Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -413,13 +413,15 @@
 	       (work-area (assoc/default 'work-area cmdinfo))  ;; work-area is the test run area
 	       (test-name (assoc/default 'test-name cmdinfo))
 	       (runscript (assoc/default 'runscript cmdinfo))
 	       (ezsteps   (assoc/default 'ezsteps   cmdinfo))
 	       ;; (runremote (assoc/default 'runremote cmdinfo))
-	       (transport (assoc/default 'transport cmdinfo))
+	       ;; (transport (assoc/default 'transport cmdinfo))  ;; not used
 	       ;; (serverinf (assoc/default 'serverinf cmdinfo))
-	       (port      (assoc/default 'port      cmdinfo))
+	       ;; (port      (assoc/default 'port      cmdinfo))
+	       (serverurl (assoc/default 'serverurl cmdinfo))
+	       (homehost  (assoc/default 'homehost  cmdinfo))
 	       (run-id    (assoc/default 'run-id    cmdinfo))
 	       (test-id   (assoc/default 'test-id   cmdinfo))
 	       (target    (assoc/default 'target    cmdinfo))
 	       (itemdat   (assoc/default 'itemdat   cmdinfo))
 	       (env-ovrd  (assoc/default 'env-ovrd  cmdinfo))
@@ -440,10 +442,33 @@
                                                    (file-execute-access? fulln))
                                               fulln
                                               runscript))))) ;; assume it is on the path
 	       ) ;; (rollup-status 0)
 
+	  ;; On NFS it can be slow and unreliable to get needed startup information.
+	  ;;  i. Check if we are on the homehost, if so, proceed
+	  ;; ii. Check if host and port passed in via CMDINFO are valid and if
+	  ;;     possible use them.
+	  (let ((bestadrs (server:get-best-guess-address (get-host-name))))
+	    (if (equal? homehost bestadrs) ;; we are likely on the homehost
+		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "test " test-name " appears to be running on the homehost " homehost)
+		(let ((host-port (if serverurl (string-split serverurl ":") #f)))
+		  (if (not *runremote*)(set! *runremote* (make-remote))) ;; init *runremote*
+		  (if (string? homehost)
+		      (if (and host-port
+			       (> (length host-port) 1))
+			  (match-let* (((host port) host-port)
+				       ((start-res) (http-transport:client-connect host port))
+				       (ping-res    (rmt:login-no-auto-client-setup start-res)))
+			    (if (and start-res
+				     ping-res)
+				(let ((url  (http-transport:server-dat-make-url start-res)))
+				  (remote-conndat-set! *runremote* start-res)
+				  (remote-url-set! *runremote* url)
+				  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "connected to " url " using CMDINFO data."))
+				(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "received " host ":" port " for url but could not connect.")
+				)))))))
 	  ;; NFS might not have propagated the directory meta data to the run host - give it time if needed
 	  (let loop ((count 0))
 	    (if (or (file-exists? top-path)
 		    (> count 10))
 		(change-directory top-path)
@@ -1172,12 +1197,19 @@
       (set! cmdparms (base64:base64-encode 
 		      (z3:encode-buffer 
 		       (with-output-to-string
 			 (lambda () ;; (list 'hosts     hosts)
 			   (write (list (list 'testpath  test-path)
-					(list 'transport (conc *transport-type*))
+					;; (list 'transport (conc *transport-type*))
 					;; (list 'serverinf *server-info*)
+					(list 'homehost  (let* ((hhdat (common:get-homehost)))
+							   (if hhdat
+							       (car hhdat)
+							       #f)))
+					(list 'serverurl (if *runremote*
+							     (remote-server-url *runremote*)
+							     #f)) ;; 
 					(list 'toppath   *toppath*)
 					(list 'work-area work-area)
 					(list 'test-name test-name) 
 					(list 'runscript runscript) 
 					(list 'run-id    run-id   )

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -32,18 +32,20 @@
 
 ;; if a server is either running or in the process of starting call client:setup
 ;; else return #f to let the calling proc know that there is no server available
 ;;
 (define (rmt:get-connection-info areapath #!key (area-dat #f)) ;; TODO: push areapath down.
-  (let* ((runremote (or area-dat *runremote*))
-	 (cinfo     (remote-conndat runremote))
-        (run-id 0))
-    (if cinfo
-	cinfo
-	(if (server:check-if-running areapath)
-	    (client:setup areapath)
-	    #f))))
+  (let* ((runremote (or area-dat *runremote*)))
+    (if runremote
+	(let* ((cinfo  (remote-conndat runremote))
+	       (run-id 0))
+	  (if cinfo
+	      cinfo
+	      (if (server:check-if-running areapath)
+		  (client:setup areapath)
+		  #f)))
+	#f)))
 
 (define *send-receive-mutex* (make-mutex)) ;; should have separate mutex per run-id
 
 ;; RA => e.g. usage (rmt:send-receive 'get-var #f (list varname))
 ;;