Index: trunk/psphot/src/psphotDeblendSatstars.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/psphot/src/psphotDeblendSatstars.c	(revision 28013)
+++ trunk/psphot/src/psphotDeblendSatstars.c	(revision 29606)
@@ -53,5 +53,18 @@
 
     pmCell *cell = readout->parent;
-    float SATURATION = 0.75*psMetadataLookupF32 (&status, cell->concepts, "CELL.SATURATION");
+
+    float SATURATION = NAN;
+
+    // do not completely trust the values in the header...
+    float CELL_SATURATION = psMetadataLookupF32 (&status, cell->concepts, "CELL.SATURATION");
+    float MIN_SATURATION = psMetadataLookupF32 (&status, recipe, "DEBLEND_MIN_SATURATION");
+    if (!status || !isfinite(MIN_SATURATION)) {
+	MIN_SATURATION = 40000.0;
+    }
+    if (!isfinite(CELL_SATURATION)) {
+	SATURATION = MIN_SATURATION;
+    } else {
+	SATURATION = PS_MAX(MIN_SATURATION, CELL_SATURATION);
+    }
     float SAT_TEST_LEVEL = 0.5*SATURATION;