diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 78d3ebe0..abac7047 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name = "MCMCDiagnosticTools"
 uuid = "be115224-59cd-429b-ad48-344e309966f0"
 authors = ["David Widmann"]
-version = "0.2.4"
+version = "0.2.5"
 
 [deps]
 AbstractFFTs = "621f4979-c628-5d54-868e-fcf4e3e8185c"
diff --git a/src/ess.jl b/src/ess.jl
index 506bd8e7..7cda9938 100644
--- a/src/ess.jl
+++ b/src/ess.jl
@@ -204,7 +204,9 @@ end
     )
 
 Estimate the effective sample size and ``\\widehat{R}`` of the `samples` of shape
-`(draws, chains, parameters)` with the `method` and a maximum lag of `maxlag`.
+`(draws, chains, parameters)` with the `method`.
+
+`maxlag` indicates the maximum lag for which autocovariance is computed.
 
 By default, the computed ESS and ``\\widehat{R}`` values correspond to the estimator `mean`.
 Other estimators can be specified by passing a function `estimator` (see below).
@@ -258,15 +260,18 @@ function ess_rhat(
     nchains = split_chains * size(chains, 2)
     ntotal = niter * nchains
     axes_out = (axes(chains, 3),)
+    T = promote_type(eltype(chains), typeof(zero(eltype(chains)) / 1))
 
-    # do not compute estimates if there is only one sample or lag
-    maxlag = min(maxlag, niter - 1)
-    if !(maxlag > 0)
+    # discard the last pair of autocorrelations, which are poorly estimated and only matter
+    # when chains have mixed poorly anyways.
+    # leave the last even autocorrelation as a bias term that reduces variance for
+    # case of antithetical chains, see below
+    maxlag = min(maxlag, niter - 4)
+    if !(maxlag > 0) || T === Missing
         return similar(chains, Missing, axes_out), similar(chains, Missing, axes_out)
     end
 
     # define caches for mean and variance
-    T = promote_type(eltype(chains), typeof(zero(eltype(chains)) / 1))
     chain_mean = Array{T}(undef, 1, nchains)
     chain_var = Array{T}(undef, nchains)
     samples = Array{T}(undef, niter, nchains)
@@ -281,6 +286,9 @@ function ess_rhat(
     ess = similar(chains, T, axes_out)
     rhat = similar(chains, T, axes_out)
 
+    # set maximum ess for antithetic chains, see below
+    ess_max = ntotal * log10(oftype(one(T), ntotal))
+
     # for each parameter
     for (i, chains_slice) in zip(eachindex(ess), eachslice(chains; dims=3))
         # check that no values are missing
@@ -328,7 +336,7 @@ function ess_rhat(
         sum_pₜ = pₜ
 
         k = 2
-        while k < maxlag
+        while k < (maxlag - 1)
             # compute subsequent autocorrelation of all chains
             # by combining estimates of each chain
             ρ_even = 1 - inv_var₊ * (W - mean_autocov(k, esscache))
@@ -347,10 +355,19 @@ function ess_rhat(
             # update indices
             k += 2
         end
+        # for antithetic chains
+        # - reduce variance by averaging truncation to odd lag and truncation to next even lag
+        # - prevent negative ESS for short chains by ensuring τ is nonnegative
+        # See discussions in:
+        # - § 3.2 of Vehtari et al. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1903.08008v5.pdf
+        # - https://github.com/TuringLang/MCMCDiagnosticTools.jl/issues/40
+        # - https://github.com/stan-dev/rstan/pull/618
+        # - https://github.com/stan-dev/stan/pull/2774
+        ρ_even = maxlag > 1 ? 1 - inv_var₊ * (W - mean_autocov(k, esscache)) : zero(ρ_even)
+        τ = max(0, 2 * sum_pₜ + max(0, ρ_even) - 1)
 
         # estimate the effective sample size
-        τ = 2 * sum_pₜ - 1
-        ess[i] = ntotal / τ
+        ess[i] = min(ntotal / τ, ess_max)
     end
 
     return ess, rhat
diff --git a/test/ess.jl b/test/ess.jl
index 647fba86..3b875c53 100644
--- a/test/ess.jl
+++ b/test/ess.jl
@@ -160,19 +160,30 @@ end
     end
 
     @testset "ESS and R̂ (single sample)" begin # check that issue #137 is fixed
-        x = rand(1, 3, 5)
+        x = rand(4, 3, 5)
 
         for method in (ESSMethod(), FFTESSMethod(), BDAESSMethod())
             # analyze array
-            ess_array, rhat_array = ess_rhat(x; method=method)
+            ess_array, rhat_array = ess_rhat(x; method=method, split_chains=1)
 
             @test length(ess_array) == size(x, 3)
-            @test all(ismissing, ess_array) # since min(maxlag, niter - 1) = 0
+            @test all(ismissing, ess_array) # since min(maxlag, niter - 4) = 0
             @test length(rhat_array) == size(x, 3)
             @test all(ismissing, rhat_array)
         end
     end
 
+    @testset "ESS and R̂ with Union{Missing,Float64} eltype" begin
+        x = Array{Union{Missing,Float64}}(undef, 1000, 4, 3)
+        x .= randn.()
+        x[1, 1, 1] = missing
+        S, R = ess_rhat(x)
+        @test ismissing(S[1])
+        @test ismissing(R[1])
+        @test !any(ismissing, S[2:3])
+        @test !any(ismissing, R[2:3])
+    end
+
     @testset "Autocov of ESSMethod and FFTESSMethod equivalent to StatsBase" begin
         x = randn(1_000, 10, 40)
         ess_exp = ess_rhat(x; method=ExplicitESSMethod())[1]
@@ -227,6 +238,21 @@ end
         end
     end
 
+    @testset "ESS thresholded for antithetic chains" begin
+        # for φ = -0.3 (slightly antithetic), ESS without thresholding for low ndraws is
+        # often >ndraws*log10(ndraws)
+        # for φ = -0.9 (highly antithetic), ESS without thresholding for low ndraws is
+        # usually negative
+        nchains = 4
+        @testset for ndraws in (10, 100), φ in (-0.3, -0.9)
+            x = ar1(φ, sqrt(1 - φ^2), ndraws, nchains, 1000)
+            Smin, Smax = extrema(ess_rhat(mean, x)[1])
+            ntotal = ndraws * nchains
+            @test Smax == ntotal * log10(ntotal)
+            @test Smin > 0
+        end
+    end
+
     @testset "ess_rhat_bulk(x)" begin
         xnorm = randn(1_000, 4, 10)
         @test ess_rhat_bulk(xnorm) == ess_rhat(mean, _rank_normalize(xnorm))