diff --git a/README b/README
index 466f644..92d3112 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-Jpegoptim v1.5.6 - Copyright (C)  Timo Kokkonen, 1996-2025. All Rights Reserved.
+Jpegoptim v1.5.7beta - Copyright (C)  Timo Kokkonen, 1996-2025. All Rights Reserved.
 
 
 REQUIREMENTS
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ INSTALLATION
         tar file, make necessary changes to the Makefile,  and then
         compile the program. You may wanna do something like this:
 
-                tar xzvf jpegoptim-1.5.6.tar.gz
-                cd jpegoptim-1.5.6
+                tar xzvf jpegoptim-1.5.7.tar.gz
+                cd jpegoptim-1.5.7
                 ./configure
                 make
                 make strip
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ INSTALLATION
 
 
 HISTORY
+        v1.5.7 - fix to --auto-mode sometimes getting stuck in a loop
         v1.5.6 - add new option -r, --retry,
                  add new option --save-extra,
                  add new option --auto-mode,
@@ -148,4 +149,4 @@ Special thanks for following Github Sponsors that have supported jpegoptim:
 
 
 Timo <tjko@iki.fi>
-14-Sep-2025
+15-Nov-2025
diff --git a/jpegoptim.c b/jpegoptim.c
index c0d92de..e16b2ec 100644
--- a/jpegoptim.c
+++ b/jpegoptim.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
 #include "jpegoptim.h"
 
 
-#define VERSION "1.5.6"
+#define VERSION "1.5.7beta"
 #define COPYRIGHT  "Copyright (C) 1996-2025, Timo Kokkonen"
 
 #if HAVE_WAIT && HAVE_FORK
@@ -1089,6 +1089,7 @@ int optimize(FILE *log_fh, const char *filename, const char *newname,
 		} else {
 			if (verbose_mode > 1)
 				fprintf(log_fh, "(automode done: %lu) ", outsize);
+			auto_mode = 0;
 			if (outsize > last_retry_size) {
 				if (verbose_mode)
 					fprintf(log_fh, "(revert to %s) ", (!newmode ? "progressive" : "normal"));