@@ -513,21 +513,25 @@
 	       ;; this next block was added to fix a bug where variables were
                ;; needed. Revisit this.
 	       (runconfig  (let ((runconfigf (conc  *toppath* "/runconfigs.config"))) ;; no rush but it would be good to convert this call to use runconfig:read
 	 		     (if (common:file-exists? runconfigf)
 	 			 (handle-exceptions
-                                   exn
-                                   #f  ;; do nothing, just keep on trucking ....
+                                     exn
+				   (begin
+				     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "failed to set up environment for " runconfigf ", exn=" exn)
+                                     #f)  ;; do nothing, just keep on trucking ....
                                    (setup-env-defaults runconfigf run-id (make-hash-table) keydat environ-patt: keystring))
 	 			 (make-hash-table))))
 	       (testconfig    (begin
 				;; (runs:set-megatest-env-vars run-id inrunname: runname testname: test-name itempath: item-path)
 				(runs:set-megatest-env-vars run-id inkeyvals: keydat inrunname: runname intarget: keystring testname: testname itempath: item-path) ;; these may be needed by the launching process
 				(handle-exceptions
-				 exn  ;; NOTE: I've no idea why this was written this way. Research, study and fix needed!
-				 (tests:get-testconfig (db:test-get-testname testdat) (db:test-get-item-path testdat) test-registry #f allow-write-cache: #f)
-				 (tests:get-testconfig (db:test-get-testname testdat) item-path test-registry #t allow-write-cache: #f))))
+				    exn  ;; NOTE: I've no idea why this was written this way. Research, study and fix needed!
+				  (begin
+				    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "testconfig load using " item-path " failed, trying " (db:test-get-item-path testdat) ", exn=" exn)
+				    (tests:get-testconfig (db:test-get-testname testdat) (db:test-get-item-path testdat) test-registry #f allow-write-cache: #f))
+				  (tests:get-testconfig (db:test-get-testname testdat) item-path test-registry #t allow-write-cache: #f))))
 	       (viewlog    (lambda (x)
 			     (if (common:file-exists? logfile)
 					;(system (conc "firefox " logfile "&"))
 				 (dcommon:run-html-viewer logfile)
 				 (message-window (conc "File " logfile " not found")))))
@@ -561,13 +565,16 @@
 						       (> (current-milliseconds)(+ last-update 10000))     ;; force update even 10 seconds
 						       request-update))
 				    (newtestdat (if need-update 
 						    ;; NOTE: BUG HIDER, try to eliminate this exception handler
 						    (handle-exceptions
-						     exn 
-						     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "test db access issue in examine test for run-id " run-id ", test-id " test-id ": " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
-						     (rmt:get-test-info-by-id run-id test-id )))))
+							exn
+						      (begin
+							(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "test db access issue in examine test for run-id " run-id
+									  ", test-id " test-id ": " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn) ", exn=" exn)
+							#f)
+						      (rmt:get-test-info-by-id run-id test-id)))))
 			       ;; (print "INFO: need-update= " need-update " curr-mod-time = " curr-mod-time)
 			       (cond
 				((and need-update newtestdat)
 				 (set! testdat newtestdat)
 				 (set! teststeps    (augment-teststeps (tests:get-compressed-steps run-id test-id)))