@@ -1035,10 +1035,18 @@
 ;; 4. remotely run the test on allocated host
 ;;    - could be ssh to host from hosts table (update regularly with load)
 ;;    - could be netbatch
 ;;      (launch-test db (cadr status) test-conf))
 (define (launch-test test-id run-id run-info keyvals runname test-conf test-name test-path itemdat params)
+  (let loop ((delta        (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*))
+	     (launch-delay (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "launch-delay") "5"))))
+    (if (> launch-delay delta)
+	(begin
+	  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Delaying launch of " test-name " for " (- launch-delay delta) " seconds")
+	  (thread-sleep! (- launch-delay delta))
+	  (loop (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*) launch-delay))))
+  (set! *last-launch* (current-seconds))
   (change-directory *toppath*)
   (alist->env-vars ;; consolidate this code with the code in megatest.scm for "-execute"
    (list ;; (list "MT_TEST_RUN_DIR" work-area)
     (list "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
     (list "MT_TEST_NAME" test-name)