Index: api.scm
==================================================================
--- api.scm
+++ api.scm
@@ -252,11 +252,11 @@
 			     (if (not ok)(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: "cmd", run-id "run-id", not correct for dbfname "(dbr:dbstruct-dbfname dbstruct)))
 			     (assert ok "FATAL: database file and run-id not aligned.")))))
 		(ttdat   *server-info*)
 		(server-state (tt-state ttdat))
 		(status  (cond
-			  ((> newcount 5) 'busy)
+			  ((> newcount 3) 'busy)
 			  ;; ((> newcount 5) 'loaded) ;; this gets transmitted to the client which calls tt:backoff-incr to slow stuff down.
 			  (else 'ok)))
 		(errmsg  (case status
 			   ((busy)   (conc "Server overloaded, "newcount" threads in flight"))
 			   ((loaded) (conc "Server loaded, "newcount" threads in flight"))
@@ -264,11 +264,11 @@
 		(result  (case status
 			   ((busy)
 			    (if (eq? cmd 'ping)
 				(normal-proc cmd run-id params)
 				;; newcount must be greater than 5 for busy
-				(- newcount 4) ;; was 15
+				(* 0.25 (- newcount 3)) ;; was 15
 				)) ;; (- newcount 29)) ;; call back in as many seconds
 			   ((loaded)
 ;; 			    (if (eq? (rmt:transport-mode) 'tcp)
 ;; 				(thread-sleep! 0.5))
 			    (normal-proc cmd run-id params))

Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -241,13 +241,14 @@
 		       (begin
 			 (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Server is loaded, delaying "delay-wait" seconds")
 			 (thread-sleep! delay-wait)))))
 	     (case status
 	       ((busy) ;; result will be how long the server wants you to delay
-		(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: server for "dbfname" is busy, will try again in "result" seconds.")
-		(thread-sleep! (if (number? result) result 1))
-		(tt:handler  ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))
+		(let* ((dly  (if (number? result) result 0.1)))
+		  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: server for "dbfname" is busy, will try again in "dly" seconds.")
+		  (thread-sleep! dly)
+		  (tt:handler  ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe)))
 	       ((loaded)
 		(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: server for "dbfname" is loaded, slowing queries.")
 		(tt:backoff-incr (tt-conn-host conn)(tt-conn-port conn))
 		result) ;; (tt:handler  ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))
 	       (else