@@ -608,11 +608,11 @@
 			   (getenv "MT_RUNNAME")))
 	     (fulldir  (conc linktree "/"
 			     target "/"
 			     runname)))
 	(debug:print-info 0 "Have -runtests with target=" target ", runname=" runname ", fulldir=" fulldir ", testpatt=" (or (args:get-arg "-testpatt") "%"))
-	(if (file-exists? linktree) ;; can't proceed without linktree
+	(if (and linktree (file-exists? linktree)) ;; can't proceed without linktree
 	    (begin
 	      (if (not (file-exists? fulldir))
 		  (create-directory fulldir #t)) ;; need to protect with exception handler 
 	      (if (and target
 		       runname
@@ -721,11 +721,11 @@
 	 (rundir   (if (and runname target linktree)(conc linktree "/" target "/" runname) #f))
 	 (mtcachef (and rundir (conc rundir "/" ".megatest.cfg-"  megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash)))
 	 (rccachef (and rundir (conc rundir "/" ".runconfigs.cfg-"  megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash)))
 	 (cancreate (and rundir (file-exists? rundir)(file-write-access? rundir))))
     ;; (print "runname: " runname " target: " target " mtcachef: " mtcachef " rccachef: " rccachef)
-    ;; (if (not *toppath*)(set! *toppath* toppath)) ;; this probably is not needed?
+    (set! *toppath* toppath) ;; This is needed when we are running as a test using CMDINFO as a datasource
     (cond
      ;; data was read and cached and available in *configstatus*, toppath has already been set
      ((eq? *configstatus* 'fulldata)
       *toppath*)
      ;; if mtcachef exists just read it, however we need to assume toppath is available in $MT_RUN_AREA_HOME
@@ -736,12 +736,11 @@
       (set! *configstatus* 'fulldata)
       (set! *toppath*      (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))
       *toppath*)
      ;; we have all the info needed to fully process runconfigs and megatest.config
      (mtcachef              
-      (let* ((toppath    (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")) ;; rely on MT_RUN_AREA_HOME if we are in a test environment
-	     (sections   (list "default" target)) ;; for runconfigs
+      (let* ((sections   (list "default" target)) ;; for runconfigs
 	     (first-pass (find-and-read-config        ;; NB// sets MT_RUN_AREA_HOME as side effect
 				  mtconfig
 				  environ-patt: "env-override"
 				  given-toppath: toppath
 				  pathenvvar: "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))