Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -686,11 +686,11 @@
 	(let loop ((hed (car test-names))   ;; NOTE: This is the main loop that iterates over the test-names
 		   (tal (cdr test-names)))         ;; 'return-procs tells the config reader to prep running system but return a proc
           (debug:print-info 4 *default-log-port* "\n\ntestpatt elaboration loop => hed="hed " tal="tal" test-patts="test-patts" test-names="test-names)
 	  (change-directory *toppath*) ;; PLEASE OPTIMIZE ME!!! I think this should be a no-op but there are several places where change-directories could be happening.
 	  (setenv "MT_TEST_NAME" hed) ;; 
-	  (let*-values (((waitons waitors config) (tests:get-waitons hed all-tests-registry (tests:get-global-waitons)))
+	  (let*-values (((waitons waitors config) (tests:get-waitons hed all-tests-registry (tests:get-global-waitons *runconfigdat*)))
 
 			;; NOTE: Have the config - can extract [waitons] section
 			
                         ((hed-mode)
                          (let ((m (configf:lookup config "requirements" "mode")))

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -138,11 +138,11 @@
 	   ((string? (cdr res)) (cdr res))  ;; it is a pair
 	   ((string? (cadr res))(cadr res)) ;; it is a list
 	   (else cadr res))))))
 
 (define (tests:get-global-waitons rconfig)
-  (let* ((global-waitons (runconfigs-get config "!GLOBAL_WAITONS")))
+  (let* ((global-waitons (runconfigs-get rconfig "!GLOBAL_WAITONS")))
     (if (string? global-waitons)
 	(string-split global-waitons)
 	'())))
 
 ;; return items given config
@@ -185,11 +185,11 @@
 			(exit 1))))
 	   (instr2 (if config
 		       (configf:lookup config "requirements" "waitor")
 		       "")))
        (debug:print-info 8 *default-log-port* "waitons string is " instr ", waitors string is " instr2)
-       (let ((newwaitons-tmp
+       (let* ((newwaitons-tmp
 	      (string-split (cond
 			     ((procedure? instr) ;; here 
 			      (let ((res (instr)))
 				(debug:print-info 8 *default-log-port* "waiton procedure results in string " res " for test " test-name)
 				res))
@@ -205,12 +205,15 @@
 				res))
 			     ((string? instr2)     instr2)
 			     (else 
 			      ;; NOTE: This is actually the case of *no* waitons! ;; (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "something went wrong in processing waitons for test " test-name)
 			      ""))))
-	     (newwaitons (if global-waitons
-			     (append newwaitons-tmp  global-waitons)
+	     (newwaitons (if (and (list? global-waitons)
+				  (not (null? global-waitons)))
+			     (begin
+			       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Adding global waitons " global-waitons)
+			       (append newwaitons-tmp  global-waitons))
 			     newwaitons-tmp)))
 	 (values
 	  ;; the waitons
 	  (filter (lambda (x)
 		    (if (hash-table-ref/default all-tests-registry x #f)

Index: tests/simplerun/runconfigs.config
==================================================================
--- tests/simplerun/runconfigs.config
+++ tests/simplerun/runconfigs.config
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@
 #     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 #     along with Megatest.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 [default]
 ALLTESTS see this variable
+!GLOBAL_WAITONS test_abc
 
 # Your variables here are grouped by targets [SYSTEM/RELEASE]
 [SYSTEM_val/RELEASE_val]
 ANOTHERVAR only defined if target is SYSTEM_val/RELEASE_val