@@ -791,11 +791,11 @@
     ;; itemdat => ((ripeness "overripe") (temperature "cool") (season "summer"))
     (let* ((new-test-path (string-intersperse (cons test-path (map cadr itemdat)) "/"))
 	   (test-id       (cdb:remote-run db:get-test-id #f  run-id test-name item-path))
 	   (testdat       (cdb:get-test-info-by-id *runremote* test-id)))
       (if (not testdat)
-	  (begin
+	  (let loop ()
 	    ;; ensure that the path exists before registering the test
 	    ;; NOPE: Cannot! Don't know yet which disk area will be assigned....
 	    ;; (system (conc "mkdir -p " new-test-path))
 	    ;;
 	    ;; (open-run-close tests:register-test db run-id test-name item-path)
@@ -807,11 +807,16 @@
 		(begin
 		  (debug:print 2 "WARN: Test not pre-created? test-name=" test-name ", item-path=" item-path ", run-id=" run-id)
 		  (cdb:tests-register-test *runremote* run-id test-name item-path)
 		  (set! test-id (cdb:remote-run db:get-test-id #f run-id test-name item-path))))
 	    (debug:print-info 4 "test-id=" test-id ", run-id=" run-id ", test-name=" test-name ", item-path=\"" item-path "\"")
-	    (set! testdat (cdb:get-test-info-by-id *runremote* test-id))))
+	    (set! testdat (cdb:get-test-info-by-id *runremote* test-id))
+	    (if (not testdat)
+		(begin
+		  (debug:print-info 0 "WARNING: server is overloaded, trying again in one second")
+		  (thread-sleep! 1)
+		  (loop)))))
       (if (not testdat) ;; should NOT happen
 	  (debug:print 0 "ERROR: failed to get test record for test-id " test-id))
       (set! test-id (db:test-get-id testdat))
       (if (file-exists? test-path)
 	  (change-directory test-path)