Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -1271,11 +1271,12 @@
        (let* ((dbname (db:run-id->dbname run-id))
 	      (mtdb   (dbr:subdb-mtdb subdb))
 	      (tmpdb  (db:get-subdb dbstruct run-id))
 	      (refndb (dbr:subdb-refndb subdb))
 	      (newres (db:sync-tables (db:sync-all-tables-list dbstruct) last-update tmpdb refndb mtdb)))
-	 (stack-push! (dbr:subdb-dbstack subdb) tmpdb)
+	 ;; (stack-push! (dbr:subdb-dbstack subdb) tmpdb)
+	 (dbfile:add-dbdat dbstruct run-id tmpdb)
 	 (set! res (cons newres res))))
      subdbs)
     res))
 
 ;;;; run-ids
@@ -5125,11 +5126,11 @@
             #t)))
     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Exiting readonly-watchdog timer, *time-to-exit* = " *time-to-exit*" pid="(current-process-id)" mtpath="golden-mtpath)))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; TODO: for multiple areas, we will have multiple watchdogs; and multiple threads to manage
-(define (common:watchdog)
+#;(define (common:watchdog)
   (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "common:watchdog entered.")
   (if (launch:setup)
       (if (common:on-homehost?)
 	  (let ((dbstruct (db:setup #t))) ;; (db:setup-db *dbstruct-dbs* *toppath* #f))) ;;  #t)))
 	    (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "after db:setup with dbstruct=" dbstruct)
@@ -5154,11 +5155,11 @@
                 )))
 	    (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "watchdog done."))
 	  (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "no need for watchdog on non-homehost"))))
 
 
-(define (db:do-sync no-sync-db)
+#;(define (db:do-sync no-sync-db)
   (let* ((syncer (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "sync-method") "delta-sync"))
     (dbstruct (db:setup #t)))
 
     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "db:do-sync: sync-method: " syncer)
     (cond
@@ -5201,11 +5202,11 @@
 )
 
 
 
 
-(define (server:writable-watchdog-bruteforce dbstruct)
+#;(define (server:writable-watchdog-bruteforce dbstruct)
   (thread-sleep! 1) ;; delay for startup
   #;(let* ((do-a-sync  (server:get-bruteforce-syncer dbstruct))
          (final-sync (server:get-bruteforce-syncer dbstruct fork-to-background: #t persist-until-sync: #t)))
     (when (and (not (args:get-arg "-sync-to-megatest.db")) ;; conditions under which we do not run the sync
 	       (args:get-arg "-server"))

Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -202,10 +202,12 @@
     (hash-table-ref/default (dbr:dbstruct-subdbs dbstruct) dbfname #f)))
 
 (define (dbfile:set-subdb dbstruct run-id subdb)
   (hash-table-set! (dbr:dbstruct-subdbs dbstruct) (dbfile:run-id->dbname run-id) subdb))
 
+(define *dbfile:num-handles-in-use* 0)
+
 ;; Get/open a database
 ;;    if run-id => get run specific db
 ;;    if #f     => get main db
 ;;    if run-id is a string treat it as a filename
 ;;    if db already open - return inmem
@@ -213,16 +215,19 @@
 ;;    inuse gets set automatically for rundb's
 ;;
 (define (dbfile:get-dbdat dbstruct run-id)
   (let* ((subdb (dbfile:get-subdb dbstruct run-id)))
     (if (stack-empty? (dbr:subdb-dbstack subdb))
-	 #f
-	(stack-pop! (dbr:subdb-dbstack subdb)))))
+	#f
+	(begin
+	  (set! *dbfile:num-handles-in-use* (+ *dbfile:num-handles-in-use* 1))
+	  (stack-pop! (dbr:subdb-dbstack subdb))))))
 
 ;; return a previously opened db handle to the stack of available handles
 (define (dbfile:add-dbdat dbstruct run-id dbdat)
   (let* ((subdb (dbfile:get-subdb dbstruct run-id)))
+    (set! *dbfile:num-handles-in-use* (- *dbfile:num-handles-in-use* 1))
     (stack-push! (dbr:subdb-dbstack subdb) dbdat)))
 
 ;; set up a subdb
 ;;
 (define (dbfile:init-subdb dbstruct run-id init-proc)
@@ -247,10 +252,14 @@
 ;;  2. if there is no existing db handle in the stack
 ;;     create a new handle and return it (do NOT add
 ;;     it to the stack).
 ;;
 (define (dbfile:open-db dbstruct run-id init-proc)
+  (if (> *dbfile:num-handles-in-use* 10)
+      (let* ((wait-delay (- *dbfile:num-handles-in-use* 9)))
+	(dbfile:print-err "INFO: over ten dbfile handle threads in use ("*dbfile:num-handles-in-use*") delaying "wait-delay" second")
+	(thread-sleep! wait-delay)))
   (let* ((subdb (dbfile:get-subdb dbstruct run-id)))
     (if (not subdb) ;; not yet defined
 	(begin
 	  (dbfile:init-subdb dbstruct run-id init-proc)
 	  (dbfile:open-db dbstruct run-id init-proc))

Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -531,12 +531,12 @@
 	  (begin
 	    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Server stats:")
 	    (db:print-current-query-stats)))
       (let* ((hrs-since-start  (/ (- (current-seconds) server-start-time) 3600)))
 	(cond
-	 ((and *server-run*
-	       (> (- (current-seconds) server-start-time) 120)) ;; let's try server replacement
+	 #;((and *server-run*
+	       (> (- (current-seconds) server-start-time) 420)) ;; let's try server replacement
 	  ;; ((adj-proc-load . 0.056875) (adj-core-load . 0.11375) (1m-load . 0.91) (5m-load . 0.77) (15m-load . 1.0) (proc . 16) (core . 8) (phys . 1))
 	  (let* ((loaddat       (common:get-normalized-cpu-load #f))
 		 (adj-proc-load (alist-ref 'adj-proc-load loaddat))
 		 (adj-core-load (alist-ref 'adj-core-load loaddat))
 		 (adj-load      (max adj-proc-load adj-core-load)))