diff --git a/pyxform/xls2json_backends.py b/pyxform/xls2json_backends.py
index 50ea1944..78275ab9 100644
--- a/pyxform/xls2json_backends.py
+++ b/pyxform/xls2json_backends.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def trim_trailing_empty(a_list: list, n_empty: int) -> list:
 
 def get_excel_column_headers(first_row: Iterator[Optional[str]]) -> List[Optional[str]]:
     """Get column headers from the first row; stop if there's a run of empty columns."""
-    max_adjacent_empty = 20
+    max_adjacent_empty_columns = 20
     column_header_list = list()
     adjacent_empty_cols = 0
     for column_header in first_row:
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def get_excel_column_headers(first_row: Iterator[Optional[str]]) -> List[Optiona
             # Preserve column order (will filter later)
             column_header_list.append(None)
             # After a run of empty cols, assume we've reached the end of the data.
-            if max_adjacent_empty < adjacent_empty_cols:
+            if max_adjacent_empty_columns < adjacent_empty_cols:
                 break
             adjacent_empty_cols += 1
         else:
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def get_excel_rows(
     cell_func: Callable[[aCell, int, str], Any],
 ) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
     """Get rows of cleaned data; stop if there's a run of empty rows."""
-    max_adjacent_empty = 20
+    max_adjacent_empty_rows = 60
     col_header_enum = list(enumerate(headers))
     adjacent_empty_rows = 0
     result_rows = []
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def get_excel_rows(
 
         if 0 == len(row_dict):
             # After a run of empty rows, assume we've reached the end of the data.
-            if max_adjacent_empty < adjacent_empty_rows:
+            if max_adjacent_empty_rows < adjacent_empty_rows:
                 break
             adjacent_empty_rows += 1
         else: