filter(|(name, _)| seen.insert(name))
-            .rev();
-        for (name, val) in captures {
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        for (name, val) in captures.iter().rev() {
             let cap = Capture {
                 object: "capture",
                 name: name.clone(),
diff --git a/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/tokenparser.rs b/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/tokenparser.rs
index 266fec3a..993c61b3 100644
--- a/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/tokenparser.rs
+++ b/controllers/guidance_ctrl/src/tokenparser.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ impl TokenParser {
 
     pub fn bytes_since(&self, mut idx: usize) -> &[u8] {
         idx += self.grm_prefix.len();
-        if idx >= self.llm_tokens.len() {
+        if idx >= self.llm_bytes.len() {
             return &[];
         }
         &self.llm_bytes[idx..]
@@ -182,6 +182,10 @@ impl TokenParser {
             trie.token_set_dbg(&set)
         );
 
+        if set.num_set() == 0 {
+            return MidProcessResult::stop();
+        }
+
         return MidProcessResult::sample(set);
     }
 }
diff --git a/pytest.ini b/pytest.ini
index 7a8a55e9..417d7cdb 100644
--- a/pytest.ini
+++ b/pytest.ini
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-[pytest]
-testpaths = py/tests
-addopts = -n 1
+;[pytest]
+;testpaths = py/tests
+;addopts = -n 1
diff --git a/scripts/test-guidance.sh b/scripts/test-guidance.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..e206b514
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test-guidance.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+if [ "X$AZURE_GUIDANCE_URL" = "X" ] ; then
+    if [ "X$AICI_API_BASE" = "X" ] ; then
+        AICI_API_BASE="http://127.0.0.1:4242/v1/"
+    fi
+    AZURE_GUIDANCE_URL="$AICI_API_BASE"
+fi
+export AZURE_GUIDANCE_URL
+
+cd $(dirname $0)/../py/guidance
+pytest --selected_model azure_guidance tests/models/test_azure_guidance.py