Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -1197,11 +1197,23 @@
 ;;
 (define (common:bash-glob instr)
   (string-split
    (with-input-from-pipe
        (conc "/bin/bash -c \"echo " instr "\"")
-     read-line)))
+       read-line)))
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; Some safety net stuff
+;;======================================================================
+
+;; return input if it is a list or return null
+(define (common:list-or-null inlst #!key (ovrd #f)(message #f))
+  (if (list? inlst)
+      inlst
+      (begin
+	(if message (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* message))
+	(or ovrd '()))))
   
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; T A R G E T S  ,   S T A T E ,   S T A T U S ,   
 ;;                    R U N N A M E    A N D   T E S T P A T T
 ;;======================================================================

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -623,11 +623,19 @@
 	    ) ;; (set-signal-handler! signal/stop sighand)
 	  
 	  ;; Do not run the test if it is REMOVING, RUNNING, KILLREQ or REMOTEHOSTSTART,
 	  ;; Mark the test as REMOTEHOSTSTART *IMMEDIATELY*
 	  ;;
-	  (let* ((test-info (rmt:get-test-info-by-id run-id test-id))
+	  (let* ((test-info (let loop ((tries 0))
+			      (let ((tinfo (rmt:get-test-info-by-id run-id test-id)))
+				(if tinfo
+				    tinfo
+				    (if (> tries 10)
+					#f
+					(begin
+					  (thread-sleep! (+ 1 (* tries 10)))
+					  (loop (+ tries 1))))))))
 		 (test-host (if test-info
 				(db:test-get-host        test-info)
 				(begin
 				  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: failed to find a record for test-id " test-id ", exiting.")
 				  (exit))))
@@ -1124,11 +1132,12 @@
 		      (begin
 			(debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "you are not in a megatest area!")
 			(exit 1)))
 		  (setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
 		  ;; the seed read is done, now read runconfigs, cache it then read megatest.config one more time and cache it
-		  (let* ((keys         (rmt:get-keys))
+		  (let* ((keys         (common:list-or-null (rmt:get-keys)
+							    message: "Failed to retrieve keys in launch.scm. Please report this to the developers."))
 			 (key-vals     (keys:target->keyval keys target))
 			 (linktree     (common:get-linktree)) ;; (or (getenv "MT_LINKTREE")(if *configdat* (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") #f)))
 					;     (if *configdat*
 					; 	   (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")
 					; 	   (conc *toppath* "/lt"))))

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -1281,18 +1281,26 @@
 	(let* ((run-dat  (or (runs:gendat-run-info *runs:general-data*)(rmt:get-run-info run-id)))
 	       (runname  (or (runs:gendat-runname *runs:general-data*)
 			     (db:get-value-by-header (db:get-rows run-dat)
 						     (db:get-header run-dat) "runname")))
 	       (target   (or (runs:gendat-target *runs:general-data*)(rmt:get-target run-id)))
-	       (testsdat (rmt:get-tests-for-run run-id "%" '() '() ;; run-id testpatt states statuses
-						#f #f ;; offset limit
-						#f ;; not-in
-						#f ;; sort-by
-						#f ;; sort-order
-						#f ;; get full data (not 'shortlist)
-						(runs:gendat-inc-results-last-update *runs:general-data*) ;; last update time
-						'dashboard)))
+	       (testsdat (let ((res (rmt:get-tests-for-run
+				     run-id "%" '() '() ;; run-id testpatt states statuses
+				     #f #f ;; offset limit
+				     #f ;; not-in
+				     #f ;; sort-by
+				     #f ;; sort-order
+				     #f ;; get full data (not 'shortlist)
+				     (runs:gendat-inc-results-last-update *runs:general-data*) ;; last update time
+				     'dashboard)))
+			   (if (list? res)
+			       res
+			       (begin
+				 (debug:print-error
+				  0 *default-log-port*
+				  "FAILED TO GET DATA using rmt:get-tests-for-run. Notify developers if you see this. result: " res)
+				 '())))))
 	  (if (not (runs:gendat-run-info *runs:general-data*))
 	      (runs:gendat-run-info-set! *runs:general-data* run-dat))
 	  (if (not (runs:gendat-runname  *runs:general-data*))
 	      (runs:gendat-runname-set! *runs:general-data* runname))
 	  (if (not (runs:gendat-target *runs:general-data*))