@@ -79,13 +79,18 @@
 					   "runname"))
 	 (key-vals (get-key-vals db run-id))
 	 (key-str  (string-intersperse key-vals "/"))
 	 (dfullp   (conc disk-path "/" key-str "/" runname "/" testname
 			 item-path))
+	 (toptest-path (conc disk-path "/" key-str "/" runname "/" testname))
 	 (runsdir  (config-lookup *configdat* "setup" "runsdir"))
 	 (lnkpath  (conc (if runsdir runsdir (conc *toppath* "/runs"))
 			 "/" key-str "/" runname item-path)))
+    ;; since this is an iterated test this is as good a place as any to
+    ;; update the toptest record with its location rundir
+    (if (not (equal? item-path ""))
+	(db:test-set-rundir! db run-id testname "" toptest-path))
     (print "Setting up test run area")
     (print " - creating run area in " dfullp)
     (system  (conc "mkdir -p " dfullp))
     (print " - creating link from " dfullp "/" testname " to " lnkpath)
     (system  (conc "mkdir -p " lnkpath))
@@ -93,12 +98,12 @@
 	(system (conc "rm -f " lnkpath "/" testname)))
     (system  (conc "ln -sf " dfullp " " lnkpath "/" testname))
     (if (directory? dfullp)
 	(begin
 	  (system  (conc "rsync -av " test-path "/ " dfullp "/"))
-	  dfullp)
-	#f)))
+	  (list dfullp toptest-path))
+	(list #f #f))))
 
 ;; 1. look though disks list for disk with most space
 ;; 2. create run dir on disk, path name is meaningful
 ;; 3. create link from run dir to megatest runs area 
 ;; 4. remotely run the test on allocated host
@@ -113,10 +118,11 @@
 	(hosts      (config-lookup *configdat* "jobtools"     "workhosts"))
 	(remote-megatest (config-lookup *configdat* "setup" "executable"))
 	(local-megatest  (car (argv)))
 	;; (item-path  (item-list->path itemdat)) test-path is the full path including the item-path
 	(work-area  #f)
+	(toptest-work-area #f) ;; for iterated tests the top test contains data relevant for all
 	(diskpath   #f)
 	(cmdparms   #f)
 	(fullcmd    #f) ;; (define a (with-output-to-string (lambda ()(write x))))
 	(mt-bindir-path #f))
     (if hosts (set! hosts (string-split hosts)))
@@ -124,11 +130,13 @@
     (set! mt-bindir-path (pathname-directory remote-megatest))
     (if launcher (set! launcher (string-split launcher)))
     ;; set up the run work area for this test
     (set! diskpath (get-best-disk *configdat*))
     (if diskpath
-	(set! work-area (create-work-area db run-id test-path diskpath test-name itemdat))
+	(let ((dat  (create-work-area db run-id test-path diskpath test-name itemdat)))
+	  (set! work-area (car dat))
+	  (set! toptest-work-area (cadr dat)))
 	(begin
 	  (set! work-area test-path)
 	  (print "WARNING: No disk work area specified - running in the test directory")))
     (set! cmdparms (base64:base64-encode (with-output-to-string
 				    (lambda () ;; (list 'hosts     hosts)
@@ -135,11 +143,12 @@
 				      (write (list (list 'testpath  test-path)
 						   (list 'work-area work-area)
 						   (list 'test-name test-name) 
 						   (list 'runscript runscript) 
 						   (list 'run-id    run-id   )
-						   (list 'itemdat   itemdat)
+						   (list 'itemdat   itemdat  )
+						   (list 'megatest  remote-megatest)
 						   (list 'runname   (args:get-arg ":runname"))
 						   (list 'mt-bindir-path mt-bindir-path))))))) ;; (string-intersperse keyvallst " "))))
     (change-directory work-area) ;; so that log files from the launch process don't clutter the test dir
     (cond
      ((and launcher hosts) ;; must be using ssh hostname