Index: dashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard.scm
+++ dashboard.scm
@@ -214,10 +214,30 @@
   (let* ((c1    (map string->number (string-split color1)))
 	 (c2    (map string->number (string-split color2)))
 	 (delta (map (lambda (a b)(abs (- a b))) c1 c2)))
     (null? (filter (lambda (x)(> x 3)) delta))))
 
+(define (compare-tests test1 test2)
+  (let* ((test-name1  (db:test-get-testname  test1))
+	 (item-path1  (db:test-get-item-path test1))
+	 (eventtime1  (db:test-get-event_time test1))
+	 (test-name2  (db:test-get-testname  test2))
+	 (item-path2  (db:test-get-item-path test2))
+	 (eventtime2  (db:test-get-event_time test2))
+	 (same-name   (equal? test-name1 test-name2))
+	 (test1-top   (equal? item-path1 ""))
+	 (test2-top   (equal? item-path2 ""))
+	 (test1-older (> eventtime1 eventtime2))
+	 (same-time   (equal? eventtime1 eventtime2)))			 
+    (if same-name
+	(if same-time
+	    (string>? item-path1 item-path2)
+	    test1-older)
+	(if same-time
+	    (string>? test-name1 test-name2)
+	    test1-older))))
+    
 ;; keypatts: ( (KEY1 "abc%def")(KEY2 "%") )
 (define (update-rundat runnamepatt numruns testnamepatt keypatts)
   (let* ((referenced-run-ids '())
 	 (allruns     (if *useserver*
 			  (rmt:get-runs runnamepatt numruns *start-run-offset* keypatts)
@@ -238,11 +258,11 @@
     ;; 
     ;; trim runs to only those that are changing often here
     ;; 
     (for-each (lambda (run)
 		(let* ((run-id      (db:get-value-by-header run header "id"))
-		       (tests       (if *useserver*
+		       (tmptests    (if *useserver*
 					(rmt:get-tests-for-run run-id testnamepatt states statuses
 							       #f #f
 							       *hide-not-hide*
 							       sort-by
 							       sort-order
@@ -251,10 +271,13 @@
 							      #f #f
 							      *hide-not-hide*
 							      sort-by
 							      sort-order
 							      'shortlist)))
+		       (tests       (if (eq? *tests-sort-reverse* 3) ;; +event_time
+					(sort tmptests compare-tests)
+					tmptests))
 		       ;; NOTE: bubble-up also sets the global *all-item-test-names*
 		       ;; (tests       (bubble-up tmptests priority: bubble-type))
 		       (key-vals    (if *useserver* 
 					(rmt:get-key-vals run-id)
 					(db:get-key-vals *dbstruct-local* run-id))))

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -172,11 +172,11 @@
     logpro-used))
 
 (define (launch:execute encoded-cmd)
   
    (let* ((cmdinfo    (common:read-encoded-string encoded-cmd))
-	  (tconfigreg (make-hash-table)))
+	  (tconfigreg (tests:get-all)))
     (setenv "MT_CMDINFO" encoded-cmd)
     (if (list? cmdinfo) ;; ((testpath /tmp/mrwellan/jazzmind/src/example_run/tests/sqlitespeed)
 	;; (test-name sqlitespeed) (runscript runscript.rb) (db-host localhost) (run-id 1))
 	(let* ((testpath  (assoc/default 'testpath  cmdinfo))  ;; testpath is the test spec area
 	       (top-path  (assoc/default 'toppath   cmdinfo))
@@ -832,11 +832,11 @@
     (list "MT_TEST_NAME" test-name)
     ;; (list "MT_ITEM_INFO" (conc itemdat)) 
     (list "MT_RUNNAME"   runname)
     ;; (list "MT_TARGET"    mt_target)
     ))
-  (let* ((tregistry       (make-hash-table))
+  (let* ((tregistry       (tests:get-all))
 	 (item-path       (let ((ip (item-list->path itemdat)))
 			    (alist->env-vars (list (list "MT_ITEMPATH" ip)))
 			    ip))
 	 (tconfig         (or (tests:get-testconfig test-name tregistry #t)
 			      test-conf)) ;; force re-read now that all vars are set

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -750,11 +750,12 @@
 			       (read-config test-configf #f system-allowed environ-patt: (if system-allowed
 											     "pre-launch-env-vars"
 											     #f)))
 			   #f)))
     (hash-table-set! *testconfigs* test-name tcfg)
-    (if (and cache-path
+    (if (and testexists
+	     cache-path
 	     (not cache-exists)
 	     (file-write-access? cache-path))
 	(let ((tpath (conc cache-path "/.testconfig")))
 	  (debug:print-info 1 "Caching testconfig for " test-name " in " tpath)
 	  (configf:write-alist tcfg tpath)))