@@ -19,10 +19,26 @@
 (include "task_records.scm")
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Tasks db
 ;;======================================================================
+
+;; wait up to aprox n seconds for a journal to go away
+;;
+(define (tasks:wait-on-journal path n)
+  (let ((fullpath (conc path "-journal")))
+    (let loop ((journal-exists (file-exists? fullpath))
+	       (count          n)) ;; wait ten times ...
+      (if journal-exists
+	  (if (> count 0)
+	      #f
+	      (begin
+		(thread-sleep! 1)
+		(loop (file-exists? fullpath)
+		      (- count 1))))
+	  #t))))
+
 
 ;; If file exists AND
 ;;    file readable
 ;;         ==> open it
 ;; If file exists AND
@@ -32,10 +48,11 @@
 ;;    ==> open in-mem version
 ;;
 (define (tasks:open-db)
   (let* ((linktree     (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
 	 (dbpath       (conc linktree "/.db/monitor.db"))
+	 (avail        (tasks:wait-on-journal dbpath 10)) ;; wait up to about 10 seconds for the journal to go away
 	 (exists       (file-exists? dbpath))
 	 (write-access (file-write-access? dbpath))
 	 (mdb          (cond
 			((file-write-access? *toppath*)(sqlite3:open-database dbpath))
 			((file-read-access? dbpath)    (sqlite3:open-database dbpath))