diff --git a/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_labeling_trainer.h b/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_labeling_trainer.h
index 72795daed..9b61fd6c2 100644
--- a/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_labeling_trainer.h
+++ b/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_labeling_trainer.h
@@ -76,6 +76,16 @@ namespace dlib
         double get_epsilon (
         ) const { return eps; }
 
+        unsigned long get_max_iterations (
+        ) const { return max_iterations; }
+
+        void set_max_iterations (
+            unsigned long max_iter
+        ) 
+        {
+            max_iterations = max_iter;
+        }
+
         void set_max_cache_size (
             unsigned long max_size
         )
@@ -215,6 +225,7 @@ namespace dlib
                 prob.be_verbose();
 
             prob.set_epsilon(eps);
+            prob.set_max_iterations(max_iterations);
             prob.set_c(C);
             prob.set_max_cache_size(max_cache_size);
             for (unsigned long i = 0; i < loss_values.size(); ++i)
@@ -230,6 +241,7 @@ namespace dlib
         double C;
         oca solver;
         double eps;
+        unsigned long max_iterations;
         bool verbose;
         unsigned long num_threads;
         unsigned long max_cache_size;
@@ -240,6 +252,7 @@ namespace dlib
             C = 100;
             verbose = false;
             eps = 0.1;
+            max_iterations = 10000;
             num_threads = 2;
             max_cache_size = 5;
             loss_values.assign(num_labels(), 1);
diff --git a/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_labeling_trainer_abstract.h b/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_labeling_trainer_abstract.h
index e53cd9ae2..43e5f5131 100644
--- a/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_labeling_trainer_abstract.h
+++ b/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_labeling_trainer_abstract.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ namespace dlib
                 - #get_c() == 100
                 - this object isn't verbose
                 - #get_epsilon() == 0.1
+                - #get_max_iterations() == 10000
                 - #get_num_threads() == 2
                 - #get_max_cache_size() == 5
                 - #get_feature_extractor() == a default initialized feature_extractor
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ namespace dlib
                 - #get_c() == 100
                 - this object isn't verbose
                 - #get_epsilon() == 0.1
+                - #get_max_iterations() == 10000
                 - #get_num_threads() == 2
                 - #get_max_cache_size() == 5
                 - #get_feature_extractor() == fe 
@@ -119,6 +121,22 @@ namespace dlib
                   training sample is within epsilon of its optimal value".
         !*/
 
+        void set_max_iterations (
+            unsigned long max_iter
+        );
+        /*!
+            ensures
+                - #get_max_iterations() == max_iter
+        !*/
+
+        unsigned long get_max_iterations (
+        ); 
+        /*!
+            ensures
+                - returns the maximum number of iterations the SVM optimizer is allowed to
+                  run before it is required to stop and return a result.
+        !*/
+
         void set_max_cache_size (
             unsigned long max_size
         );
diff --git a/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_segmentation_trainer.h b/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_segmentation_trainer.h
index 20d342238..2e0214008 100644
--- a/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_segmentation_trainer.h
+++ b/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_segmentation_trainer.h
@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ namespace dlib
         double get_epsilon (
         ) const { return trainer.get_epsilon(); }
 
+        unsigned long get_max_iterations (
+        ) const { return trainer.get_max_iterations(); }
+
+        void set_max_iterations (
+            unsigned long max_iter
+        ) 
+        {
+            trainer.set_max_iterations(max_iter);
+        }
+
         void set_max_cache_size (
             unsigned long max_size
         )
diff --git a/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_segmentation_trainer_abstract.h b/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_segmentation_trainer_abstract.h
index c650dede8..bcd927ca6 100644
--- a/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_segmentation_trainer_abstract.h
+++ b/dlib/svm/structural_sequence_segmentation_trainer_abstract.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ namespace dlib
                 - #get_c() == 100
                 - this object isn't verbose
                 - #get_epsilon() == 0.1
+                - #get_max_iterations() == 10000
                 - #get_num_threads() == 2
                 - #get_max_cache_size() == 40
                 - #get_feature_extractor() == a default initialized feature_extractor
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ namespace dlib
                 - #get_c() == 100
                 - this object isn't verbose
                 - #get_epsilon() == 0.1
+                - #get_max_iterations() == 10000
                 - #get_num_threads() == 2
                 - #get_max_cache_size() == 40
                 - #get_feature_extractor() == fe 
@@ -111,6 +113,22 @@ namespace dlib
                   per training sample is within epsilon of its optimal value".
         !*/
 
+        void set_max_iterations (
+            unsigned long max_iter
+        );
+        /*!
+            ensures
+                - #get_max_iterations() == max_iter
+        !*/
+
+        unsigned long get_max_iterations (
+        ); 
+        /*!
+            ensures
+                - returns the maximum number of iterations the SVM optimizer is allowed to
+                  run before it is required to stop and return a result.
+        !*/
+
         void set_max_cache_size (
             unsigned long max_size
         );