@@ -80,11 +80,18 @@
      vals
      (lambda (key val)
        (debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "setenv " key " " val)
        (safe-setenv key val)))
     (if (not (get-environment-variable "MT_TARGET"))(setenv "MT_TARGET" target))
-    (alist->env-vars (hash-table-ref/default *configdat* "env-override" '()))
+    ;; we had a case where there was an exception generated by the hash-table-ref
+    ;; due to *configdat* being #f Adding a handle and exit
+    (handle-exceptions
+	exn
+	(begin
+	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "FATAL: *configdat* was inaccessible! This should never happen.")
+	  (exit 1))
+      (alist->env-vars (hash-table-ref/default *configdat* "env-override" '())))
     ;; Lets use this as an opportunity to put MT_RUNNAME in the environment
     (let ((runname  (if inrunname inrunname (rmt:get-run-name-from-id run-id))))
       (if runname
 	  (setenv "MT_RUNNAME" runname)
 	  (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "no value for runname for id " run-id)))