@@ -236,11 +236,10 @@
 
     (let loop ((minutes   (calc-minutes))
 	       (cpu-load  (alist-ref 'adj-core-load (common:get-normalized-cpu-load #f)))
 	       (disk-free (get-df (current-directory)))
                (last-sync (current-seconds)))
-      ;; (common:telemetry-log "zombie" (conc "launch:monitor-job - top of loop encountered at "(current-seconds)" with last-sync="last-sync))
       (let* ((over-time     (> (current-seconds) (+ last-sync update-period)))
              (new-cpu-load  (let* ((load  (alist-ref 'adj-core-load (common:get-normalized-cpu-load #f)))
                                    (delta (abs (- load cpu-load))))
                               (if (> delta 0.1) ;; don't bother updating with small changes
                                   load
@@ -256,15 +255,16 @@
              (do-sync       (or new-cpu-load new-disk-free over-time))
 
              (test-info   (rmt:get-test-state-status-by-id run-id test-id))
              (state       (car test-info));; (db:test-get-state test-info))
              (status      (cdr test-info));; (db:test-get-status test-info))
+	     (killreq     (equal? state "KILLREQ"))
              (kill-reason  "no kill reason specified")
              (kill-job?    #f))
         ;; (common:telemetry-log "zombie" (conc "launch:monitor-job - decision time encountered at "(current-seconds)" with last-sync="last-sync" do-sync="do-sync" over-time="over-time" update-period="update-period))
         (cond
-         ((test-get-kill-request run-id test-id)
+         (killreq
           (set! kill-reason "KILLING TEST since received kill request (KILLREQ)")
           (set! kill-job? #t))
          ((and runtlim (> (- (current-seconds) start-seconds) runtlim))
           (set! kill-reason (conc "KILLING TEST DUE TO TIME LIMIT EXCEEDED! Runtime=" (- (current-seconds) start-seconds) " seconds, limit=" runtlim))
           (set! kill-job? #t))
@@ -276,16 +276,11 @@
 
         (debug:print 4 *default-log-port* "cpu: " new-cpu-load " disk: " new-disk-free " last-sync: " last-sync " do-sync: " do-sync)
         (if (common:low-noise-print 600 "run zombie") ;; every five minutes is plenty
 	    (launch:handle-zombie-tests run-id))
         (when do-sync
-          ;;(with-output-to-file (conc (getenv "MT_TEST_RUN_DIR") "/last-loadinfo.log" #:append)
-          ;;  (lambda () (pp (list (current-seconds) new-cpu-load new-disk-free (calc-minutes)))))
-          ;; (common:telemetry-log "zombie" (conc  "launch:monitor-job - dosync started at "(current-seconds)))
-          (tests:update-central-meta-info run-id test-id new-cpu-load new-disk-free (calc-minutes) #f #f)
-          ;; (common:telemetry-log "zombie" (conc "launch:monitor-job - dosync finished at "(current-seconds)))
-	  )
+          (tests:update-central-meta-info run-id test-id new-cpu-load new-disk-free (calc-minutes) #f #f))
         
 	(if kill-job? 
 	    (begin
               (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "proceeding to kill test: "kill-reason)
 	      (mutex-lock! m)
@@ -331,18 +326,17 @@
 		      )))
 	      (mutex-unlock! m)
 	      ;; no point in sticking around. Exit now. But run end of run before exiting?
               (launch:end-of-run-check run-id)
 	      (exit)))
-	(if (hash-table-ref/default misc-flags 'keep-going #f)
+	(if (hash-table-ref/default misc-flags 'keep-going #f)  ;; keep originals for cpu-load and disk-free unless they change more than the allowed delta
 	    (begin
-	      (thread-sleep! 3) ;; (+ 3 (random 6))) ;; add some jitter to the call home time to spread out the db accesses
-	      (if (hash-table-ref/default misc-flags 'keep-going #f)  ;; keep originals for cpu-load and disk-free unless they change more than the allowed delta
-		  (loop (calc-minutes)
-                        (or new-cpu-load cpu-load)
-                        (or new-disk-free disk-free)
-                        (if do-sync (current-seconds) last-sync)))))))
+	      (thread-sleep! 6) ;; was 3
+	      (loop (calc-minutes)
+		    (or new-cpu-load cpu-load)
+		    (or new-disk-free disk-free)
+		    (if do-sync (current-seconds) last-sync))))))
     (tests:update-central-meta-info run-id test-id (get-cpu-load) (get-df (current-directory))(calc-minutes) #f #f))) ;; NOTE: Checking twice for keep-going is intentional
 
 
 (define (launch:execute encoded-cmd)
   (let* ((cmdinfo    (common:read-encoded-string encoded-cmd))