Index: dashboard-tests.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard-tests.scm
+++ dashboard-tests.scm
@@ -469,12 +469,12 @@
 	       (testconfig    (begin
 				;; (runs:set-megatest-env-vars run-id inrunname: runname testname: test-name itempath: item-path)
 				(runs:set-megatest-env-vars run-id inkeyvals: keydat inrunname: runname intarget: keystring testname: testname itempath: item-path) ;; these may be needed by the launching process
 				(handle-exceptions
 				 exn  ;; NOTE: I've no idea why this was written this way. Research, study and fix needed!
-				 (tests:get-testconfig (db:test-get-testname testdat) (db:test-get-item-path testdat) test-registry #f)
-				 (tests:get-testconfig (db:test-get-testname testdat) item-path test-registry #t))))
+				 (tests:get-testconfig (db:test-get-testname testdat) (db:test-get-item-path testdat) test-registry #f allow-write-cache: #f)
+				 (tests:get-testconfig (db:test-get-testname testdat) item-path test-registry #t allow-write-cache: #f))))
 	       (viewlog    (lambda (x)
 			     (if (common:file-exists? logfile)
 					;(system (conc "firefox " logfile "&"))
 				 (dcommon:run-html-viewer logfile)
 				 (message-window (conc "File " logfile " not found")))))

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -1160,11 +1160,11 @@
 ;; if .testconfig exists in test directory read and return it
 ;; else if have cached copy in *testconfigs* return it IFF there is a section "have fulldata"
 ;; else read the testconfig file
 ;;   if have path to test directory save the config as .testconfig and return it
 ;;
-(define (tests:get-testconfig test-name item-path test-registry system-allowed #!key (force-create #f))
+(define (tests:get-testconfig test-name item-path test-registry system-allowed #!key (force-create #f)(allow-write-cache #t))
   (let* ((use-cache    (common:use-cache?))
 	 (cache-path   (tests:get-test-path-from-environment))
 	 (cache-file   (and cache-path (conc cache-path "/.testconfig")))
 	 (cache-exists (and cache-file
 			    (not force-create)  ;; if force-create then pretend there is no cache to read
@@ -1201,11 +1201,12 @@
 				       #f)))
 		(if (and tcfg cache-file) (hash-table-set! tcfg "have fulldata" #t)) ;; mark this as fully read data
 		(if tcfg (hash-table-set! *testconfigs* test-full-name tcfg))
 		(if (and testexists
 			 cache-file
-			 (file-write-access? cache-path))
+			 (file-write-access? cache-path)
+			 allow-write-cache)
 		    (let ((tpath (conc cache-path "/.testconfig")))
 		      (debug:print-info 1 *default-log-port* "Caching testconfig for " test-name " in " tpath)
                       (if (not (common:in-running-test?))
                           (configf:write-alist tcfg tpath))))
 		tcfg))))))