@@ -60,10 +60,11 @@
 	       (runname   (assoc/default 'runname   cmdinfo))
 	       (megatest  (assoc/default 'megatest  cmdinfo))
 	       (mt-bindir-path (assoc/default 'mt-bindir-path cmdinfo))
 	       (fullrunscript (if runscript (conc testpath "/" runscript) #f))
 	       (db        #f))
+	  
 	  (debug:print 2 "Exectuing " test-name " on " (get-host-name))
 	  (change-directory testpath)
 	  ;; apply pre-overrides before other variables. The pre-override vars must not
 	  ;; clobbers things from the official sources such as megatest.config and runconfigs.config
 	  (if (string? set-vars)
@@ -88,10 +89,11 @@
 	      (begin
 		(debug:print 0 "Failed to setup, exiting") 
 		(exit 1)))
 	  ;; now can find our db
 	  (set! db (open-db))
+	  (set-megatest-env-vars db run-id) ;; these may be needed by the launching process
 	  (change-directory work-area) 
 	  (set-run-config-vars db run-id)
 	  ;; environment overrides are done *before* the remaining critical envars.
 	  (alist->env-vars env-ovrd)
 	  (set-megatest-env-vars db run-id)
@@ -287,12 +289,13 @@
 			 work-area ":\n====\n exit code " (vector-ref exit-info 2) "\n" "====\n")
 	    (sqlite3:finalize! db)
 	    (if (not (vector-ref exit-info 1))
 		(exit 4)))))))
 
+;; set up the very basics needed for doing anything here.
 (define (setup-for-run)
-  (set! *configinfo* (find-and-read-config (if (args:get-arg "-config")(args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config")))
+  (set! *configinfo* (find-and-read-config (if (args:get-arg "-config")(args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config") environ-patt: "env-override"))
   (set! *configdat*  (if (car *configinfo*)(car *configinfo*) #f))
   (set! *toppath*    (if (car *configinfo*)(cadr *configinfo*) #f))
   (if *toppath*
       (setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*) ;; to be deprecated
       (debug:print 0 "ERROR: failed to find the top path to your run setup."))