Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -3114,5 +3114,6 @@
        )
      (begin
        (define *common:telemetry-log-state* 'closed)
        (udp-close-socket *common:telemetry-log-socket*)
        (set! *common:telemetry-log-socket* #f)))))
+

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -1646,11 +1646,11 @@
 	 (toplevels   '())
 	 (deadtime-str (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "deadtime")) ;; FIXME suspect test run time & deadtime are not well matched; resulting in COMPLETED/DEAD status of an a-ok running test
 	 (deadtime     (if (and deadtime-str
 				(string->number deadtime-str))
 			   (string->number deadtime-str)
-			   7200))) ;; two hours
+			   120))) ;; two minutes (30 seconds between updates, this leaves 3x grace period)
     (db:with-db 
      dbstruct #f #f
      (lambda (db)
        (if (number? ovr-deadtime)(set! deadtime ovr-deadtime))
        

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -573,18 +573,19 @@
 	  (let ((sighand (lambda (signum)
 			   ;; (signal-mask! signum) ;; to mask or not? seems to cause issues in exiting
 			   (if (eq? signum signal/stop)
 			       (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "attempt to STOP process. Exiting."))
 			   (set! *time-to-exit* #t)
-			   (print "Received signal " signum ", cleaning up before exit. Please wait...")
+			   (print "Received signal " signum ", cleaning up before exit (set this test to COMPLETED/ABORT) . Please wait...")
 			   (let ((th1 (make-thread (lambda ()
-						     (rmt:test-set-state-status run-id test-id "INCOMPLETE" "KILLED" #f)
+                                                     (print "set test to COMPLETED/ABORT begin.")
+						     (rmt:test-set-state-status run-id test-id "COMPLETED" "ABORT" "received kill signal")
+                                                     (print "set test to COMPLETED/ABORT complete.")
 						     (print "Killed by signal " signum ". Exiting")
-						     (thread-sleep! 1)
 						     (exit 1))))
 				 (th2 (make-thread (lambda ()
-						     (thread-sleep! 2)
+						     (thread-sleep! 20)
 						     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Done")
 						     (exit 4)))))
 			     (thread-start! th2)
 			     (thread-start! th1)
 			     (thread-join! th2)))))

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -1545,25 +1545,37 @@
 	      dat
 	      ;; no cached data available
 	      (let* ((treg         (or test-registry
 				       (tests:get-all)))
 		     (test-path    (or (hash-table-ref/default treg test-name #f)
+                                       (let* ((local-tcdir (conc (getenv "MT_LINKTREE") "/"
+                                                                 (getenv "MT_TARGET") "/"
+                                                                 (getenv "MT_RUNNAME") "/"
+                                                                 test-name "/" item-path))
+                                              (local-tcfg (conc local-tcdir "/testconfig")))
+                                         (if (common:file-exists? local-tcfg)
+                                             local-tcdir
+                                             #f))
 				       (conc *toppath* "/tests/" test-name)))
 		     (test-configf (conc test-path "/testconfig"))
-		     (testexists (let loop ((tries-left 7))
-                                   (cond
-                                    ( (and (common:file-exists? test-configf)(file-read-access? test-configf))
-                                      #t)
-                                    ( (common:file-exists? test-configf)
-                                      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: Cannot read testconfig file: "test-configf)
-                                      #f)
-                                    ( (and wait-a-minute (> tries-left 0))
-                                      (thread-sleep! 10)
-                                      (loop (sub1 tries-left)))
-                                    (else
-                                     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: testconfig file does not exist: "test-configf)
-                                     #f))))
+		     (testexists   (let loopa ((tries-left 30))
+                                     (cond
+                                      (
+                                       (and (common:file-exists? test-configf)(file-read-access? test-configf))
+                                       #t)
+                                      (
+                                       (common:file-exists? test-configf)
+                                       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: Cannot read testconfig file: "test-configf)
+                                       #f)
+                                      (
+                                       (and wait-a-minute (> tries-left 0))
+                                       (thread-sleep! 10)
+                                       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: testconfig file does not exist: "test-configf" will retry in 10 seconds.  Tries left: "tries-left) ;; BB: this fires
+                                       (loopa (sub1 tries-left)))
+                                      (else
+                                       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: testconfig file does not exist: "test-configf) ;; BB: this fires
+                                       #f))))
 		     (tcfg         (if testexists
 				       (read-config test-configf #f system-allowed
 						    environ-patt: (if system-allowed
 								      "pre-launch-env-vars"
 								      #f))