Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -355,11 +355,11 @@
   (let* ((server-info (let loop ((start-time (current-seconds))
 				 (changed    #t)
 				 (last-sdat  "not this"))
                         (let ((sdat #f))
 			  (thread-sleep! 0.01)
-			  (debug:print-info 0 "Waiting for server alive signal")
+			  (debug:print-info 0 "Waiting for server alive signature")
                           (mutex-lock! *heartbeat-mutex*)
                           (set! sdat *server-info*)
                           (mutex-unlock! *heartbeat-mutex*)
                           (if (and sdat
 				   (not changed)
@@ -366,13 +366,19 @@
 				   (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 2))
 			      sdat
                               (begin
 				(debug:print-info 0 "Still waiting, last-sdat=" last-sdat)
                                 (sleep 4)
-                                (loop start-time
-				      (equal? sdat last-sdat)
-				      sdat))))))
+				(if (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 120) ;; been waiting for two minutes
+				    (let ((tdb  (tasks:open-db)))
+				      (debug:print 0 "ERROR: transport appears to have died, exiting server " server-id " for run " run-id)
+				      (tasks:server-delete-record tdb server-id "failed to start, never received server alive signature")
+				      (sqlite3:finalize! tdb)
+				      (exit))
+				    (loop start-time
+					  (equal? sdat last-sdat)
+					  sdat)))))))
          (iface       (car server-info))
          (port        (cadr server-info))
          (last-access 0)
 	 (tdb         (tasks:open-db))
 	 (server-timeout (let ((tmo (configf:lookup  *configdat* "server" "timeout")))

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -687,13 +687,15 @@
 			  (if (process:alive? pid)
 			      (process-signal pid signal/kill)))))
 		   ;;  (call-with-environment-variables
 		   (let ((old-targethost (getenv "TARGETHOST")))
 		     (setenv "TARGETHOST" hostname)
+		     (setenv "TARGETHOST_LOGF" "server-kills.log")
 		     (system (conc "nbfake kill " pid))
 		     (if old-targethost (setenv "TARGETHOST" old-targethost))
-		     (unsetenv "TARGETHOST"))))
+		     (unsetenv "TARGETHOST")
+		     (unsetenv "TARGETHOST_LOGF"))))
 	     (debug:print 0 "ERROR: no record or improper record for " target "/" run-name " in tasks_queue in monitor.db"))))
      records)))
 
 
 ;;======================================================================