Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -306,10 +306,11 @@
 	    exn
 	    (begin
 	      (print-call-chain *default-log-port*)
 	      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* " closing connection failed with error: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn)))
 	    (close-connection! api-dat)
+            (close-idle-connections!)
 	    #t))
 	#f)))
 
 
 (define (make-http-transport:server-dat)(make-vector 6))

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -230,13 +230,13 @@
      ;;DOT MUTEXLOCK -> CASE11 [label="else"]; {rank=same "case 11" CASE11};
      ;;DOT CASE11 -> "rmt:send-receive" [label="call failed"];
      ;;DOT CASE11 -> "RESULT" [label="call succeeded"];
      ;; not on homehost, do server query
      (else
-      (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
+      ;; (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
       (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case  9")
-      (mutex-lock! *rmt-mutex*)
+      ;; (mutex-lock! *rmt-mutex*)
       (let* ((conninfo (remote-conndat runremote))
 	     (dat      (case (remote-transport runremote)
 			 ((http) (condition-case ;; handling here has caused a lot of problems. However it is needed to deal with attemtped communication to servers that have gone away
                                   (http-transport:client-api-send-receive 0 conninfo cmd params)
                                   ((commfail)(vector #f "communications fail"))

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -326,13 +326,13 @@
 		       (thread-start! th1)
 		       (thread-join! th2)))))
       (set-signal-handler! signal/int sighand)
       (set-signal-handler! signal/term sighand))
 
-    ;; force the starting of a server
-    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "waiting on server...")
-    (server:start-and-wait *toppath*)
+    ;; force the starting of a server -- removed BB 17ww28 - no longer needed.
+    ;;(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "waiting on server...")
+    ;;(server:start-and-wait *toppath*)
     
     (runs:set-megatest-env-vars run-id inkeys: keys inrunname: runname) ;; these may be needed by the launching process
     (set! runconf (if (common:file-exists? runconfigf)
 		      (setup-env-defaults runconfigf run-id *already-seen-runconfig-info* keyvals target)
 		      (begin
@@ -596,10 +596,11 @@
 	  '()
 	  reg)))
 
 (define runs:nothing-left-in-queue-count 0)
 
+;; BB: for future reference - suspect target vars are not expanded to env vars at this point (item expansion using [items]\nwhatever [system echo $TARGETVAR] doesnt work right whereas [system echo #{targetvar}] does.. Tal and Randy have tix on this.  on first pass, var not set, on second pass, ok.  
 (define (runs:expand-items hed tal reg reruns regfull newtal jobgroup max-concurrent-jobs run-id waitons item-path testmode test-record can-run-more items runname tconfig reglen test-registry test-records itemmaps)
   (let* ((loop-list       (list hed tal reg reruns))
 	 (prereqs-not-met (let ((res (rmt:get-prereqs-not-met run-id waitons hed item-path mode: testmode itemmaps: itemmaps)))
 			    (if (list? res)
 				res
@@ -1271,17 +1272,18 @@
 			   itemmaps:    itemmaps
 			   ;; prereqs-not-met: prereqs-not-met
 			   )))
 	(runs:dat-regfull-set! runsdat regfull)
 
+        ;; -- removed BB 17ww28 - no longer needed.
 	;; every 15 minutes verify the server is there for this run
-	(if (and (common:low-noise-print 240 "try start server"  run-id)
-		 (not (or (and *runremote*
-			       (remote-server-url *runremote*)
-			       (server:ping (remote-server-url *runremote*)))
-			  (server:check-if-running *toppath*))))
-	    (server:kind-run *toppath*))
+	;; (if (and (common:low-noise-print 240 "try start server"  run-id)
+	;; 	 (not (or (and *runremote*
+	;; 		       (remote-server-url *runremote*)
+	;; 		       (server:ping (remote-server-url *runremote*)))
+	;; 		  (server:check-if-running *toppath*))))
+	;;     (server:kind-run *toppath*))
 	
 	(if (> num-running 0)
 	  (set! last-time-some-running (current-seconds)))
 
       (if (> (current-seconds)(+ last-time-some-running (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "give-up-waiting") 36000)))
@@ -1409,11 +1411,11 @@
 	      (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) reg reruns)))
 	    
 	 ;; if items is a proc then need to run items:get-items-from-config, get the list and loop 
 	 ;;    - but only do that if resources exist to kick off the job
 	 ;; EXPAND ITEMS
-	 ((or (procedure? items)(eq? items 'have-procedure))
+	 ((or (procedure? items)(eq? items 'have-procedure)) ;; BB - target vars are env vars here? to allow expansion of [items]\nsomething [system echo $SOMETARGVAR], which is wonky
 	  (let ((can-run-more    (runs:can-run-more-tests runsdat run-id jobgroup max-concurrent-jobs)))
 	    (if (and (list? can-run-more)
 		     (car can-run-more))
 		(let ((loop-list (runs:expand-items hed tal reg reruns regfull newtal jobgroup max-concurrent-jobs run-id waitons item-path testmode test-record can-run-more items runname tconfig reglen test-registry test-records itemmaps)))
 		  (if loop-list