@@ -89,11 +89,11 @@
 				    lock-files)))
 	  (if fresh-locks
 	      (begin
 		(if (runs:lownoise "runners-softlock-wait" 360)
 		    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Other runners in flight, giving up some time..."))
-		(thread-sleep! 10))
+		(thread-sleep! 2))
 	      (begin
 		(if (runs:lownoise "runners-softlock-nowait" 360)
 		    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "No runners in flight, updating softlock"))
 		(let* ((ouf (open-output-file my-lock-file)))
 		  (with-output-to-port ouf
@@ -313,21 +313,21 @@
   ;; Take advantage of a good place to exit if running the one-pass methodology
   (if (and (> (runs:dat-can-run-more-tests-count runsdat) 20)
 	   (args:get-arg "-one-pass"))
       (exit 0))
 
-  (thread-sleep! (cond ;; BB: check with Matt.  Should this sleep move
-		       ;; to cond clauses below where we determine we
-		       ;; have too many jobs running rather than each
-		       ;; time the and condition above is true (which
-		  ;; seems like always)?
-		  ((< (- (current-seconds)(runs:dat-beginning-of-time runsdat)) 30) ;; for the first 30 seconds do not throttle in any way
-		   0)
-        	  ((> (runs:dat-can-run-more-tests-count runsdat) 20) ;; original intent was - save cycles, wait a long time
-		   (if (runs:lownoise "waiting on tasks" 60)(debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "waiting for tasks to complete, sleeping briefly ..."))
-		   10)  ;; obviously haven't had any work to do for a while
-		  (else 0)))
+;;  (thread-sleep! (cond ;; BB: check with Matt.  Should this sleep move
+;;		       ;; to cond clauses below where we determine we
+;;		       ;; have too many jobs running rather than each
+;;		       ;; time the and condition above is true (which
+;;		  ;; seems like always)?
+;;		  ((< (- (current-seconds)(runs:dat-beginning-of-time runsdat)) 30) ;; for the first 30 seconds do not throttle in any way
+;;		   0)
+;;        	  ((> (runs:dat-can-run-more-tests-count runsdat) 20) ;; original intent was - save cycles, wait a long time
+;;		   (if (runs:lownoise "waiting on tasks" 60)(debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "waiting for tasks to complete, sleeping briefly ..."))
+;;		   10)  ;; obviously haven't had any work to do for a while
+;;		  (else 0)))
 ;;		   ;; if have a number for inter-test-delay, use it, else don't delay much, maybe even zero?
 ;;		   (configf:lookup-number *configdat* "setup" "inter-test-delay" default: 0.01)
 ;;		   )))
   
   (let* ((num-running             (rmt:get-count-tests-running run-id #f)) ;; fastmode=no
@@ -993,11 +993,11 @@
       (if  (runs:can-keep-running? hed 20)
 	  (begin
 	    (runs:inc-cant-run-tests hed)
 	    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "no fails in prerequisites for " hed " but also none running, keeping " hed " for now. Try count: " (hash-table-ref/default *seen-cant-run-tests* hed 0)) ;; 
 	    ;; getting here likely means the system is way overloaded, kill a full minute before continuing
-	    (thread-sleep! 60) ;; TODO: gate by normalized server load > 1.0 (maxload config thing)
+	    (thread-sleep! 5) ;; TODO: gate by normalized server load > 1.0 (maxload config thing)
 	    ;; num-retries code was here
 	    ;; we use this opportunity to move contents of reg to tal
 	    (list (car newtal)(append (cdr newtal) reg) '() reruns)) ;; an issue with prereqs not yet met?
 	  (begin
 	    (debug:print-info 1 *default-log-port* "no fails in prerequisites for " hed " but nothing seen running in a while, dropping test " hed " from the run queue")
@@ -1807,11 +1807,11 @@
 		  (set! last-time-incomplete (current-seconds)) ;; FIXME, this might be causing slow down - use of set!
 		  (rmt:find-and-mark-incomplete run-id #f)
 		  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "run-wait specified, waiting on " actual-num-running
 				    " tests in RUNNING, REMOTEHOSTSTART or LAUNCHED state at "
 				    (time->string (seconds->local-time (current-seconds))))))
-	    (thread-sleep! 5)
+	    (thread-sleep! 1) ;; (if (>= num-running max-concurrent-jobs) 5 1))
 	    (wait-loop (rmt:get-count-tests-running-for-run-id run-id #t) ;; fastmode=yes
 		       num-running))))
     ;; LET* ((test-record
     ;; we get here on "drop through". All done!
     ;; this is moved to runs:run-testes since this function is getting called twice to ensure everthing is completed. 
@@ -2535,11 +2535,11 @@
 				(if (not (null? tal))
 				    (loop (car tal)(cdr tal))))
 			       ((run-wait)
                                 ;; BB TODO - manage has-subrun case
 				(debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "still waiting, " (length tests) " tests still running")
-				(thread-sleep! 10)
+				(thread-sleep! 5)
 				(let ((new-tests (proc-get-tests run-id)))
 				  (if (null? new-tests)
 				      (debug:print-info 1 *default-log-port* "Run completed according to zero tests matching provided criteria.")
 				      (loop (car new-tests)(cdr new-tests)))))
 			       ((archive)