diff --git a/python/obitools3/parsers/embl.pyx b/python/obitools3/parsers/embl.pyx
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 4c90fd6..0116f60
--- a/python/obitools3/parsers/embl.pyx
+++ b/python/obitools3/parsers/embl.pyx
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def emblIterator_file(lineiterator,
         
     while True:
         
-        if ionly >= 0 and read >= ionly:
+        if ionly >= 0 and read >= ionly-1:
             break
                 
         while skipped < skip:
@@ -160,7 +160,6 @@ def emblIterator_file(lineiterator,
         DONECOUNT+=1
         
         yield seq
-                
         read+=1
     
     yield seq
@@ -175,10 +174,18 @@ def emblIterator_dir(dir_path,
                      int buffersize=100000000
                      ):
     path = dir_path
+    read = 0
     for filename in glob.glob(os.path.join(path, b'*.dat*')):
+        if read==only:
+            return
         f = uopen(filename)
-        for seq in emblIterator_file(f, skip=skip, only=only, buffersize=buffersize):
+        if only is not None:
+            only_f = only-read
+        else:
+            only_f = None
+        for seq in emblIterator_file(f, skip=skip, only=only_f, buffersize=buffersize):
             yield seq
+            read+=1
 
 
 def emblIterator(obj,