diff --git a/REQUIREMENTS-DOCKER.txt b/REQUIREMENTS-DOCKER.txt
index 5952b70..3884f08 100644
--- a/REQUIREMENTS-DOCKER.txt
+++ b/REQUIREMENTS-DOCKER.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ scipy
 tables
 pandas
 pyro-ppl>=0.3.2
-torch
+torch>=1.9.0
 scikit-learn
 matplotlib
diff --git a/cellbender/remove_background/argparse.py b/cellbender/remove_background/argparse.py
index c1b2781..a52a3eb 100644
--- a/cellbender/remove_background/argparse.py
+++ b/cellbender/remove_background/argparse.py
@@ -139,11 +139,11 @@ def add_subparser_args(subparsers: argparse) -> argparse:
                                 "do not exceed 1e-3). (default: %(default)s)")
     subparser.add_argument("--final-elbo-fail-fraction", type=float,
                            help="Training is considered to have failed if "
-                                "final_training_ELBO >= best_training_ELBO*(1+FINAL_ELBO_FAIL_FRACTION). "
+                                "(best_test_ELBO - final_test_ELBO)/(best_test_DLBO - initial_train_ELBO) > FINAL_ELBO_FAIL_FRACTION."
                                 "(default: do not fail training based on final_training_ELBO)")
     subparser.add_argument("--epoch-elbo-fail-fraction", type=float,
                            help="Training is considered to have failed if "
-                                "current_epoch_training_ELBO >= previous_epoch_training_ELBO*(1+EPOCH_ELBO_FAIL_FRACTION). "
+                                "(previous_epoch_test_ELBO - current_epoch_test_ELBO)/(previous_epoch_test_ELBO - initial_train_ELBO) > EPOCH_ELBO_FAIL_FRACTION."
                                 "(default: do not fail training based on epoch_training_ELBO)")
     subparser.add_argument("--num-training-tries", type=int, default=1,
                            help="Number of times to attempt to train the model.  Each subsequent "
diff --git a/cellbender/remove_background/train.py b/cellbender/remove_background/train.py
index 4b289c0..0f47f18 100644
--- a/cellbender/remove_background/train.py
+++ b/cellbender/remove_background/train.py
@@ -167,10 +167,12 @@ def run_training(model: RemoveBackgroundPyroModel,
                 logging.info("[epoch %03d] average test loss: %.4f"
                              % (epoch, total_epoch_loss_test))
                 if epoch_elbo_fail_fraction is not None and len(test_elbo) > 1 and \
-                        -test_elbo[-1] >= -test_elbo[-2] * (1 + epoch_elbo_fail_fraction):
+                    test_elbo[-1] < test_elbo[-2] and \
+                        (test_elbo[-2] - test_elbo[-1])/(test_elbo[-2] - train_elbo[0]) > epoch_elbo_fail_fraction:
                     logging.info(
-                        "Training failed because this test loss (%.4f) exceeds previous test loss(%.4f) by >= %.2f%%" %
-                        (test_elbo[-1], test_elbo[-2], 100*epoch_elbo_fail_fraction))
+                        "Training failed because this test loss (%.4f) exceeds previous test loss(%.4f) by >= %.2f%%, "
+                        "relative to initial train loss %.4f" ,
+                        test_elbo[-1], test_elbo[-2], 100*epoch_elbo_fail_fraction, train_elbo[0])
                     succeeded = False
                     break
 
@@ -178,11 +180,12 @@ def run_training(model: RemoveBackgroundPyroModel,
 
         if succeeded and final_elbo_fail_fraction is not None and len(test_elbo) > 1:
             best_test_elbo = max(test_elbo)
-            if -test_elbo[-1] >= -best_test_elbo * (1 + final_elbo_fail_fraction):
+            if test_elbo[-1] < best_test_elbo and \
+                   (best_test_elbo - test_elbo[-1])/(best_test_elbo - train_elbo[0]) > final_elbo_fail_fraction:
                 logging.info(
                     "Training failed because final test loss (%.4f) exceeds "
-                    "best test loss(%.4f) by >= %.2f%%" %
-                    (test_elbo[-1], best_test_elbo, 100*final_elbo_fail_fraction))
+                    "best test loss(%.4f) by >= %.2f%%, relative to initial train loss %.4f",
+                    test_elbo[-1], best_test_elbo, 100*final_elbo_fail_fraction, train_elbo[0])
                 succeeded = False
 
     # Exception allows program to continue after ending inference prematurely.
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 0211fe7..9b35e0f 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
 ENV PATH=/home/user/miniconda/bin:$PATH
 ENV CONDA_AUTO_UPDATE_CONDA=false
 
-RUN conda install -y pytorch torchvision cudatoolkit -c pytorch \
+RUN conda install -y "pytorch>=1.9.0" torchvision cudatoolkit -c pytorch \
  && conda install -y -c anaconda pytables \
  && conda clean -ya