@@ -27,13 +27,15 @@
 (declare (uses mtargs))
 (declare (uses mtmod))
 
 (module dbmod
 	(
-	 ;; for debug, can be commented out
+	 ;; for debug, can be commented out in production
 	 dbmod:safely-open-db
-	 
+	 dbmod:with-db
+
+	 ;; used elsewhere, keep
 	 dbmod:db-to-db-sync
 	 
 	 db:test-get-event_time
 	 db:test-get-item-path
 	 db:test-get-testname
@@ -297,24 +299,27 @@
 	    ;; MOVE THIS CALL TO INSIDE THE sync-proc CALL
 	    (dbr:dbstruct-last-update-set! dbstruct curr-secs)
 	    )))
     (assert (sqlite3:database? dbh) "FATAL: bad db handle in dbmod:with-db") 
     (if use-mutex (mutex-lock! *db-with-db-mutex*))
-    (let* ((res (let loop ((count 3))
+    (let* ((res (let loop ((count 10))
 		  (condition-case
 		   (apply proc dbdat dbh params)
-		   (exn (busy)
+		   (exn (sqlite3) ;; was 'busy', but never got hit
 			(if (> count 0)
 			    (begin
 			      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "dbmod:with-db, database is busy, will try "count" more times.")
 			      (thread-sleep! 1)
 			      (loop (- count 1)))
 			    (begin
-			      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "dbmod:with-db, database is busy, giving up.")
+			      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "dbmod:with-db, database is busy, giving up. params: "params)
 			      (exit 1))))
+		   (exn (locked)
+			(dbfile:print-err exn "ERROR: dbmod:with-db: database locked for run-id "run-id", params "params", message: "
+					  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn)))
 		   (exn ()
-			(dbfile:print-err exn "ERROR: dbmod:with-db: Unknown error with database for run-id "run-id", message: "
+			(dbfile:print-err exn "ERROR: dbmod:with-db: Unknown error with database for run-id "run-id", params "params", message: "
 					  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
 			(exit 2))))))
       (if use-mutex (mutex-unlock! *db-with-db-mutex*))
       res)))
 
@@ -354,10 +359,13 @@
       (else
        (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Unknown dbfile:cache-method setting: "
 		    (dbfile:cache-method))
        #f)))
 
+;;
+;; converge this with dbfile:cautious-open-database
+;;
 (define (dbmod:safely-open-db dbfullname init-proc write-access)
   (dbfile:with-simple-file-lock
    (conc dbfullname".lock")
    (lambda ()
      (let* ((dbexists (file-exists? dbfullname))