diff --git a/internal/age/age_test.go b/internal/age/age_test.go
index 497159c..0697a05 100644
--- a/internal/age/age_test.go
+++ b/internal/age/age_test.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func TestEncryptDecryptScrypt(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	r.SetWorkFactor(1 << 15)
+	r.SetWorkFactor(15)
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	w, err := age.Encrypt(buf, r)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/age/recipients_test.go b/internal/age/recipients_test.go
index 97f887e..e37d2ae 100644
--- a/internal/age/recipients_test.go
+++ b/internal/age/recipients_test.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func TestScryptRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	r.SetWorkFactor(1 << 15)
+	r.SetWorkFactor(15)
 	i, err := age.NewScryptIdentity(password)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/internal/age/scrypt.go b/internal/age/scrypt.go
index 277aa4f..0bacdef 100644
--- a/internal/age/scrypt.go
+++ b/internal/age/scrypt.go
@@ -31,15 +31,20 @@ func NewScryptRecipient(password string) (*ScryptRecipient, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New("empty scrypt password")
 	}
 	r := &ScryptRecipient{
-		password:   []byte(password),
-		workFactor: 1 << 18, // 1s on a modern machine
+		password: []byte(password),
+		// TODO: automatically scale this to 1s (with a min) in the CLI.
+		workFactor: 18, // 1s on a modern machine
 	}
 	return r, nil
 }
 
-func (r *ScryptRecipient) SetWorkFactor(N int) {
-	// TODO: automatically scale this to 1s (with a min) in the CLI.
-	r.workFactor = N
+// SetWorkFactor sets the scrypt work factor to 2^logN.
+// It must be called before Wrap.
+func (r *ScryptRecipient) SetWorkFactor(logN int) {
+	if logN > 30 || logN < 1 {
+		panic("age: SetWorkFactor called with illegal value")
+	}
+	r.workFactor = logN
 }
 
 func (r *ScryptRecipient) Wrap(fileKey []byte) (*format.Recipient, error) {
@@ -48,13 +53,13 @@ func (r *ScryptRecipient) Wrap(fileKey []byte) (*format.Recipient, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	N := r.workFactor
+	logN := r.workFactor
 	l := &format.Recipient{
 		Type: "scrypt",
-		Args: []string{format.EncodeToString(salt), strconv.Itoa(N)},
+		Args: []string{format.EncodeToString(salt), strconv.Itoa(logN)},
 	}
 
-	k, err := scrypt.Key(r.password, salt, N, 8, 1, chacha20poly1305.KeySize)
+	k, err := scrypt.Key(r.password, salt, 1<<logN, 8, 1, chacha20poly1305.KeySize)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to generate scrypt hash: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -83,13 +88,18 @@ func NewScryptIdentity(password string) (*ScryptIdentity, error) {
 	}
 	i := &ScryptIdentity{
 		password:      []byte(password),
-		maxWorkFactor: 1 << 22, // 15s on a modern machine
+		maxWorkFactor: 22, // 15s on a modern machine
 	}
 	return i, nil
 }
 
-func (i *ScryptIdentity) SetMaxWorkFactor(N int) {
-	i.maxWorkFactor = N
+// SetWorkFactor sets the maximum accepted scrypt work factor to 2^logN.
+// It must be called before Unwrap.
+func (i *ScryptIdentity) SetMaxWorkFactor(logN int) {
+	if logN > 30 || logN < 1 {
+		panic("age: SetMaxWorkFactor called with illegal value")
+	}
+	i.maxWorkFactor = logN
 }
 
 func (i *ScryptIdentity) Unwrap(block *format.Recipient) ([]byte, error) {
@@ -106,19 +116,22 @@ func (i *ScryptIdentity) Unwrap(block *format.Recipient) ([]byte, error) {
 	if len(salt) != 16 {
 		return nil, errors.New("invalid scrypt recipient block")
 	}
-	N, err := strconv.Atoi(block.Args[1])
+	logN, err := strconv.Atoi(block.Args[1])
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse scrypt work factor: %v", err)
 	}
-	if N > i.maxWorkFactor {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scrypt work factor too large: %v", N)
+	if logN > i.maxWorkFactor {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scrypt work factor too large: %v", logN)
+	}
+	if logN <= 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid scrypt work factor: %v", logN)
 	}
 	wrappedKey, err := format.DecodeString(string(block.Body))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse scrypt recipient: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	k, err := scrypt.Key(i.password, salt, N, 8, 1, chacha20poly1305.KeySize)
+	k, err := scrypt.Key(i.password, salt, 1<<logN, 8, 1, chacha20poly1305.KeySize)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to generate scrypt hash: %v", err)
 	}