diff --git a/docs/_static/draw_pkg_treemap.py b/docs/_static/draw_pkg_treemap.py
index 3e2775a3d..f339a604c 100644
--- a/docs/_static/draw_pkg_treemap.py
+++ b/docs/_static/draw_pkg_treemap.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 # /// script
 # dependencies = [
 #     "pymatviz @ git+https://github.com/janosh/pymatviz",
+#     "plotly!=6.2.0", # TODO remove pin pending https://github.com/plotly/plotly.py/issues/5253#issuecomment-3016615635
 # ]
 # ///
 
diff --git a/examples/scripts/6_Phonons/6.1_Phonons_MACE.py b/examples/scripts/6_Phonons/6.1_Phonons_MACE.py
index 785c67d53..f88fd351d 100644
--- a/examples/scripts/6_Phonons/6.1_Phonons_MACE.py
+++ b/examples/scripts/6_Phonons/6.1_Phonons_MACE.py
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@
 # dependencies = [
 #     "mace-torch>=0.3.12",
 #     "phonopy>=2.35",
-#     "pymatviz[export-figs]>=0.15.1",
+#     "pymatviz>=0.16",
 #     "seekpath",
 #     "ase",
+#     "plotly!=6.2.0", # TODO remove pin pending https://github.com/plotly/plotly.py/issues/5253#issuecomment-3016615635
 # ]
 # ///
 
diff --git a/examples/scripts/6_Phonons/6.2_QuasiHarmonic_MACE.py b/examples/scripts/6_Phonons/6.2_QuasiHarmonic_MACE.py
index 3abf83231..0fdea6b46 100644
--- a/examples/scripts/6_Phonons/6.2_QuasiHarmonic_MACE.py
+++ b/examples/scripts/6_Phonons/6.2_QuasiHarmonic_MACE.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 # dependencies = [
 #     "mace-torch>=0.3.12",
 #     "phonopy>=2.35",
-#     "pymatviz[export-figs]>=0.15.1",
+#     "pymatviz>=0.16",
+#     "plotly!=6.2.0", # TODO remove pin pending https://github.com/plotly/plotly.py/issues/5253#issuecomment-3016615635
 # ]
 # ///
 
diff --git a/tests/test_autobatching.py b/tests/test_autobatching.py
index 2c974ef64..5d15d4a1c 100644
--- a/tests/test_autobatching.py
+++ b/tests/test_autobatching.py
@@ -376,6 +376,32 @@ def mock_measure(*_args: Any, **_kwargs: Any) -> float:
     assert max_size == 8
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("scale_factor", [1.1, 1.4])
+def test_determine_max_batch_size_small_scale_factor_no_infinite_loop(
+    si_sim_state: ts.SimState,
+    lj_model: LennardJonesModel,
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+    scale_factor: float,
+) -> None:
+    """Test determine_max_batch_size doesn't infinite loop with small scale factors."""
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "torch_sim.autobatching.measure_model_memory_forward", lambda *_: 0.1
+    )
+
+    max_size = determine_max_batch_size(
+        si_sim_state, lj_model, max_atoms=20, scale_factor=scale_factor
+    )
+    assert 0 < max_size <= 20
+
+    # Verify sequence is strictly increasing (prevents infinite loop)
+    sizes = [1]
+    while (next_size := max(round(sizes[-1] * scale_factor), sizes[-1] + 1)) < 20:
+        sizes.append(next_size)
+
+    assert all(sizes[idx] > sizes[idx - 1] for idx in range(1, len(sizes)))
+    assert max_size == sizes[-1]
+
+
 def test_in_flight_auto_batcher_restore_order(
     si_sim_state: ts.SimState,
     fe_supercell_sim_state: ts.SimState,
diff --git a/torch_sim/autobatching.py b/torch_sim/autobatching.py
index f2eb32c72..d436076af 100644
--- a/torch_sim/autobatching.py
+++ b/torch_sim/autobatching.py
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ def determine_max_batch_size(
             Defaults to 500,000.
         start_size (int): Initial batch size to test. Defaults to 1.
         scale_factor (float): Factor to multiply batch size by in each iteration.
-            Defaults to 1.3.
+            Defaults to 1.6.
 
     Returns:
         int: Maximum number of batches that fit in GPU memory.
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ def determine_max_batch_size(
     """
     # Create a geometric sequence of batch sizes
     sizes = [start_size]
-    while (next_size := round(sizes[-1] * scale_factor)) < max_atoms:
+    while (next_size := max(round(sizes[-1] * scale_factor), sizes[-1] + 1)) < max_atoms:
         sizes.append(next_size)
 
     for i in range(len(sizes)):