Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -392,11 +392,13 @@
      "-runall"
      "run all tests"
      (lambda (target runname keys keynames keyvallst)
 	 (runs:run-tests target
 			 runname
-			 (args:get-arg "-runtests")
+			 (if (args:get-arg "-testpatt")
+			     (args:get-arg "-testpatt")
+			     "%/%")
 			 user
 			 args:arg-hash)))) ;; )
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; run one test

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -387,11 +387,11 @@
 			      (map (lambda (t)
 				     (if (vector? t)
 					 (conc (db:test-get-state t) "/" (db:test-get-status t))
 					 (conc " WARNING: t is not a vector=" t )))
 				   prereqs-not-met) ", ") " fails: " fails)
-		(debug:print 4 "INFO: hed=" hed)
+		(debug:print 4 "INFO: hed=" hed "\n  test-record=" test-record "\n  test-name: " test-name "\n  item-path: " item-path "\n  test-patts: " test-patts)
 
 		;; Don't know at this time if the test have been launched at some time in the past
 		;; i.e. is this a re-launch?
 		(debug:print 4 "INFO: run-limits-info = " run-limits-info)
 		(cond ;; INNER COND #1 for a launchable test
@@ -403,10 +403,11 @@
 		  (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 		  (if (not (null? tal))
 		      (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) reruns)))
 		 ((and (not (hash-table-ref/default test-registery (runs:make-full-test-name test-name item-path) #f))
 		       (and max-concurrent-jobs (> (- max-concurrent-jobs num-running) 5)))
+		  (debug:print 4 "INFO: Pre-registering test " test-name "/" item-path " to create placeholder" )
 		  (open-run-close db:tests-register-test #f run-id test-name item-path)
 		  (hash-table-set! test-registery (runs:make-full-test-name test-name item-path) #t)
 		  (thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
 		  (loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns))
 		 ((not have-resources) ;; simply try again after waiting a second
@@ -487,11 +488,13 @@
 				   "\n fails:           " (runs:pretty-string fails)
 				   "\n testmode:        " testmode
 				   "\n num-retries:     " num-retries
 				   "\n (eq? testmode 'toplevel): " (eq? testmode 'toplevel)
 				   "\n (null? non-completed):    " (null? non-completed)
-				   "\n reruns: " reruns)
+				   "\n reruns:          " reruns
+				   "\n items:           " items
+				   "\n can-run-more:    " can-run-more)
 
 		      (cond ;; INNER COND #2
 		       ((or (null? prereqs-not-met) ;; all prereqs met, fire off the test
 			    ;; or, if it is a 'toplevel test and all prereqs not met are COMPLETED then launch
 			    (and (eq? testmode 'toplevel)
@@ -510,11 +513,17 @@
 				  (debug:print 0 "ERROR: The proc from reading the setup did not yield a list - please report this")
 				  (exit 1))))))
 		       ((null? fails)
 			(debug:print 4 "INFO: fails is null, moving on in the queue but keeping " hed " for now")
 			(thread-sleep! *global-delta*)
-			(loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns)) ;; an issue with prereqs not yet met?
+			;; only increment num-retries when there are no tests runing
+			(if (eq? 0 (list-ref can-run-more 1))
+			    (set! num-retries (+ num-retries 1)))
+			(if (> num-retries  max-retries)
+			    (if (not (null? tal))
+				(loop (car tal)(cdr tal) reruns))
+			    (loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal) reruns))) ;; an issue with prereqs not yet met?
 		       ((and (not (null? fails))(eq? testmode 'normal))
 			(debug:print 1 "INFO: test "  hed " (mode=" testmode ") has failed prerequisite(s); "
 				     (string-intersperse (map (lambda (t)(conc (db:test-get-testname t) ":" (db:test-get-state t)"/"(db:test-get-status t))) fails) ", ")
 				     ", removing it from to-do list")
 			(if (not (null? tal))

Index: tests/Makefile
==================================================================
--- tests/Makefile
+++ tests/Makefile
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@
 	cd simplerun;cp ../../*_records.scm .;perl -pi.bak -e 's/define-inline/define/' *_records.scm
 	cd simplerun;echo '(load "../tests.scm")' | $(MEGATEST) -repl -debug $(DEBUG)
 
 test2 : fullprep
 	cd fullrun;$(MEGATEST) -runtests ez_pass,runfirst/a/% -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME) $(SERVER) -debug $(DEBUG) $(LOGGING)
+	cd fullrun;megatest -runall -target ubunut/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_01 -testpatt %/,%/ai -debug $(DEBUG)
+	cd fullrun;megatest -runtests %/,%/ai -target ubunut/nfs/none :runname $(RUNAME)_02 -debug $(DEBUG)
 	sleep 40;cd fullrun;megatest -target ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME) -set-state-status COMPLETED,FORCED :state COMPLETED :status PASS -testpatt ez_p%s,runfirst/ -debug $(DEBUG) $(LOGGING)
 
 
 test3 : fullprep
 	cd fullrun;$(MEGATEST) -runtests runfirst -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_b  $(SERVER) -debug 10

Index: tests/tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests/tests.scm
+++ tests/tests.scm
@@ -38,14 +38,14 @@
 (for-each 
  (lambda (patterns testname itempath expected)
    (test (conc patterns " " testname "/" itempath "=>" expected)
 	 expected 
 	 (tests:match patterns testname itempath)))
- (list "abc" "abc/%" "ab%/c%" "~abc/c%" "abc/~c%" "a,b/c,%/d")
- (list "abc" "abc"   "abcd"   "abc"     "abc"     "a"        )
- (list   ""  ""      "cde"    "cde"     "cde"     ""         )
- (list   #t    #t       #t    #f           #f      #t))
+ (list "abc" "abc/%" "ab%/c%" "~abc/c%" "abc/~c%" "a,b/c,%/d" "%/,%/a" "%/,%/a" "%/,%/a")
+ (list "abc" "abc"   "abcd"   "abc"     "abc"     "a"         "abc"     "def"    "ghi"  )
+ (list   ""  ""      "cde"    "cde"     "cde"     ""            ""      "a"       "b"   )
+ (list   #t    #t       #t    #f           #f      #t           #t       #t       #f    ))
 
 ;; db:patt->like
 (test #f "testname LIKE 't%'" (db:patt->like "testname" "t%" comparator: " AND "))
 (test #f "testname LIKE 't%' AND testname LIKE '%t'" (db:patt->like "testname" "t%,%t" comparator: " AND "))
 (test #f "item_path GLOB ''" (db:patt->like "item_path" ""))