Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -316,12 +316,14 @@
 
 (define (common:logpro-exit-code->test-status exit-code)
   (status-sym->string (common:logpro-exit-code->status-sym exit-code)))
 
 (defstruct remote
-  (hh-dat            (or (server:choose-server *toppath* 'homehost)
-			 (cons #f #f)))
+  (hh-dat            (let ((res (or (server:choose-server *toppath* 'homehost)
+				    (cons #f #f))))
+		       (assert (pair? res)(conc "FATAL: hh-dat should be a pair, got "res))
+		       res))
   (server-url        #f) ;; (server:check-if-running *toppath*) #f))
   (server-id         #f)
   (server-info       (if *toppath* (server:check-if-running *toppath*) #f))
   (last-server-check 0)  ;; last time we checked to see if the server was alive
   (connect-time      (current-seconds))

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -52,10 +52,19 @@
 	  (if cinfo
 	      cinfo
 	      (if (server:check-if-running areapath)
 		  (client:setup areapath)
 		  #f))))
+
+(define (rmt:on-homehost? runremote)
+  (let* ((hh-dat (remote-hh-dat runremote)))
+    (if (pair? hh-dat)
+	(cdr hh-dat)
+	(begin
+	  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "hh-dat="hh-dat)
+	  #f))))
+
 
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define *send-receive-mutex* (make-mutex)) ;; should have separate mutex per run-id
 
@@ -177,11 +186,11 @@
      ;;DOT MUTEXLOCK -> CASE5 [label="server not required,\non homehost,\nread-only query"]; {rank=same "case 5" CASE5};
      ;;DOT CASE5 -> "rmt:open-qry-close-locally";
 
      ;; on homehost and this is a read
      ((and (not (remote-force-server runremote)) ;; honor forced use of server, i.e. server NOT required
-	   (cdr (remote-hh-dat runremote))       ;; on homehost
+	   (rmt:on-homehost? runremote)
            (member cmd api:read-only-queries))   ;; this is a read
       (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
       (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case  5")
       (rmt:open-qry-close-locally cmd 0 params))
 

Index: server.scm
==================================================================
--- server.scm
+++ server.scm
@@ -418,20 +418,22 @@
 
 ;; oldest server alive determines host then choose random of youngest
 ;; five servers on that host
 ;;
 (define (server:get-servers-info areapath)
-  (let* ((servinfodir (conc *toppath*"/.servinfo"))
-	 (allfiles    (glob (conc servinfodir"/*")))
-	 (res         (make-hash-table)))
-    (for-each
-     (lambda (f)
-       (let* ((hostport  (pathname-strip-directory f))
-	      (serverdat (server:logf-get-start-info f)))
-	 (hash-table-set! res hostport serverdat)))
-     allfiles)
-    res))
+  (let* ((servinfodir (conc *toppath*"/.servinfo")))
+    (if (not (file-exists? servinfodir))
+	(create-directory servinfodir))
+    (let* ((allfiles    (glob (conc servinfodir"/*")))
+	   (res         (make-hash-table)))
+      (for-each
+       (lambda (f)
+	 (let* ((hostport  (pathname-strip-directory f))
+		(serverdat (server:logf-get-start-info f)))
+	   (hash-table-set! res hostport serverdat)))
+       allfiles)
+      res)))
 
 ;; oldest server alive determines host then choose random of youngest
 ;; five servers on that host
 ;;
 ;; mode:
@@ -491,11 +493,13 @@
 	     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: invalid command "mode)
 	     #f)))
 	(begin
 	  (server:run areapath)
 	  (thread-sleep! 3)
-	  #f))))
+	  (case mode
+	    ((homehost) (cons #f #f))
+	    (else	#f))))))
 
 	  
 ;; kind start up of server, wait before allowing another server for a given
 ;; area to be launched
 ;;