diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index a1df79bc..cea4a0e9 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 * Fix R cmd check error on linux for CRAN 
 
+* `mcmc_dens()` and `mcmc_dens_overlay()` gain arguments for controlling the 
+  the density calculation. (#258)
 
 # bayesplot 1.8.0
 
diff --git a/R/mcmc-distributions.R b/R/mcmc-distributions.R
index 63a63c95..abd611aa 100644
--- a/R/mcmc-distributions.R
+++ b/R/mcmc-distributions.R
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #' @template args-regex_pars
 #' @template args-transformations
 #' @template args-facet_args
+#' @template args-density-controls
 #' @param ... Currently ignored.
 #'
 #' @template return-ggplot
@@ -105,15 +106,17 @@ NULL
 #' @template args-hist
 #' @template args-hist-freq
 #'
-mcmc_hist <- function(x,
-                      pars = character(),
-                      regex_pars = character(),
-                      transformations = list(),
-                      ...,
-                      facet_args = list(),
-                      binwidth = NULL,
-                      breaks = NULL,
-                      freq = TRUE) {
+mcmc_hist <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  ...,
+  facet_args = list(),
+  binwidth = NULL,
+  breaks = NULL,
+  freq = TRUE
+) {
   check_ignored_arguments(...)
   .mcmc_hist(
     x,
@@ -131,13 +134,19 @@ mcmc_hist <- function(x,
 
 #' @rdname MCMC-distributions
 #' @export
-mcmc_dens <- function(x,
-                      pars = character(),
-                      regex_pars = character(),
-                      transformations = list(),
-                      ...,
-                      facet_args = list(),
-                      trim = FALSE) {
+mcmc_dens <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  ...,
+  facet_args = list(),
+  trim = FALSE,
+  bw = NULL,
+  adjust = NULL,
+  kernel = NULL,
+  n_dens = NULL
+) {
   check_ignored_arguments(...)
   .mcmc_dens(
     x,
@@ -147,6 +156,10 @@ mcmc_dens <- function(x,
     facet_args = facet_args,
     by_chain = FALSE,
     trim = trim,
+    bw = bw,
+    adjust = adjust,
+    kernel = kernel,
+    n_dens = n_dens,
     ...
   )
 }
@@ -154,14 +167,16 @@ mcmc_dens <- function(x,
 #' @rdname MCMC-distributions
 #' @export
 #'
-mcmc_hist_by_chain <- function(x,
-                               pars = character(),
-                               regex_pars = character(),
-                               transformations = list(),
-                               ...,
-                               facet_args = list(),
-                               binwidth = NULL,
-                               freq = TRUE) {
+mcmc_hist_by_chain <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  ...,
+  facet_args = list(),
+  binwidth = NULL,
+  freq = TRUE
+) {
   check_ignored_arguments(...)
   .mcmc_hist(
     x,
@@ -178,14 +193,20 @@ mcmc_hist_by_chain <- function(x,
 
 #' @rdname MCMC-distributions
 #' @export
-mcmc_dens_overlay <- function(x,
-                              pars = character(),
-                              regex_pars = character(),
-                              transformations = list(),
-                              ...,
-                              facet_args = list(),
-                              color_chains = TRUE,
-                              trim = FALSE) {
+mcmc_dens_overlay <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  ...,
+  facet_args = list(),
+  color_chains = TRUE,
+  trim = FALSE,
+  bw = NULL,
+  adjust = NULL,
+  kernel = NULL,
+  n_dens = NULL
+) {
   check_ignored_arguments(...)
   .mcmc_dens(
     x,
@@ -196,6 +217,10 @@ mcmc_dens_overlay <- function(x,
     by_chain = TRUE,
     color_chains = color_chains,
     trim = trim,
+    bw = bw,
+    adjust = adjust,
+    kernel = kernel,
+    n_dens = n_dens,
     ...
   )
 }
@@ -204,19 +229,29 @@ mcmc_dens_overlay <- function(x,
 #' @template args-density-controls
 #' @param color_chains Option for whether to separately color chains.
 #' @export
-mcmc_dens_chains <- function(x,
-                             pars = character(),
-                             regex_pars = character(),
-                             transformations = list(),
-                             ...,
-                             color_chains = TRUE,
-                             bw = NULL, adjust = NULL, kernel = NULL,
-                             n_dens = NULL) {
+mcmc_dens_chains <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  ...,
+  color_chains = TRUE,
+  bw = NULL,
+  adjust = NULL,
+  kernel = NULL,
+  n_dens = NULL
+) {
   check_ignored_arguments(...)
-  data <- mcmc_dens_chains_data(x, pars = pars, regex_pars = regex_pars,
-                                transformations = transformations, bw = bw,
-                                adjust = adjust, kernel = kernel,
-                                n_dens = n_dens)
+  data <- mcmc_dens_chains_data(
+    x,
+    pars = pars,
+    regex_pars = regex_pars,
+    transformations = transformations,
+    bw = bw,
+    adjust = adjust,
+    kernel = kernel,
+    n_dens = n_dens
+  )
 
   n_chains <- length(unique(data$chain))
   if (n_chains == 1) STOP_need_multiple_chains()
@@ -233,17 +268,22 @@ mcmc_dens_chains <- function(x,
   }
 
   ggplot(data) +
-    aes_(x = ~ x, y = ~ parameter, color = ~ chain,
-         group = ~ interaction(chain, parameter)) +
+    aes_(
+      x = ~ x, y = ~ parameter, color = ~ chain,
+      group = ~ interaction(chain, parameter)
+    ) +
     geom_line(data = line_training) +
     ggridges::geom_density_ridges(
       aes_(height = ~ density),
       stat = "identity",
       fill = NA,
-      show.legend = FALSE) +
+      show.legend = FALSE
+    ) +
     labs(color = "Chain") +
-    scale_y_discrete(limits = unique(rev(data$parameter)),
-                     expand = c(0.05, .6)) +
+    scale_y_discrete(
+      limits = unique(rev(data$parameter)),
+      expand = c(0.05, .6)
+    ) +
     scale_color +
     bayesplot_theme_get() +
     yaxis_title(FALSE) +
@@ -254,38 +294,48 @@ mcmc_dens_chains <- function(x,
 
 #' @rdname MCMC-distributions
 #' @export
-mcmc_dens_chains_data <- function(x,
-                                  pars = character(),
-                                  regex_pars = character(),
-                                  transformations = list(),
-                                  ...,
-                                  bw = NULL, adjust = NULL, kernel = NULL,
-                                  n_dens = NULL) {
+mcmc_dens_chains_data <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  ...,
+  bw = NULL, adjust = NULL, kernel = NULL,
+  n_dens = NULL
+) {
   check_ignored_arguments(...)
 
   x %>%
-    prepare_mcmc_array(pars = pars, regex_pars = regex_pars,
-                       transformations = transformations) %>%
+    prepare_mcmc_array(
+      pars = pars,
+      regex_pars = regex_pars,
+      transformations = transformations
+    ) %>%
     melt_mcmc() %>%
-    compute_column_density(c(.data$Parameter, .data$Chain), .data$Value,
-                           interval_width = 1,
-                           bw = bw, adjust = adjust, kernel = kernel,
-                           n_dens = n_dens) %>%
+    compute_column_density(
+      group_vars = c(.data$Parameter, .data$Chain),
+      value_var = .data$Value,
+      interval_width = 1,
+      bw = bw, adjust = adjust, kernel = kernel, n_dens = n_dens
+    ) %>%
     mutate(Chain = factor(.data$Chain)) %>%
     rlang::set_names(tolower) %>%
     dplyr::as_tibble()
 }
 
+
 #' @rdname MCMC-distributions
 #' @inheritParams ppc_violin_grouped
 #' @export
-mcmc_violin <- function(x,
-                        pars = character(),
-                        regex_pars = character(),
-                        transformations = list(),
-                        ...,
-                        facet_args = list(),
-                        probs = c(0.1, 0.5, 0.9)) {
+mcmc_violin <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  ...,
+  facet_args = list(),
+  probs = c(0.1, 0.5, 0.9)
+) {
   check_ignored_arguments(...)
   .mcmc_dens(
     x,
@@ -303,16 +353,18 @@ mcmc_violin <- function(x,
 
 
 # internal -----------------------------------------------------------------
-.mcmc_hist <- function(x,
-                       pars = character(),
-                       regex_pars = character(),
-                       transformations = list(),
-                       facet_args = list(),
-                       binwidth = NULL,
-                       breaks = NULL,
-                       by_chain = FALSE,
-                       freq = TRUE,
-                       ...) {
+.mcmc_hist <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  facet_args = list(),
+  binwidth = NULL,
+  breaks = NULL,
+  by_chain = FALSE,
+  freq = TRUE,
+  ...
+) {
   x <- prepare_mcmc_array(x, pars, regex_pars, transformations)
 
   if (by_chain && !has_multiple_chains(x)) {
@@ -363,25 +415,37 @@ mcmc_violin <- function(x,
     xaxis_title(on = n_param == 1)
 }
 
-.mcmc_dens <- function(x,
-                       pars = character(),
-                       regex_pars = character(),
-                       transformations = list(),
-                       facet_args = list(),
-                       by_chain = FALSE,
-                       color_chains = FALSE,
-                       geom = c("density", "violin"),
-                       probs = c(0.1, 0.5, 0.9),
-                       trim = FALSE,
-                       ...) {
+.mcmc_dens <- function(
+  x,
+  pars = character(),
+  regex_pars = character(),
+  transformations = list(),
+  facet_args = list(),
+  by_chain = FALSE,
+  color_chains = FALSE,
+  geom = c("density", "violin"),
+  probs = c(0.1, 0.5, 0.9),
+  trim = FALSE,
+  bw = NULL,
+  adjust = NULL,
+  kernel = NULL,
+  n_dens = NULL,
+  ...
+) {
+
+  bw <- bw %||% "nrd0"
+  adjust <- adjust %||% 1
+  kernel <- kernel %||% "gaussian"
+  n_dens <- n_dens %||% 1024
+
   x <- prepare_mcmc_array(x, pars, regex_pars, transformations)
-  data <- melt_mcmc(x)
+  data <- melt_mcmc.mcmc_array(x)
   data$Chain <- factor(data$Chain)
   n_param <- num_params(data)
 
   geom <- match.arg(geom)
   violin <- geom == "violin"
-  geom_fun <- if (by_chain) "stat_density" else paste0("geom_", geom)
+  geom_fun <- if (!violin) "stat_density" else "geom_violin"
 
   if (by_chain || violin) {
     if (!has_multiple_chains(x)) {
@@ -396,11 +460,16 @@ mcmc_violin <- function(x,
   } else {
     list(x = ~ Value)
   }
+
   geom_args <- list(size = 0.5, na.rm = TRUE)
   if (violin) {
     geom_args[["draw_quantiles"]] <- probs
   } else {
     geom_args[["trim"]] <- trim
+    geom_args[["bw"]] <- bw
+    geom_args[["adjust"]] <- adjust
+    geom_args[["kernel"]] <- kernel
+    geom_args[["n"]] <- n_dens
   }
 
   if (by_chain) {
@@ -450,3 +519,4 @@ mcmc_violin <- function(x,
     yaxis_title(on = n_param == 1 && violin) +
     xaxis_title(on = n_param == 1)
 }
+
diff --git a/man/MCMC-distributions.Rd b/man/MCMC-distributions.Rd
index 70385b96..43f7eb2f 100644
--- a/man/MCMC-distributions.Rd
+++ b/man/MCMC-distributions.Rd
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ mcmc_dens(
   transformations = list(),
   ...,
   facet_args = list(),
-  trim = FALSE
+  trim = FALSE,
+  bw = NULL,
+  adjust = NULL,
+  kernel = NULL,
+  n_dens = NULL
 )
 
 mcmc_hist_by_chain(
@@ -52,7 +56,11 @@ mcmc_dens_overlay(
   ...,
   facet_args = list(),
   color_chains = TRUE,
-  trim = FALSE
+  trim = FALSE,
+  bw = NULL,
+  adjust = NULL,
+  kernel = NULL,
+  n_dens = NULL
 )
 
 mcmc_dens_chains(
@@ -153,12 +161,12 @@ function.)}
 
 \item{trim}{A logical scalar passed to \code{\link[ggplot2:geom_density]{ggplot2::geom_density()}}.}
 
-\item{color_chains}{Option for whether to separately color chains.}
-
 \item{bw, adjust, kernel, n_dens}{Optional arguments passed to
 \code{\link[stats:density]{stats::density()}} to override default kernel density estimation
 parameters. \code{n_dens} defaults to \code{1024}.}
 
+\item{color_chains}{Option for whether to separately color chains.}
+
 \item{probs}{A numeric vector passed to \code{\link[ggplot2:geom_violin]{ggplot2::geom_violin()}}'s
 \code{draw_quantiles} argument to specify at which quantiles to draw
 horizontal lines. Set to \code{NULL} to remove the lines.}