@@ -348,12 +348,16 @@
 
 ;; set up the very basics needed for doing anything here.
 (define (setup-for-run)
   ;; would set values for KEYS in the environment here for better support of env-override but 
   ;; have chicken/egg scenario. need to read megatest.config then read it again. Going to 
-  ;; pass on that idea for now.
-  (set! *configinfo* (find-and-read-config (if (args:get-arg "-config")(args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config") environ-patt: "env-override"))
+  ;; pass on that idea for now
+  ;; special case
+  (set! *configinfo* (find-and-read-config 
+		      (if (args:get-arg "-config")(args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config")
+		      environ-patt: "env-override"
+		      given-toppath: (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
   (set! *configdat*  (if (car *configinfo*)(car *configinfo*) #f))
   (set! *toppath*    (if (car *configinfo*)(cadr *configinfo*) #f))
   (if *toppath*
       (setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*) ;; to be deprecated
       (debug:print 0 "ERROR: failed to find the top path to your run setup."))
@@ -638,7 +642,8 @@
 	    (process-signal (current-process-id) signal/kill)
 	    ))
       (alist->env-vars miscprevvals)
       (alist->env-vars testprevvals)
       (alist->env-vars commonprevvals)
-      launch-results)))
+      launch-results))
+  (change-directory *toppath*))