@@ -60,22 +60,31 @@
 
 
 ;; this entry point can decide based on cmd whether to dispatch to old api calls via remote or via ulex
 ;;
 (define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)(area-dat #f))
-  (if (member cmd '(blah))
+  (let* ((areapath      *toppath*);; TODO - resolve from dbstruct to be compatible with multiple areas
+	 (runremote     (or area-dat
+			    *runremote*)))
+    ;; ensure we have a record for our connection for given area
+    (if (not runremote)                   ;; can remove this one. should never get here.         
+	(begin
+	  (set! *runremote* (make-remote))
+	  (set! runremote   *runremote*))) ;; new runremote will come from this on next iteration
+    
+    (if (member cmd '(blah))
       (begin
 	(mutex-lock! *send-receive-mutex*)
 	(if (not *runremote*)(set! *runremote* (make-remote)))
 	(let ((ulex:conn (remote-ulex:conn *runremote*)))
 	  (if (not ulex:conn)(remote-ulex:conn-set! *runremote* (rmtmod:setup-ulex *toppath*)))
 	  (rmtmod:send-receive-ulex ulex:conn cmd rid params attemptnum area-dat)))
-      (rmt:send-receive-orig cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum area-dat: area-dat)))
+      (rmt:send-receive-orig runremote *rmt-mutex* areapath cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum area-dat: area-dat))))
 
 ;; RA => e.g. usage (rmt:send-receive 'get-var #f (list varname))
 ;;
-(define (rmt:send-receive-orig cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)(area-dat #f)) ;; start attemptnum at 1 so the modulo below works as expected
+(define (rmt:send-receive-orig runremote rmt-mutex toppath cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)(area-dat #f)) ;; start attemptnum at 1 so the modulo below works as expected
 
   #;(common:telemetry-log (conc "rmt:"(->string cmd))
                         payload: `((rid . ,rid)
                                    (params . ,params)))
                           
@@ -86,21 +95,13 @@
   ;; 1. check if server is started IFF cmd is a write OR if we are not on the homehost, store in runremote
   ;; 2. check the age of the connections. refresh the connection if it is older than timeout-20 seconds.
   ;; 3. do the query, if on homehost use local access
   ;;
   (let* ((start-time    (current-seconds)) ;; snapshot time so all use cases get same value
-         (areapath      *toppath*);; TODO - resolve from dbstruct to be compatible with multiple areas
-	 (runremote     (or area-dat
-			    *runremote*))
+
 	 (readonly-mode (rmtmod:calc-ro-mode runremote *toppath*)))
 
-    ;; ensure we have a record for our connection for given area
-    (if (not runremote)                   ;; can remove this one. should never get here.         
-	(begin
-	  (set! *runremote* (make-remote))
-	  (set! runremote   *runremote*))) ;; new runremote will come from this on next iteration
-    
     ;; ensure we have a homehost record
     (if (not (pair? (remote-hh-dat runremote)))  ;; not on homehost
 	(thread-sleep! 0.1) ;; since we shouldn't get here, delay a little
 	(remote-hh-dat-set! runremote (common:get-homehost)))
     
@@ -134,11 +135,11 @@
 		 (remote-server-timeout runremote))))
       (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Connection to " (remote-server-url runremote) " expired due to no accesses, forcing new connection.")
       (http-transport:close-connections area-dat: runremote)
       (remote-conndat-set! runremote #f) ;; invalidate the connection, thus forcing a new connection.
       (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
-      (rmt:send-receive-orig cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum))
+      (rmt:send-receive-orig  runremote rmt-mutex toppath cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum))
      
 
      ;; on homehost and this is a read
      ((and (not (remote-force-server runremote)) ;; honor forced use of server, i.e. server NOT required
 	   (cdr (remote-hh-dat runremote))       ;; on homehost
@@ -154,11 +155,11 @@
            (not (server:ping (remote-server-url runremote))))  ;; server has died. NOTE: this is not a cheap call! Need better approach.
       (set! *runremote* (make-remote))
       (remote-force-server-set! runremote (common:force-server?))
       (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
       (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case  6")
-      (rmt:send-receive-orig cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum))
+      (rmt:send-receive-orig  runremote rmt-mutex toppath cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum))
 
      ;; on homehost and this is a write, we already have a server
      ((and (not (remote-force-server runremote))     ;; honor forced use of server, i.e. server NOT required
 	   (cdr (remote-hh-dat runremote))           ;; on homehost
            (not (member cmd api:read-only-queries))  ;; this is a write
@@ -191,11 +192,11 @@
       (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case 9, hh-dat: " (remote-hh-dat runremote) " conndat: " (remote-conndat runremote))
       (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
       (if (not (server:check-if-running *toppath*)) ;; who knows, maybe one has started up?
 	  (server:start-and-wait *toppath*))
       (remote-conndat-set! runremote (rmt:get-connection-info *toppath*)) ;; calls client:setup which calls client:setup-http
-      (rmt:send-receive-orig cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum)) ;; TODO: add back-off timeout as
+      (rmt:send-receive-orig  runremote rmt-mutex toppath cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum)) ;; TODO: add back-off timeout as
 
      ;; all set up if get this far, dispatch the query
      ((and (not (remote-force-server runremote))
 	   (cdr (remote-hh-dat runremote))) ;; we are on homehost
       (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)