@@ -202,10 +202,12 @@
   (let* ((keys               (keys:config-get-fields *configdat*))
 	 (keyvals            (keys:target->keyval keys target))
 	 (run-id             (rmt:register-run keyvals runname "new" "n/a" user (args:get-arg "-contour")))  ;;  test-name)))
 	 ;; (deferred          '()) ;; delay running these since they have a waiton clause
 	 (runconfigf         (conc  *toppath* "/runconfigs.config"))
+         (dbfile             (conc  *toppath* "/megatest.db"))
+         (readonly-mode      (not (file-write-access? dbfile)))
 	 (test-records       (make-hash-table))
 	 ;; need to process runconfigs before generating these lists
 	 (all-tests-registry #f)  ;; (tests:get-all)) ;; (tests:get-valid-tests (make-hash-table) test-search-path)) ;; all valid tests to check waiton names
 	 (all-test-names     #f)  ;; (hash-table-keys all-tests-registry))
 	 (test-names         #f)  ;; Generated by a call to (tests:filter-test-names all-test-names test-patts))
@@ -213,15 +215,20 @@
 	 (task-key           (conc (hash-table->alist flags) " " (get-host-name) " " (current-process-id)))
 	 (tdbdat             (tasks:open-db))
 	 (config-reruns      (let ((x (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "reruns")))
 			       (if x (string->number x) #f)))
 	 (allowed-tests      #f))
+
+    ;; check if readonly
+    (when readonly-mode
+      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "megatest.db is readonly.  Cannot proceed.")
+      (exit 1))
 
     ;; per user request. If less than 100Meg space on dbdir partition, bail out with error
     ;; this will reduce issues in database corruption
     (common:check-db-dir-and-exit-if-insufficient)
-    
+
     ;; override the number of reruns from the configs
     (if (and config-reruns
 	     (> run-count config-reruns))
 	(set! run-count config-reruns))
     
@@ -1332,11 +1339,11 @@
     ;; now *if* -run-wait we wait for all tests to be done
     ;; Now wait for any RUNNING tests to complete (if in run-wait mode)
     (thread-sleep! 5) ;; I think there is a race condition here. Let states/statuses settle
     (let wait-loop ((num-running      (rmt:get-count-tests-running-for-run-id run-id))
 		    (prev-num-running 0))
-      ;; (BB> "num-running=" num-running ", prev-num-running=" prev-num-running)
+      ;; (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "num-running=" num-running ", prev-num-running=" prev-num-running)
       (if (and (or (args:get-arg "-run-wait")
 		   (equal? (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "run-wait") "yes"))
 	       (> num-running 0))
 	  (begin
 	    ;; Here we mark any old defunct tests as incomplete. Do this every fifteen minutes
@@ -1647,10 +1654,20 @@
 	 (states       (if state  (string-split state  ",") '()))
 	 (statuses     (if status (string-split status ",") '()))
 	 (state-status (if (string? new-state-status) (string-split new-state-status ",") '(#f #f)))
 	 (rp-mutex     (make-mutex))
 	 (bup-mutex    (make-mutex)))
+
+    (let* ((write-access-actions '(remove-runs set-state-status archive run-wait))
+           (dbfile             (conc  *toppath* "/megatest.db"))
+           (readonly-mode      (not (file-write-access? dbfile))))
+      (when (and readonly-mode
+                 (member action write-access-actions))
+        (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "megatest.db is readonly.  Cannot proceed with action ["action"] in which write-access isrequired .")
+        (exit 1)))
+
+    
     (debug:print-info 4 *default-log-port* "runs:operate-on => Header: " header " action: " action " new-state-status: " new-state-status)
     (if (> 2 (length state-status))
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "the parameter to -set-state-status is a comma delimited string. E.g. COMPLETED,FAIL")
 	  (exit)))
@@ -1900,10 +1917,12 @@
 	      (full-runconfigs-read) ;; cache the run config
 	      (launch:cache-config)) ;; do not cache here - need to be sure runconfigs is processed
 	    (begin 
 	      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Failed to setup, exiting")
 	      (exit 1)))
+
+        
 	(set! keys (keys:config-get-fields *configdat*))
 	;; have enough to process -target or -reqtarg here
 	(if (args:get-arg "-reqtarg")
 	    (let* ((runconfigf (conc  *toppath* "/runconfigs.config")) ;; DO NOT EVALUATE ALL 
 		   (runconfig  (read-config runconfigf #f #t environ-patt: #f)))