In one embodiment, an LDPC decoder performs a targeted bit adjustment method to recover a valid codeword after the decoder has failed. In a first stage, a post processor initializes the decoder by saturating LLR values output by the decoder during the last (i.e., failed) iteration to a relatively small value. Then, two-bit trials are performed, wherein LLR values corresponding to two bits of the codeword are adjusted in each trial. Decoding is performed with the adjusted values, and if the number of unsatisfied check nodes exceeds a specified threshold, then a second stage is performed. The post processor initializes the decoder by saturating the LLR values output by the decoder during the last (i.e., failed) iteration of the first stage to a relatively small value. The second stage then performs single-bit adjustment trials, wherein one LLR value corresponding to one bit of the codeword is adjusted in each trial.