Method and apparatus for decoding data. In some embodiments, an LDPC decoder has a variable node circuit (VNC) with a plurality of variable nodes configured to store bit reliability values of m-bit code bits. A check node circuit (CNC) has a plurality of check nodes configured to perform parity check operations upon n-bit messages from the VNC. Each n-bit message is formed from a combination of the bit reliability values and stored messages from the check nodes. A pre-saturation compensation circuit is configured to maintain a magnitude of each n-bit message received by the CNC below a saturation limit comprising the maximum value that can be expressed using p bits, with p less than n and each of the n-bit messages received by the CNC having a different magnitude. The pre-saturation compensation circuit may apply different scaling and/or bias factors to the n-bit messages over different decoding iterations.