@@ -319,13 +319,13 @@
   (if *my-client-signature* *my-client-signature*
       (let ((sig (server:mk-signature)))
         (set! *my-client-signature* sig)
         *my-client-signature*)))
 
-;; wait for server=start-last to be three seconds old
+;; wait for server=start-last to be three seconds old - this might be what was causing the obfusc-skel fails
 ;;
-(define (server:wait-for-server-start-last-flag areapath)
+#;(define (server:wait-for-server-start-last-flag areapath)
   (let* ((start-flag (conc areapath "/logs/server-start-last"))
 	 ;;; THIS INTERACTS WITH [server] timeout. Suggest using 0.1 or above for timeout (6 seconds)
 	 (reftime    (configf:lookup-number *configdat* "server" "idletime" default: 4))
 	 (server-key (conc (get-host-name) "-" (current-process-id))))
     (if (file-exists? start-flag)
@@ -346,10 +346,28 @@
 	      (begin
 		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Gating server start, last start: "
 				  fmodtime ", delta: " delta ", reftime: " reftime ", all-go=" all-go)
 		(thread-sleep! reftime)
 		(server:wait-for-server-start-last-flag areapath)))))))
+
+;; wait for server=start-last to be three seconds old
+;;
+(define (server:wait-for-server-start-last-flag areapath)
+  (let* ((start-flag (conc areapath "/logs/server-start-last")))
+    (if (file-exists? start-flag)
+	(let* ((fmodtime (file-modification-time start-flag))
+	       (reftime  (+ 2 (random 3)))
+	       (delta    (- (current-seconds) fmodtime))
+	       (all-go   (> delta reftime)))
+	  (if all-go
+	      #t ;; (system (conc "touch " start-flag)) ;; lazy but safe
+	      (begin
+		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Gating server start, last start: "
+				  fmodtime ", delta: " delta ", reftime: " reftime ", all-go=" all-go)
+		(thread-sleep! 5)
+		(server:wait-for-server-start-last-flag areapath))))
+	#;(system (conc "touch " start-flag)))))
 
 ;; kind start up of servers, wait 40 seconds before allowing another server for a given
 ;; run-id to be launched
 ;;
 (define (server:kind-run areapath)