Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -923,11 +923,35 @@
       tags-testpatt)
      ((and (equal? args-testpatt "%") rtestpatt)
       (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "testpatt defined in "testpatt-key" from runconfigs: " rtestpatt)
       rtestpatt)
      (else args-testpatt))))
-     
+
+
+
+(define (common:false-on-exception thunk #!key (message #f))
+  (handle-exceptions exn
+                     (begin
+                       (if message
+                           (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* message))
+                       #f) (thunk) ))
+
+(define (common:file-exists? path-string)
+  ;; this avoids stack dumps in the case where 
+
+  ;;;; TODO: catch permission denied exceptions and emit appropriate warnings, eg:  system error while trying to access file: "/nfs/pdx/disks/icf_env_disk001/bjbarcla/gwa/issues/mtdev/randy-slow/reproduce/q...
+  (common:false-on-exception (lambda () (file-exists? path-string))
+                             message: (conc "Unable to access path: " path-string)
+                             ))
+
+(define (common:directory-exists? path-string)
+  ;;;; TODO: catch permission denied exceptions and emit appropriate warnings, eg:  system error while trying to access file: "/nfs/pdx/disks/icf_env_disk001/bjbarcla/gwa/issues/mtdev/randy-slow/reproduce/q...
+  (common:false-on-exception (lambda () (directory-exists? path-string))
+                             message: (conc "Unable to access path: " path-string)
+                             ))
+
+
 (define (common:get-linktree)
   (or (getenv "MT_LINKTREE")
       (if *configdat*
 	  (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")
 	  #f)))
@@ -1021,11 +1045,11 @@
 
 ;; force use of server?
 ;;
 (define (common:force-server?)
   (let* ((force-setting (configf:lookup "server" "force"))
-	(force-type    (if force-setting (string->symbol force-setting) #f)))
+         (force-type    (if force-setting (string->symbol force-setting) #f)))
     (case force-type
       ((#f)     #f)
       ((always) #t)
       ((test)   (if (args:get-arg "-execute") ;; we are in a test
 		    #t

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -780,21 +780,21 @@
 	     (sections (if target (list "default" target) #f)) ;; for runconfigs
 	     (mtconfig (or (args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config")) ;; allow overriding megatest.config 
 	     (rundir   (if (and runname target linktree)(conc linktree "/" target "/" runname) #f))
 	     (mtcachef (and rundir (conc rundir "/" ".megatest.cfg-"  megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash)))
 	     (rccachef (and rundir (conc rundir "/" ".runconfigs.cfg-"  megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash)))
-	     (cancreate (and rundir (file-exists? rundir)(file-write-access? rundir)))
+	 (cancreate (and rundir (common:file-exists? rundir)(file-write-access? rundir)))
 	     (cxt       (hash-table-ref/default *contexts* toppath #f)))
 
 	;; create our cxt for this area if it doesn't already exist
 	(if (not cxt)(hash-table-set! *contexts* toppath (make-cxt)))
 
 	;; (print "runname: " runname " target: " target " mtcachef: " mtcachef " rccachef: " rccachef)
 	(set! *toppath* toppath) ;; This is needed when we are running as a test using CMDINFO as a datasource
 	(cond
 	 ;; if mtcachef exists just read it, however we need to assume toppath is available in $MT_RUN_AREA_HOME
-	 ((and mtcachef (file-exists? mtcachef) (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME") use-cache)
+     ((and mtcachef (common:file-exists? mtcachef) (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME") use-cache)
 	  (set! *configdat*    (configf:read-alist mtcachef))
 	  (set! *runconfigdat* (configf:read-alist rccachef))
 	  (set! *configinfo*   (list *configdat*  (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
 	  (set! *configstatus* 'fulldata)
 	  (set! *toppath*      (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))
@@ -871,11 +871,11 @@
 		  (exit 2))))))
 	;; additional house keeping
 	(let* ((linktree (common:get-linktree)))
 	  (if linktree
 	      (begin
-		(if (not (file-exists? linktree))
+	    (if (not (common:file-exists? linktree))
 		    (begin
 		      (handle-exceptions
 			  exn
 			  (begin
 			    (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Something went wrong when trying to create linktree dir at " linktree)
@@ -967,17 +967,17 @@
     ;; Update the rundir path in the test record for all, rundir=physical, shortdir=logical
     ;;                                                 rundir   shortdir
     (rmt:general-call 'test-set-rundir-shortdir run-id lnkpathf test-path testname item-path run-id)
 
     (debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "INFO:\n       lnkbase=" lnkbase "\n       lnkpath=" lnkpath "\n  toptest-path=" toptest-path "\n     test-path=" test-path)
-    (if (not (file-exists? linktree))
+    (if (not (common:file-exists? linktree))
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: linktree did not exist! Creating it now at " linktree)
 	  (create-directory linktree #t))) ;; (system (conc "mkdir -p " linktree))))
     ;; create the directory for the tests dir links, this is needed no matter what...
-    (if (and (not (directory-exists? lnkbase))
-	     (not (file-exists? lnkbase)))
+    (if (and (not (common:directory-exists? lnkbase))
+	     (not (common:file-exists? lnkbase)))
 	(handle-exceptions
 	 exn
 	 (begin
 	   (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Problem creating linktree base at " lnkbase)
 	   (print-error-message exn (current-error-port)))