diff --git a/src/aiida_quantumespresso_hp/workflows/hp/base.py b/src/aiida_quantumespresso_hp/workflows/hp/base.py
index 17d35f7..67eda47 100644
--- a/src/aiida_quantumespresso_hp/workflows/hp/base.py
+++ b/src/aiida_quantumespresso_hp/workflows/hp/base.py
@@ -210,10 +210,10 @@ def handle_computing_cholesky(self, _):
 
     @process_handler(priority=410, exit_codes=HpCalculation.exit_codes.ERROR_CONVERGENCE_NOT_REACHED)
     def handle_convergence_not_reached(self, _):
-        """Handle `ERROR_CONVERGENCE_NOT_REACHED`: decrease `alpha_mix`, increase `niter_max`, and restart.
+        """Handle `ERROR_CONVERGENCE_NOT_REACHED`: decrease `alpha_mix` and restart.
 
         Since `hp.x` does not support restarting from incomplete calculations, the entire calculation will have to be
-        restarted from scratch. By increasing the `niter_max` and decreasing `alpha_mix` there is a chance that the next
+        restarted from scratch. By decreasing `alpha_mix` there is a chance that the next
         run will converge. If these keys are present in the input parameters, they will be scaled by a default factor,
         otherwise, a hardcoded default value will be set that is lower/higher than that of the code's default.
         """
@@ -232,13 +232,6 @@ def handle_convergence_not_reached(self, _):
             parameters[parameter] = 0.20
             changes.append(f'set `{parameter}` to {parameters[parameter]}')
 
-        if 'niter_max' in parameters:
-            parameters['niter_max'] *= self.defaults.delta_factor_niter_max
-        else:
-            parameters['niter_max'] = 200
-
-        changes.append(f"changed `niter_max` to {parameters['niter_max']}")
-
         if changes:
             self.report(f"convergence not reached: {', '.join(changes)}")
         else:
diff --git a/src/aiida_quantumespresso_hp/workflows/protocols/hp/base.yaml b/src/aiida_quantumespresso_hp/workflows/protocols/hp/base.yaml
index 0e2a402..3e6c846 100644
--- a/src/aiida_quantumespresso_hp/workflows/protocols/hp/base.yaml
+++ b/src/aiida_quantumespresso_hp/workflows/protocols/hp/base.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ default_inputs:
         parameters:
             INPUTHP:
                 conv_thr_chi: 5.e-6
+                niter_max: 200
+                nmix: 8
+                alpha_mix(1): 0.4
         qpoints:
             - 2
             - 2
diff --git a/tests/workflows/hp/test_base.py b/tests/workflows/hp/test_base.py
index 729d2fc..4701951 100644
--- a/tests/workflows/hp/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/workflows/hp/test_base.py
@@ -96,11 +96,9 @@ def test_handle_unrecoverable_failure(generate_workchain_hp):
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ('inputs', 'expected'),
     (
-        ({}, {'alpha_mix(1)': 0.2, 'niter_max': 200}),
-        ({'niter_max': 5}, {'alpha_mix(1)': 0.2, 'niter_max': 10}),
-        ({'alpha_mix(5)': 0.5}, {'alpha_mix(5)': 0.25, 'niter_max': 200}),
-        ({'alpha_mix(5)': 0.5, 'alpha_mix(10)': 0.4}, {'alpha_mix(5)': 0.25, 'alpha_mix(10)': 0.2, 'niter_max': 200}),
-        ({'niter_max': 1, 'alpha_mix(2)': 0.3}, {'niter_max': 2, 'alpha_mix(2)': 0.15}),
+        ({}, {'alpha_mix(1)': 0.2}),
+        ({'alpha_mix(5)': 0.5}, {'alpha_mix(5)': 0.25}),
+        ({'alpha_mix(5)': 0.5, 'alpha_mix(10)': 0.4}, {'alpha_mix(5)': 0.25, 'alpha_mix(10)': 0.2}),
     ),
 )  # yapf: disable
 def test_handle_convergence_not_reached(generate_workchain_hp, generate_inputs_hp, inputs, expected):
diff --git a/tests/workflows/protocols/hp/test_base/test_default.yml b/tests/workflows/protocols/hp/test_base/test_default.yml
index 75c8b3b..f6f7742 100644
--- a/tests/workflows/protocols/hp/test_base/test_default.yml
+++ b/tests/workflows/protocols/hp/test_base/test_default.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ hp:
       withmpi: true
   parameters:
     INPUTHP:
+      alpha_mix(1): 0.4
       conv_thr_chi: 5.0e-06
+      niter_max: 200
+      nmix: 8
   qpoints:
   - - 2
     - 2
diff --git a/tests/workflows/protocols/hp/test_main/test_default.yml b/tests/workflows/protocols/hp/test_main/test_default.yml
index 6b15aa1..8b3d0a1 100644
--- a/tests/workflows/protocols/hp/test_main/test_default.yml
+++ b/tests/workflows/protocols/hp/test_main/test_default.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ hp:
       withmpi: true
   parameters:
     INPUTHP:
+      alpha_mix(1): 0.4
       conv_thr_chi: 5.0e-06
+      niter_max: 200
+      nmix: 8
   settings:
     parent_folder_symlink: true
 parallelize_atoms: true
diff --git a/tests/workflows/protocols/test_hubbard/test_default.yml b/tests/workflows/protocols/test_hubbard/test_default.yml
index ee18383..4f6c380 100644
--- a/tests/workflows/protocols/test_hubbard/test_default.yml
+++ b/tests/workflows/protocols/test_hubbard/test_default.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ hubbard:
         withmpi: true
     parameters:
       INPUTHP:
+        alpha_mix(1): 0.4
         conv_thr_chi: 5.0e-06
+        niter_max: 200
+        nmix: 8
     settings:
       parent_folder_symlink: true
   parallelize_atoms: true