@@ -426,13 +426,27 @@
                           (set! sdat *server-info*)
                           (mutex-unlock! *heartbeat-mutex*)
                           (if (and sdat
 				   (not changed)
 				   (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 2))
-			      (begin
+			      (let* ((servinfodir (conc *toppath*"/.servinfo"))
+				     (ipaddr      (car sdat))
+				     (port        (cadr sdat))
+				     (servinf     (conc servinfodir"/"ipaddr":"port)))
+				(if (not (file-exists? servinfodir))
+				    (create-directory servinfodir #t))
+				(with-output-to-file servinf
+				  (lambda ()
+				    (print "SERVER STARTED: "ipaddr":"port" AT "(current-seconds)" server-id: "(server:get-client-signature))
+				    (print "started: "(seconds->year-week/day-time (current-seconds)))))
+				(set! *on-exit-procs* (cons
+						       (lambda ()
+							 (delete-file* servinf))
+						       *on-exit-procs*))
+				;; put data about this server into a simple flat file host.port
 				(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Received server alive signature")
-                                (common:save-pkt `((action . alive)
+                                #;(common:save-pkt `((action . alive)
                                                    (T      . server)
                                                    (pid    . ,(current-process-id))
                                                    (ipaddr . ,(car sdat))
                                                    (port   . ,(cadr sdat)))
                                                  *configdat* #t)
@@ -439,13 +453,16 @@
 				sdat)
                               (begin
 				(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Still waiting, last-sdat=" last-sdat)
                                 (sleep 4)
 				(if (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 120) ;; been waiting for two minutes
-				    (begin
+				    (let* ((ipaddr  (car sdat))
+					   (port    (cadr sdat))
+					   (servinf (conc *toppath*"/.servinfo/"ipaddr":"port)))
 				      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "transport appears to have died, exiting server")
-                                      (common:save-pkt `((action . died)
+				      ;; (delete-file* servinf) ;; handled by on-exit, can be removed
+                                      #;(common:save-pkt `((action . died)
                                                          (T      . server)
                                                          (pid    . ,(current-process-id))
                                                          (ipaddr . ,(car sdat))
                                                          (port   . ,(cadr sdat))
                                                          (msg    . "Transport died?"))
@@ -600,14 +617,17 @@
     ;; 			  (/ *total-non-write-delay* 
     ;; 			     *number-non-write-queries*))
     ;; 		      " ms")
     
     (db:print-current-query-stats)
-    (common:save-pkt `((action . exit)
+    #;(common:save-pkt `((action . exit)
                        (T      . server)
                        (pid    . ,(current-process-id)))
-                     *configdat* #t)
+    *configdat* #t)
+
+    ;; remove .servinfo file(s) here
+    
     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Server shutdown complete. Exiting")
     (exit)))
 
 ;; all routes though here end in exit ...
 ;;
@@ -640,14 +660,14 @@
     #;(let* ((num-alive   (server:get-num-alive (server:get-list *toppath*))))
       (if (> num-alive 3)
           (begin
             (cleanup-proc (conc "ERROR: Aborting server start because there are already " num-alive " possible servers either running or starting up"))
             (exit))))
-  (common:save-pkt `((action . start)
-		     (T      . server)
-		     (pid    . ,(current-process-id)))
-		   *configdat* #t)
+    #;(common:save-pkt `((action . start)
+		       (T      . server)
+		       (pid    . ,(current-process-id)))
+		     *configdat* #t)
     (let* ((th2 (make-thread (lambda ()
                                (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Server run thread started")
                                (http-transport:run 
                                 (if (args:get-arg "-server")
                                     (args:get-arg "-server")