Index: configf.scm
==================================================================
--- configf.scm
+++ configf.scm
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@
 			       (list key val metadata)
 			       (list key val))))))
 
 ;; this is used in megatestqa/ext.scm.
 ;; remove it from here and there by 12/31/21
-(define config:assoc-safe-add configf:assoc-safe-add)
+;; (define config:assoc-safe-add configf:assoc-safe-add)
 
 (define (configf:section-var-set! cfgdat section-name var value #!key (metadata #f))
   (hash-table-set! cfgdat section-name
 		   (configf:assoc-safe-add
 		    (hash-table-ref/default cfgdat section-name '())

Index: server.scm
==================================================================
--- server.scm
+++ server.scm
@@ -231,10 +231,11 @@
 		  (directory-exists? (conc areapath "/logs")))
 		'()))
 
         ;; Get the list of server logs. First remove logs for servers that have exited.
 	(let* (
+               ;; For some reason, when I uncomment the below line, ext-tests sometimes starts 1000's of servers.
                ;; (exiting-servers (system (conc "bash -c 'rm -f `grep -il exiting " areapath "/logs/server-*-*.log 2> /dev/null`'")))
                (server-logs   (glob (conc areapath "/logs/server-*-*.log")))
 	       (num-serv-logs (length server-logs)))
 	  (if (or (null? server-logs) (= num-serv-logs 0))
               (let ()
@@ -455,11 +456,11 @@
     (or ns numservers)))
 
 ;; no longer care if multiple servers are started by accident. older servers will drop off in time.
 ;;
 (define (server:check-if-running areapath) ;;  #!key (numservers "2"))
-  (let* ((ns            (server:get-num-servers))
+  (let* ((ns            (server:get-num-servers)) ;; get the setting the for maximum number of servers allowed
 	 (servers       (server:get-best (server:get-list areapath))))
     (if (or (and servers
 		 (null? servers))
 	    (not servers)
 	    (and (list? servers)