@@ -195,11 +195,11 @@
 	rdb
 	(let* ((dbpath       (db:dbfile-path run-id)) ;; (conc toppath "/db/" run-id ".db"))
 	       (dbexists     (file-exists? dbpath))
 	       (inmem        (if local #f (db:open-inmem-db)))
 	       (refdb        (if local #f (db:open-inmem-db)))
-	       (db           (db:lock-create-open dbpath 
+	       (db           (db:lock-create-open dbpath ;; this is the database physically on disk
 						  (lambda (db)
 						    (handle-exceptions
 						     exn
 						     (begin
 						       (release-dot-lock dbpath)
@@ -234,14 +234,18 @@
 	      (begin
 		(dbr:dbstruct-set-localdb! dbstruct run-id db) ;; (dbr:dbstruct-set-inmem! dbstruct db) ;; direct access ...
 		db)
 	      (begin
 		(dbr:dbstruct-set-inmem!  dbstruct inmem)
+		(sqlite3:execute db "DELETE FROM tests WHERE state='DELETED';") ;; they just slow us down in this context
 		(db:sync-tables db:sync-tests-only db inmem)
-		(db:delay-if-busy dbpath: (db:dbdat-get-path refdb))
+		(db:delay-if-busy refdb) ;; dbpath: (db:dbdat-get-path refdb))
 		(dbr:dbstruct-set-refdb!  dbstruct refdb)
 		(db:sync-tables db:sync-tests-only db refdb)
+		;; sync once more to deal with delays
+		(db:sync-tables db:sync-tests-only db inmem)
+		(db:sync-tables db:sync-tests-only db refdb)
 		inmem))))))
 
 ;; This routine creates the db. It is only called if the db is not already ls opened
 ;;
 (define (db:open-main dbstruct) ;;  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db") (car *configinfo*)))
@@ -292,10 +296,11 @@
 	(refdb  (dbr:dbstruct-get-refdb dbstruct))
 	(olddb  (dbr:dbstruct-get-olddb dbstruct))
 	;; (runid  (dbr:dbstruct-get-run-id dbstruct))
 	)
     (debug:print-info 4 "Syncing for run-id: " run-id)
+    (mutex-lock! *http-mutex*)
     (if (eq? run-id 0)
 	;; runid equal to 0 is main.db
 	(if maindb
 	    (if (or (not (number? mtime))
 		    (not (number? stime))
@@ -322,12 +327,15 @@
 	    (begin
 	      (db:delay-if-busy rundb)
 	      (db:delay-if-busy olddb)
 	      (let ((num-synced (db:sync-tables db:sync-tests-only inmem refdb rundb olddb)))
 		(dbr:dbstruct-set-stime! dbstruct (current-milliseconds))
+		(mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*)
 		num-synced)
-	      0)))))
+	      (begin
+		(mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*)
+		0))))))
 
 (define (db:close-main dbstruct)
   (let ((maindb (dbr:dbstruct-get-main dbstruct)))
     (if maindb
 	(begin