@@ -387,15 +387,17 @@
 		(cond
 		 ((not (patt-list-match item-path item-patts))
 		  ;; else the run is stuck, temporarily or permanently
 		  ;; but should check if it is due to lack of resources vs. prerequisites
 		  (debug:print 1 "INFO: Skipping " (tests:testqueue-get-testname test-record) " " item-path " as it doesn't match " item-patts)
+		  (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 		  (if (not (null? tal))
 		      (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) reruns)))
 		 ((not (hash-table-ref/default test-registery (conc test-name "/" item-path) #f))
 		  (open-run-close db:tests-register-test #f run-id test-name item-path)
 		  (hash-table-set! test-registery (conc test-name "/" item-path) #t)
+		  (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 		  (loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns))
 		 ((not have-resources) ;; simply try again after waiting a second
 		  (thread-sleep! (+ 1 *global-delta*))
 		  (debug:print 1 "INFO: no resources to run new tests, waiting ...")
 		  ;; could have done hed tal here but doing car/cdr of newtal to rotate tests
@@ -420,13 +422,15 @@
 			;; the waiton is FAIL so no point in trying to run hed ever again
 			(if (not (null? tal))
 			    (if (vector? hed)
 				(begin (debug:print 1 "WARN: Dropping test " (db:test-get-testname hed) "/" (db:test-get-item-path hed)
 						    " from the launch list as it has prerequistes that are FAIL")
+				       (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 				       (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) (cons hed reruns)))
 				(begin
 				  (debug:print 1 "WARN: Test not processed correctly. Could be a race condition in your test implementation? " hed) ;;  " as it has prerequistes that are FAIL. (NOTE: hed is not a vector)")
+				  (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 				  (loop hed tal reruns)))))))))
 	     
 	     ;; case where an items came in as a list been processed
 	     ((and (list? items)     ;; thus we know our items are already calculated
 		   (not   itemdat)) ;; and not yet expanded into the list of things to be done
@@ -451,11 +455,13 @@
 			 (tests:testqueue-set-item_path! new-test-record my-item-path)
 			 (hash-table-set! test-records newtestname new-test-record)
 			 (set! tal (cons newtestname tal)))))) ;; since these are itemized create new test names testname/itempath
 	       items)
 	      (if (not (null? tal))
-		  (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) reruns)))
+		  (begin
+		    (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
+		    (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) reruns))))
 
 	     ;; if items is a proc then need to run items:get-items-from-config, get the list and loop 
 	     ;;    - but only do that if resources exist to kick off the job
 	     ((or (procedure? items)(eq? items 'have-procedure))
 	      (let ((can-run-more    (open-run-close runs:can-run-more-tests #f test-record)))
@@ -484,30 +490,35 @@
 			  (open-run-close set-megatest-env-vars #f run-id) ;; these may be needed by the launching process
 			  (let ((items-list (items:get-items-from-config tconfig)))
 			    (if (list? items-list)
 				(begin
 				  (tests:testqueue-set-items! test-record items-list)
+				  (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 				  (loop hed tal reruns))
 				(begin
 				  (debug:print 0 "ERROR: The proc from reading the setup did not yield a list - please report this")
 				  (exit 1))))))
 		       ((null? fails)
 			(debug:print 4 "INFO: fails is null, moving on in the queue but keeping " hed " for now")
+			(thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 			(loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns)) ;; an issue with prereqs not yet met?
 		       ((and (not (null? fails))(eq? testmode 'normal))
 			(debug:print 1 "INFO: test "  hed " (mode=" testmode ") has failed prerequisite(s); "
 				     (string-intersperse (map (lambda (t)(conc (db:test-get-testname t) ":" (db:test-get-state t)"/"(db:test-get-status t))) fails) ", ")
 				     ", removing it from to-do list")
 			(if (not (null? tal))
-			    (loop (car tal)(cdr tal)(cons hed reruns))))
+			    (begin
+			      (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
+			      (loop (car tal)(cdr tal)(cons hed reruns)))))
 		       (else
 			(debug:print 8 "ERROR: No handler for this condition.")
 			;; 	     "\n  hed:            " hed 
 			;; 	     "\n fails:           " (string-intersperse (map db:test-get-testname fails) ",")
 			;; 	     "\n testmode:        " testmode
 			;; 	     "\n prereqs-not-met: " (pretty-string prereqs-not-met)
 			;; 	     "\n items:           " items)
+			(thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 			(loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns))))
 		    ;; if can't run more just loop with next possible test
 		    (begin
 		      (debug:print 4 "INFO: processing the case with a lambda for items or 'have-procedure. Moving through the queue without dropping " hed)
 		      (thread-sleep! (+ 1 *global-delta*))