Index: configf.scm
==================================================================
--- configf.scm
+++ configf.scm
@@ -425,10 +425,23 @@
 	    ))
       #f))
 
 (define configf:lookup config-lookup)
 (define configf:read-file read-config)
+
+;; safely look up a value that is expected to be a number, return
+;; a default (#f unless provided)
+;;
+(define (configf:lookup-number cfdat section varname #!key (default #f))
+  (let* ((val (configf:lookup *configdat* section varname))
+         (res (if val
+                  (string->number (string-substitute "\\s+" "" val #t))
+                  #f)))
+    (cond
+     (res  res)
+     (val  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: no number found for [" section "], " varname ", got: " val))
+     (else default))))
 
 (define (configf:section-vars cfgdat section)
   (let ((sectdat (hash-table-ref/default cfgdat section '())))
     (if (null? sectdat)
 	'()

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -1206,11 +1206,11 @@
 (define (launch-test test-id run-id run-info keyvals runname test-conf test-name test-path itemdat params)
   (mutex-lock! *launch-setup-mutex*) ;; setting variables and processing the testconfig is NOT thread-safe, reuse the launch-setup mutex
   (let* ((item-path       (item-list->path itemdat))
 	 (contour         #f)) ;; NOT READY FOR THIS (args:get-arg "-contour")))
     (let loop ((delta        (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*))
-	       (launch-delay (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "launch-delay") "0"))))
+	       (launch-delay (configf:lookup-number *configdat* "setup" "launch-delay" default: 1)))
       (if (> launch-delay delta)
 	  (begin
 	    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Delaying launch of " test-name " for " (- launch-delay delta) " seconds")
 	    (thread-sleep! (- launch-delay delta))
 	    (loop (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*) launch-delay))))

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -1162,15 +1162,12 @@
 	(sorted-test-names     (tests:sort-by-priority-and-waiton test-records))
 	(test-registry         (make-hash-table))
 	(registry-mutex        (make-mutex))
 	(num-retries           0)
 	(max-retries           (config-lookup *configdat* "setup" "maxretries"))
-	(max-concurrent-jobs   (let ((mcj (config-lookup *configdat* "setup"     "max_concurrent_jobs")))
-				 (if (and mcj (string->number mcj))
-				     (string->number mcj)
-				     1))) ;; length of the register queue ahead
-	(reglen                (if (number? reglen-in) reglen-in 1))
+	(max-concurrent-jobs   (configf:lookup-number *configdat* "setup" "max_concurrent_jobs" default: 50))
+        (reglen                (if (number? reglen-in) reglen-in 1))
 	(last-time-incomplete  (- (current-seconds) 900)) ;; force at least one clean up cycle
 	(last-time-some-running (current-seconds))
 	;; (tdbdat                (tasks:open-db))
 	(runsdat (make-runs:dat
 		  ;; hed: hed