diff --git a/src/strpkg/call.nim b/src/strpkg/call.nim
index 4371e32..19080a6 100644
--- a/src/strpkg/call.nim
+++ b/src/strpkg/call.nim
@@ -229,7 +229,8 @@ proc call_main*() =
 
       var b: Bounds
       var good_cluster: bool
-      (b, good_cluster) = bounds(c, min_clip, min_clip_total)
+      let max_clip_dist: uint16 = uint16(0.5 * frag_dist.median(0.5).float)
+      (b, good_cluster) = bounds(c, min_clip, min_clip_total, max_clip_dist)
       if good_cluster == false:
         continue
 
diff --git a/src/strpkg/callclusters.nim b/src/strpkg/callclusters.nim
index 9093685..bb834b0 100644
--- a/src/strpkg/callclusters.nim
+++ b/src/strpkg/callclusters.nim
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ proc assign_reads_locus*(locus: var Bounds, treads_by_tid_rep: TableRef[tid_rep,
       elif r.split == Soft.left:
         locus.n_left.inc
 
-proc bounds*(c: Cluster, min_clip: uint16, min_clip_total: uint16): (Bounds, bool) =
+proc bounds*(c: Cluster, min_clip: uint16, min_clip_total: uint16, max_clip_dist:uint16): (Bounds, bool) =
   if c.reads.len >= uint16.high.int:
     stderr.write_line "More than " & &"{uint16.high.int}" & " reads in cluster with first read:" & $c.reads[0] & " skipping"
     return
-  var b = c.bounds
+  var b = c.bounds(max_clip_dist)
   if b.right - b.left > 1000'u32:
     stderr.write_line "large bounds:" & $b & " skipping"
     return
diff --git a/src/strpkg/cluster.nim b/src/strpkg/cluster.nim
index 1e0b9a2..c8930f7 100644
--- a/src/strpkg/cluster.nim
+++ b/src/strpkg/cluster.nim
@@ -171,7 +171,9 @@ proc parse_bounds*(f:string, targets: seq[Target]): seq[Bounds] =
 
 
 # Find the bounds of the STR in the reference genome
-proc bounds*(cl:Cluster): Bounds =
+# max_clip_dist is set to 0.5 * median insert size elsewhere
+# (200 is an okay default for testing)
+proc bounds*(cl:Cluster, max_clip_dist:uint16=200): Bounds =
 
   var lefts = initCountTable[uint32](8)
   var rights = initCountTable[uint32](8)
@@ -184,15 +186,21 @@ proc bounds*(cl:Cluster): Bounds =
   doAssert cl.reads.len <= uint16.high.int, ("got too many reads for cluster with first read:" & $cl.reads[0])
 
   for r in cl.reads:
-    result.n_total.inc
-    if r.split == Soft.right:
-      # soft-clip of left indicates right end of variant
-      rights.inc(r.position)
-      result.n_right.inc
-    elif r.split == Soft.left:
+    posns.add(r.position)
+  result.center_mass = posns[int(posns.len / 2)]
+
+  # Check of soft-clip is too far away before adding it
+  for r in cl.reads:
+    if r.split == Soft.left and int32(r.position) < int32(result.center_mass) + int32(max_clip_dist):
       lefts.inc(r.position)
       result.n_left.inc
-    posns.add(r.position)
+      result.n_total.inc
+    elif r.split == Soft.right and int32(r.position) > int32(result.center_mass) - int32(max_clip_dist):
+      rights.inc(r.position)
+      result.n_right.inc
+      result.n_total.inc
+    else:
+      result.n_total.inc
 
   if lefts.len > 0:
     var ll = lefts.largest
@@ -203,8 +211,7 @@ proc bounds*(cl:Cluster): Bounds =
     if rr.val > 1:
       result.right = rr.key
 
-  if posns.len > 0:
-    result.center_mass = posns[int(posns.len / 2)]
+  if posns.len > 0: #necessary?
     if result.left == 0:
       result.left = result.center_mass
     if result.right == 0:
diff --git a/src/strpkg/merge.nim b/src/strpkg/merge.nim
index d0b4854..9a3189d 100644
--- a/src/strpkg/merge.nim
+++ b/src/strpkg/merge.nim
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ proc merge_main*() =
 
       var b: Bounds
       var good_cluster: bool
-      (b, good_cluster) = bounds(c, min_clip, min_clip_total)
+      let max_clip_dist: uint16 = uint16(0.5 * frag_dist.median(0.5).float)
+      (b, good_cluster) = bounds(c, min_clip, min_clip_total, max_clip_dist)
       if good_cluster == false:
         continue
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cluster.nim b/tests/test_cluster.nim
index f13176a..9bf1c9f 100644
--- a/tests/test_cluster.nim
+++ b/tests/test_cluster.nim
@@ -117,6 +117,26 @@ suite "cluster suite":
     check b.left == 3
     check b.right == 4
 
+  test "test bounds: filter out soft-clips that are inconsistent with the center mass":
+    var reads = @[
+      tread(tid:1'i32, repeat: ['A', 'T', 'G', '\x00', '\x00', '\x00'], position: 100, split: Soft.right),
+      tread(tid:1'i32, repeat: ['A', 'T', 'G', '\x00', '\x00', '\x00'], position: 123, split: Soft.none),
+      tread(tid:1'i32, repeat: ['A', 'T', 'G', '\x00', '\x00', '\x00'], position: 223, split: Soft.none),
+      tread(tid:1'i32, repeat: ['A', 'T', 'G', '\x00', '\x00', '\x00'], position: 223, split: Soft.none),
+      tread(tid:1'i32, repeat: ['A', 'T', 'G', '\x00', '\x00', '\x00'], position: 223, split: Soft.none),
+      tread(tid:1'i32, repeat: ['A', 'T', 'G', '\x00', '\x00', '\x00'], position: 253, split: Soft.none),
+      tread(tid:1'i32, repeat: ['A', 'T', 'G', '\x00', '\x00', '\x00'], position: 283, split: Soft.none),
+      ]
+
+    let max_clip_dist:uint16 = 50
+    var cl = Cluster(reads:reads)
+    var b = cl.bounds(max_clip_dist)
+    check b.left == 223
+    check b.right == 224
+    check b.left_most == 100
+    check b.right_most == 283
+    check b.center_mass == 223
+
 # This test is failing. Need to think about how to fix
 #  test "test bounds: no left soft-clipped reads so use median":
 #    var reads = @[