@@ -908,13 +908,15 @@
 
 (define (common:get-testsuite-name)
   (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "area-name") ;; megatest is a flexible tool, testsuite is too limiting a description.
       (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "testsuite" )
       (getenv "MT_TESTSUITE_NAME")
-      (if (string? *toppath* )
-          (pathname-file *toppath*)
-          #f))) ;; (pathname-file (current-directory)))))
+      (pathname-file (or (if (string? *toppath* )
+			     (pathname-file *toppath*)
+			     #f)
+			 (common:get-topath #f)))
+      "please-set-setup-area-name")) ;; (pathname-file (current-directory)))))
 
 ;; safe getting of toppath
 (define (common:get-toppath areapath)
   (or *toppath*
       (if areapath
@@ -948,17 +950,23 @@
 	  (handle-exceptions
 	      exn
 	      (begin
 		(debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Couldn't create path to " *db-cache-path* ", exn=" exn)
 		(exit 1))
-	    (let ((dbpath (common:get-create-writeable-dir
-			   (list (conc "/tmp/" (current-user-name)
-				       "/megatest_localdb/"
-				       (common:get-testsuite-name) "/"
-				       (string-translate *toppath* "/" ".")))))) ;;  #t))))
-	      (set! *db-cache-path* dbpath)
-	      dbpath))
+	      (let* ((tsname (common:get-testsuite-name))
+		     (dbpath (common:get-create-writeable-dir
+			      (list (conc "/tmp/" (current-user-name)
+					  "/megatest_localdb/"
+					  tsname "/"
+					  (string-translate *toppath* "/" "."))
+				    (conc "/tmp/" (current-process-id) ;; just in case we have an issue with the dir by own user name
+					  "/megatest_localdb/"
+					  tsname
+					  (string-translate *toppath* "/" "."))
+				    ))))
+		(set! *db-cache-path* dbpath)
+		dbpath))
 	  #f)))
 
 (define (common:get-area-path-signature)
   (message-digest-string (md5-primitive) *toppath*))
 
@@ -1191,11 +1199,12 @@
 			    (file-write-access? hed)
 			    hed)
 		       (handle-exceptions
 			   exn
 			   (begin
-			     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "could not create " hed ", this might cause problems down the road. exn=" exn)
+			     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "could not create " hed
+					       ", this might cause problems down the road. exn=" exn)
 			     #f)
 			(create-directory hed #t)))))
 	  (if (and (string? res)
 		   (directory? res))
 	      res
@@ -1698,11 +1707,13 @@
   (handle-exceptions
       exn
     (begin
       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Failed to get modifcation time for " fpath ", treating it as zero. exn=" exn)
       0)
-    (file-modification-time fpath)))
+    (if (file-exists? fpath)
+	(file-modification-time fpath)
+	0)))
 
 ;; find timestamp of newest file associated with a sqlite db file
 (define (common:lazy-sqlite-db-modification-time fpath)
   (let* ((glob-list (handle-exceptions
 			exn