@@ -185,17 +185,26 @@
 		    (thread-sleep! 0.5)
                     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "server for " dbfname " is in starting state, retrying connect")
 		    (tt:client-connect-to-server ttdat dbfname run-id testsuite server-start-proc))
 		   (else
 		    (let* ((curr-secs (current-seconds)))
+		      (if (not ping-res) ;; the server is actually dead, remove the .servinfo file
+			  (begin
+			    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Unreachable server at "
+					      host":"port" with servinfo file "servinffile", removing it")
+			    (if (file-exists? servinffile)
+				(handle-exceptions
+				 exn
+				 #f
+				 (delete-file servinffile)))))
 		      ;; rm the (last server) would go here
 		      (if (> (- curr-secs (tt-last-serv-start ttdat)) 10)
 			  (begin
 			    (tt-last-serv-start-set! ttdat curr-secs)
 			    (server-start-proc))) ;; start server if 10 sec since last attempt
 		      (thread-sleep! 1)
-                      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "server ping result was neither running nor starting. Retrying connect")
+                      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "server ping result was "ping-res" neither running nor starting. Retrying connect")
 		      (tt:client-connect-to-server ttdat dbfname run-id testsuite server-start-proc)))))))
 	    (else ;; no good server found, if haven't started server in > 5 secs, start another
 	     (if (> (- (current-seconds) (tt-last-serv-start ttdat)) 3) ;; BUG - grow this number really do not want to swamp the machine with servers
 		 (begin
 		   (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Starting server for "dbfname)
@@ -566,10 +575,12 @@
 	     (dbfile:insert-or-update-process nsdb *procinf*)))
 	  (thread-start! run-thread)
 
 	  (thread-join! run-thread) ;; run thread will exit on timeout or other conditions
 	  
+	  ;; (tcp-close (tt-socket ttdat)) ;; close up ports here
+
 	  ;; replace with call to (dbfile:set-process-done nsdb host pid reason)
 	  (procinf-status-set! *procinf* "done")
 	  (procinf-end-set! *procinf* (current-seconds))
 	  ;; either convert this to use set-process-done or get rid of set-process-done
 	  (dbfile:with-no-sync-db
@@ -629,11 +640,11 @@
 	
 	(if (< (- (current-seconds) (tt-last-access ttdat)) (tt-server-timeout-param))
 	    (begin
 	      (thread-sleep! 5)
 	      (loop)))))
-    ;; (cleanup) ;; all done by tt:shutdown-server
+    (tt:shutdown-server ttdat)
     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: Server timed out, exiting from tt:keep-running.")))
 
 
 (define (tt:shutdown-server ttdat)
   (let* ((host (tt-host ttdat))
@@ -641,11 +652,10 @@
 	 (sinf (tt-servinf-file ttdat)))
     (tt-state-set! ttdat 'shutdown)
     (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:set-port port "released")
     (if (file-exists? sinf)
 	(delete-file* sinf))
-    (tcp-close (tt-socket ttdat)) ;; close up ports here
     ))
 
 ;; return servid
 ;; side-effects:
 ;;   ttdat-cleanup-proc is populated with function to remove the serverinfo file
@@ -772,24 +782,29 @@
 	    #f)
 	   (else
 	    (if (not (file-exists? (conc areapath"/logs")))
 		(create-directory (conc areapath"/logs") #t))
 	    (let* ((logfile   (conc areapath "/logs/server-"dbfname"-"(current-process-id)".log")) ;; -" curr-pid "-" target-host ".log"))
-		   (cmdln     (conc
+		   (cmdln (conc
 			       mtexe
 			       " -startdir "areapath
 			       " -server - ";; (or target-host "-")
 			       " -m testsuite:"testsuite
 			       " -db "dbfname ;; (dbmod:run-id->dbfname run-id)
 			       " " profile-mode
-			       (conc " >> " logfile " 2>&1 &"))))
+			       #;(conc " >> " logfile " 2>&1 &"))))
 	      ;; we want the remote server to start in *toppath* so push there
 	      ;; (push-directory areapath) ;; use cd in the command line instead
 	      (debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "INFO: Trying to start server in tcp mode (" cmdln ") at "(common:human-time)" for "areapath)
 	      ;; (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: starting server at " (common:human-time))
 
-	      (system cmdln)
+	      (setenv "NBFAKE_QUIET" "yes") ;; BUG: change to with-environment-variable ...
+	      (setenv "NBFAKE_LOG" logfile)
+	      (system (conc "cd "areapath" ; nbfake " cmdln))
+	      (unsetenv "NBFAKE_QUIET")
+	      (unsetenv "NBFAKE_LOG")
+	      ;; (system cmdln)
 	      (hash-table-set! *last-server-start* dbfname (current-seconds))
 	      ;; ;; use below to go back to nbfake - nbfake does cause trouble ...
 	      ;; (setenv "NBFAKE_QUIET" "yes") ;; BUG: change to with-environment-variable ...
 	      ;; (setenv "NBFAKE_LOG" logfile)
 	      ;; (system (conc "cd "areapath" ; nbfake " cmdln))