@@ -428,11 +428,17 @@
 	   (res         (make-hash-table)))
       (for-each
        (lambda (f)
 	 (let* ((hostport  (pathname-strip-directory f))
 		(serverdat (server:logf-get-start-info f)))
-	   (hash-table-set! res hostport serverdat)))
+	   (match serverdat
+	     ((host port start server-id pid)
+	      (if (and host port start server-id pid)
+		  (hash-table-set! res hostport serverdat)
+		  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "bad server info for "f": "serverdat)))
+	     (else
+	      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "bad server info for "f": "serverdat)))))
        allfiles)
       res)))
 
 ;; oldest server alive determines host then choose random of youngest
 ;; five servers on that host
@@ -464,16 +470,16 @@
 	       (all-valid  (filter (lambda (x)
 				     (equal? host (list-ref (hash-table-ref serversdat x) 0)))
 				   by-time-asc))
 	       (best-five  (lambda ()
 			     (if (> (length all-valid) 5)
-				 (map (lambda (x)
-					(hash-table-ref serversdat x))
-				      (take all-valid 5))
+				 (take all-valid 5)
 				 all-valid)))
 	       (names->dats (lambda (names)
-			      (map (lambda (x)(hash-table-ref serversdat x)) names)))
+			      (map (lambda (x)
+				     (hash-table-ref serversdat x))
+				   names)))
 	       (am-home?    (lambda ()
 			      (let* ((currhost (get-host-name))
 				     (bestadrs (server:get-best-guess-address currhost)))
 				(or (equal? host currhost)
 				    (equal? host bestadrs))))))
@@ -486,11 +492,11 @@
 	    ((home?)    (am-home?))
 	    ((best-five)(names->dats (best-five)))
 	    ((all-valid)(names->dats all-valid))
 	    ((best)     (let* ((best-five (best-five))
 			       (len       (length best-five)))
-			  (list-ref best-five (random len))))
+			  (hash-table-ref serversdat (list-ref best-five (random len)))))
 			  
 	    (else
 	     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: invalid command "mode)
 	     #f)))
 	(begin