Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -140,12 +140,12 @@
 	(sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")
 	db)
       (let* ((parent-dir   (pathname-directory fname))
 	     (dir-writable (file-write-access? parent-dir)))
 	(if dir-writable
-	    (let ((lock    (obtain-dot-lock fname 1 5 10))
-		  (exists  (file-exists? fname))
+	    (let ((exists  (file-exists? fname))
+		  (lock    (obtain-dot-lock fname 1 5 10))
 		  (db      (sqlite3:open-database fname)))
 	      (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db (make-busy-timeout 136000))
 	      (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")
 	      (if (not exists)(initproc db))
 	      (release-dot-lock fname)
@@ -154,11 +154,11 @@
 	      (debug:print 0 "ERROR: no such db in non-writable dir " fname)
 	      (sqlite3:open-database fname))))))
 
 ;; This routine creates the db. It is only called if the db is not already opened
 ;; 
-(define (db:open-rundb dbstruct run-id) ;;  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db") (car *configinfo*)))
+(define (db:open-rundb dbstruct run-id #!key (attemptnum 0)) ;;  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db") (car *configinfo*)))
   (let* ((local  (dbr:dbstruct-get-local dbstruct))
 	 (rdb    (if local
 		     (dbr:dbstruct-get-localdb dbstruct run-id)
 		     (dbr:dbstruct-get-inmem dbstruct)))) ;; (dbr:dbstruct-get-runrec dbstruct run-id 'inmem)))
     (if rdb
@@ -167,17 +167,26 @@
 	       (dbexists     (file-exists? dbpath))
 	       (inmem        (if local #f (db:open-inmem-db)))
 	       (refdb        (if local #f (db:open-inmem-db)))
 	       (db           (db:lock-create-open dbpath 
 						  (lambda (db)
-						    (db:initialize-run-id-db db)
-						    (sqlite3:execute 
-						     db
-						     "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO tests (id,run_id,testname,event_time,item_path,state,status) VALUES (?,?,'bogustest',strftime('%s','now'),'nowherepath','DELETED','n/a');"
-						     (* run-id 30000) ;; allow for up to 30k tests per run
-						     run-id)
-						    ))) ;; add strings db to rundb, not in use yet
+						    (handle-exceptions
+						     exn
+						     (begin
+						       (release-dot-lock dbpath)
+						       (if (> attemptnum 2)
+							   (debug:print 0 "ERROR: tried twice, cannot create/initialize db for run-id " run-id ", at path " dbpath)
+							   (db:open-rundb dbstruct run-id attemptnum (+ attemptnum 1))))
+						     (db:initialize-run-id-db db)
+						     (sqlite3:execute 
+						      db
+						      "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO tests (id,run_id,testname,event_time,item_path,state,status) VALUES (?,?,'bogustest',strftime('%s','now'),'nowherepath','DELETED','n/a');"
+						      (* run-id 30000) ;; allow for up to 30k tests per run
+						      run-id)
+						     ;; do a dummy query to test that the table exists and the db is truly readable
+						     (sqlite3:execute db "SELECT * FROM tests WHERE id=?;" (* run-id 30000))
+						    )))) ;; add strings db to rundb, not in use yet
 	       ;;   )) ;; (sqlite3:open-database dbpath))
 	       (olddb        (if *megatest-db*
 				 *megatest-db* 
 				 (let ((db (db:open-megatest-db)))
 				   (set! *megatest-db* db)

Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -276,14 +276,14 @@
 			      ;; (condition-case (with-input-from-request "http://localhost"; #f read-lines)
 			      ;;					       ((exn http client-error) e (print e)))
 			      (set! res (handle-exceptions
 					 exn
 					 (begin
-					   (debug:print 0 "WARNING: failure in with-input-from-request to " fullrul ". Killing associated server to allow clean retry.")
+					   (debug:print 0 "WARNING: failure in with-input-from-request to " fullurl ". Killing associated server to allow clean retry.")
 					   (debug:print 0 " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
 					   (hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id)
-					   (tasks:kill-server-run-id run-id)
+					   ;; (tasks:kill-server-run-id run-id)  ;; better to kill the server in the logic that called this routine.
 					   #f)
 					 (with-input-from-request ;; was dat
 					  fullurl 
 					  (list (cons 'key "thekey")
 						(cons 'cmd cmd)

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@
 	     #f))))
 
 ;; cmd is a symbol
 ;; vars is a json string encoding the parameters for the call
 ;;
-(define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params)
+(define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 0))
   ;; clean out old connections
   (mutex-lock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*)
   (let ((expire-time (- (current-seconds) 60)))
     (for-each 
      (lambda (run-id)
@@ -93,11 +93,17 @@
 	  (if res
 	      (db:string->obj res)
 	      (let ((new-connection-info (client:setup run-id)))
 		(debug:print 0 "WARNING: Communication failed, trying call to http-transport:client-api-send-receive again.")
 		(hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id) ;; don't keep using the same connection
-		(rmt:send-receive cmd run-id params))))
+
+		;; no longer killing the server in http-transport:client-api-send-receive
+		;; may kill it here but what are the criteria?
+		;; start with three calls then kill server
+		(if (eq? attemptnum 3)(tasks:kill-server-run-id run-id))
+
+		(rmt:send-receive cmd run-id params attemptnum: (+ attemptnum 1)))))
 	(let ((max-avg-qry (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "server-query-threshold") "10"))))
 	  (debug:print-info 4 "no server and read-only query, bypassing normal channel")
 	  ;; (if (rmt:write-frequency-over-limit? cmd run-id)(server:kind-run run-id))
 	  (let ((curr-max (rmt:get-max-query-average run-id)))
 	    (if (> (cdr curr-max) max-avg-qry)