Index: api.scm
==================================================================
--- api.scm
+++ api.scm
@@ -117,11 +117,16 @@
 	#t 
 	(let ((cmd    (vector-ref dat 0))
 	      (params (vector-ref dat 1)))
 	  (case (if (symbol? cmd)
 		    cmd
-		    (string->symbol cmd))
+		    (if (string? cmd)
+			(string->symbol cmd)
+			(begin
+			  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: received bad data in execute-requests \"" cmd "\""
+				       "   and params " params)
+			  (exit 1))))
 
 	    ;;===============================================
 	    ;; READ/WRITE QUERIES
 	    ;;===============================================
 

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -2890,18 +2890,26 @@
 ;; foo,abl,   1.2,  1.3, 0.1
 ;; foo,bra,   1.2, pass, silly stuff
 ;; faz,bar,    10,  8mA,     ,     ,"this is a comment"
 ;; EOF
 
+
+(define (db:csv->list-safe csvdata)
+  (if (string? csvdata)
+      (csv->list (make-csv-reader
+		  (open-input-string csvdata)
+		  '((strip-leading-whitespace? #t)
+		    (strip-trailing-whitespace? #t))))      
+      (begin
+	(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: received non-string data for csv")
+	'())))
+
 (define (db:csv->test-data dbstruct run-id test-id csvdata)
   (debug:print 4 *default-log-port* "test-id " test-id ", csvdata: " csvdata)
   (let* ((dbdat   (db:get-db dbstruct run-id))
 	 (db      (db:dbdat-get-db dbdat))
-	 (csvlist (csv->list (make-csv-reader
-			      (open-input-string csvdata)
-			      '((strip-leading-whitespace? #t)
-				(strip-trailing-whitespace? #t)))))) ;; (csv->list csvdata)))
+	 (csvlist (db:csv->list-safe csvdata)))
     (for-each
      (lambda (csvrow)
        (let* ((padded-row  (take (append csvrow (list #f #f #f #f #f #f #f #f #f)) 9))
 	      (category    (list-ref padded-row 0))
 	      (variable    (list-ref padded-row 1))

Index: db_records.scm
==================================================================
--- db_records.scm
+++ db_records.scm
@@ -67,47 +67,43 @@
 (define (dbr:dbstruct-localdb-set! v run-id db)
   (hash-table-set! (dbr:dbstruct-locdbs v) run-id db))
 
 (require-extension typed-records)
 (defstruct db:test-rec ((id -1) : number)
-					((run_id -1) : number) 
-					((testname "") : string)
-					((state "") : string)
-					((status "") : string)
-					((event_time -1) : number)
-					((host "") : string)
-					((cpuload -1) : number)
-					((diskfree -1) : number)
-					((uname "") : string)
-					((rundir "") : string)
-					((item_path "") : string)
-					((run_duration -1) : number)
-					((final_logf "") : string)
-					((comment "") : string)
-					((process-id -1) : number)
-					((archived -1) : number)
-					((shortdir -1) : number)
-					((attemptnum -1) : number))
-
-"id"           "run_id"        "testname"  "state"      "status"      "event_time"
-				"host"         "cpuload"       "diskfree"  "uname"      "rundir"      "item_path"
-                                "run_duration" "final_logf"    "comment"   "shortdir"   "attemptnum"  "archived"
+  ((run_id -1) : number) 
+  ((testname "") : string)
+  ((state "") : string)
+  ((status "") : string)
+  ((event_time -1) : number)
+  ((host "") : string)
+  ((cpuload -1) : number)
+  ((diskfree -1) : number)
+  ((uname "") : string)
+  ((rundir "") : string)
+  ((item_path "") : string)
+  ((run_duration -1) : number)
+  ((final_logf "") : string)
+  ((comment "") : string)
+  ((process-id -1) : number)
+  ((archived -1) : number)
+  ((shortdir -1) : number)
+  ((attemptnum -1) : number))
 
 (define (db:qry-gen-alist qrystr listvals)
-	(define listqry (string-split qrystr ","))
-	(if (null? listqry)
-	      '()
-	      (let loop ((strhead (car listqry))
-			 (strtail (cdr listqry))
-			 (valhead (car listvals))
-			 (valtail (cdr listvals))
-			 (res '()))
-		(let* ((slot-val-pair (cons (string->symbol strhead) valhead)))
-		  (if (or (null? strtail)
-		  		(null? valtail))
-		      (cons slot-val-pair res);;(print strhead valhead));;(cons (cons (string->symbol strhead) valhead) res))
-		      (loop (car strtail)(cdr strtail)(car valtail)(cdr valtail)(cons slot-val-pair res)))))))
+  (define listqry (string-split qrystr ","))
+  (if (null? listqry)
+      '()
+      (let loop ((strhead (car listqry))
+		 (strtail (cdr listqry))
+		 (valhead (car listvals))
+		 (valtail (cdr listvals))
+		 (res '()))
+	(let* ((slot-val-pair (cons (string->symbol strhead) valhead)))
+	  (if (or (null? strtail)
+		  (null? valtail))
+	      (cons slot-val-pair res);;(print strhead valhead));;(cons (cons (string->symbol strhead) valhead) res))
+	      (loop (car strtail)(cdr strtail)(car valtail)(cdr valtail)(cons slot-val-pair res)))))))
 
 (define (db:test-get-id			typed-rec)   (db:test-rec-id 		typed-rec))
 (define (db:test-get-run_id 	typed-rec)	 (db:test-rec-run_id 	typed-rec))
 (define (db:test-get-testname   typed-rec)   (db:test-rec-testname typed-rec))
 (define (db:test-get-state      typed-rec)   (db:test-rec-state 	typed-rec))

Index: tests/fullrun/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fullrun/megatest.config
+++ tests/fullrun/megatest.config
@@ -148,11 +148,11 @@
 # RUNDEAD [system exit 56]
 
 [server]
 
 # force use of server always
-# required yes
+required yes
 
 # Use http instead of direct filesystem access
 transport http
 # transport fs
 # transport nmsg