diff --git a/hate_crack/main.py b/hate_crack/main.py
index b2f9040..6242794 100755
--- a/hate_crack/main.py
+++ b/hate_crack/main.py
@@ -1411,9 +1411,7 @@ def hcatFingerprint(
         raise ValueError("expander_len must be an integer between 7 and 36")
 
     crackedBefore = lineCount(hcatHashFile + ".out")
-    crackedAfter = 0
-    while crackedBefore != crackedAfter:
-        crackedBefore = lineCount(hcatHashFile + ".out")
+    while True:
         _write_delimited_field(f"{hcatHashFile}.out", f"{hcatHashFile}.working", 2)
         expander_bin = (
             hcatExpanderBin if expander_len == 7 else f"expander{expander_len}.bin"
@@ -1477,6 +1475,9 @@ def hcatFingerprint(
             hcatHybrid(hcatHashType, hcatHashFile, [f"{hcatHashFile}.expanded"])
 
         crackedAfter = lineCount(hcatHashFile + ".out")
+        if crackedAfter == crackedBefore:
+            break
+        crackedBefore = crackedAfter
     hcatFingerprintCount = lineCount(hcatHashFile + ".out") - hcatHashCracked
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_fingerprint_expander_and_hybrid.py b/tests/test_fingerprint_expander_and_hybrid.py
index e4700da..e1b2bd0 100644
--- a/tests/test_fingerprint_expander_and_hybrid.py
+++ b/tests/test_fingerprint_expander_and_hybrid.py
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ def test_hcatFingerprint_uses_selected_expander_and_calls_hybrid(monkeypatch, tm
     out_path.write_text("deadbeef:Accordbookkeeping2025!:x\n")
 
     # Make the loop run exactly one iteration.
-    counts = iter([1, 1, 1, 1])
+    # Calls: before-loop(1), end-of-iteration(1) == before → break, post-loop(1).
+    counts = iter([1, 1, 1])
     monkeypatch.setattr(hc_main, "lineCount", lambda _p: next(counts))
     monkeypatch.setattr(hc_main, "hcatHashCracked", 0)