Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -279,13 +279,14 @@
         (let* ((dbpath       (db:dbfile-path ))      ;; path to tmp db area
                (dbexists     (file-exists? dbpath))
 	       (tmpdbfname   (conc dbpath "/megatest.db"))
 	       (dbfexists    (file-exists? tmpdbfname)) ;; (conc dbpath "/megatest.db")))
                (tmpdb        (db:open-megatest-db path: dbpath)) ;; lock-create-open dbpath db:initialize-main-db))
+               (mtdbexists   (file-exists? (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db")))
                (mtdb         (db:open-megatest-db))
                (mtdbpath     (db:dbdat-get-path mtdb))
-               (mtdbexists   (file-exists? mtdbpath))
+               
                (refndb       (db:open-megatest-db path: dbpath name: "megatest_ref.db"))
                (write-access (file-write-access? mtdbpath))
 	       (mtdbmodtime  (if mtdbexists (common:lazy-sqlite-db-modification-time mtdbpath)   #f))
 	       (tmpdbmodtime (if dbfexists  (common:lazy-sqlite-db-modification-time tmpdbfname) #f))
 	       (modtimedelta (and mtdbmodtime tmpdbmodtime (- mtdbmodtime tmpdbmodtime))))
@@ -299,14 +300,13 @@
           (dbr:dbstruct-tmpdb-set!  dbstruct tmpdb)
           (dbr:dbstruct-dbstack-set! dbstruct (make-stack)) ;; BB: why a stack?  Why would the number of db's be indeterminate?  Is this a legacy of 1.db 2.db .. ?
           (stack-push! (dbr:dbstruct-dbstack dbstruct) tmpdb) ;; olddb is already a (cons db path)
           (dbr:dbstruct-refndb-set! dbstruct refndb)
           ;;	    (mutex-unlock! *rundb-mutex*)
-          (if (and write-access
-		   (or (not dbfexists)
-		       (and modtimedelta
-			    (> modtimedelta 10)))) ;; if db in tmp is over ten seconds older than the file in MTRA then do a sync back
+          (if (or (not dbfexists)
+                  (and modtimedelta
+                       (> modtimedelta 10))) ;; if db in tmp is over ten seconds older than the file in MTRA then do a sync back
 	      (begin
 		(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "filling db " (db:dbdat-get-path tmpdb) " with data \n    from " (db:dbdat-get-path mtdb) " mod time delta: " modtimedelta)
 		(db:sync-tables (db:sync-all-tables-list dbstruct) #f mtdb refndb tmpdb)
                 (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "db:sync-all-tables-list done.")
                 )