Index: dashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard.scm
+++ dashboard.scm
@@ -1284,20 +1284,22 @@
 (iup:attribute-set! *tim* "RUN" "YES")
 
 ;; Move this stuff to db.scm? I'm not sure that is the right thing to do...
 ;;
 (define *last-db-update-time* (file-modification-time (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db")))
+(define *last-recalc-ended-time* 0)
 
 (define (dashboard:been-changed)
   (> (file-modification-time (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db")) *last-db-update-time*))
 
 (define (dashboard:set-db-update-time)
   (set! *last-db-update-time* (file-modification-time (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db"))))
 
 (define (dashboard:recalc modtime please-update-buttons last-db-update-time)
   (or please-update-buttons
-      (and (> modtime last-db-update-time)
+      (and (> (current-milliseconds)(+ *last-recalc-ended-time* 150))
+	   (> modtime last-db-update-time)
 	   (> (current-seconds)(+ last-db-update-time 1)))))
 
 (define *monitor-db-path* (conc *toppath* "/monitor.db"))
 (define *last-monitor-update-time* 0)
 
@@ -1337,11 +1339,12 @@
 	    (else
 	     (let ((updater (hash-table-ref/default *updaters* *current-tab-number* #f)))
 	       (if updater (updater)))))
 	  (set! *please-update-buttons* #f)
 	  (set! *last-db-update-time* modtime)
-	  (set! *last-update* run-update-time)))))
+	  (set! *last-update* run-update-time)
+	  (set! *last-recalc-ended-time* (current-milliseconds))))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; The heavy lifting starts here
 ;;======================================================================
 

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -1507,13 +1507,19 @@
 
 (define (cdb:num-clients serverdat)
   (cdb:client-call serverdat 'numclients #t *default-numtries*))
 
 (define (cdb:test-set-status-state serverdat test-id status state msg)
+  (if (member state '("LAUNCHED" "REMOTEHOSTSTART"))
+      (cdb:client-call serverdat 'set-test-start-time #t *default-numtries* test-id))
   (if msg
       (cdb:client-call serverdat 'state-status-msg #t *default-numtries* state status msg test-id)
       (cdb:client-call serverdat 'state-status #t *default-numtries* state status test-id))) ;; run-id test-name item-path minutes cpuload diskfree tmpfree) 
+
+;; Set the test event_time to current time. Call this when setting a test to LAUNCHED or REMOTEHOSTSTART
+;; (define (cdb:set-test-start-time! serverdat test-id)
+;;   (cdb:client-call serverdat 'set-test-start-time #t *default-numtries* test-id))
 
 (define (cdb:test-rollup-test_data-pass-fail serverdat test-id)
   (cdb:client-call serverdat 'test_data-pf-rollup #t *default-numtries* test-id test-id test-id test-id))
 
 (define (cdb:pass-fail-counts serverdat test-id fail-count pass-count)
@@ -1560,10 +1566,11 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define db:queries 
   (list '(register-test          "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO tests (run_id,testname,event_time,item_path,state,status) VALUES (?,?,strftime('%s','now'),?,'NOT_STARTED','n/a');")
 	'(state-status           "UPDATE tests SET state=?,status=? WHERE id=?;")
+	'(set-test-start-time    "UPDATE tests SET event_time=strftime('%s','now') WHERE id=?;")
 	'(state-status-msg       "UPDATE tests SET state=?,status=?,comment=? WHERE id=?;")
 	'(pass-fail-counts       "UPDATE tests SET fail_count=?,pass_count=? WHERE id=?;")
 	;; test_data-pf-rollup is used to set a tests PASS/FAIL based on the pass/fail info from the steps
 	'(test_data-pf-rollup    "UPDATE tests
                                     SET status=CASE WHEN (SELECT fail_count FROM tests WHERE id=?) > 0 

Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -181,10 +181,52 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; C L I E N T S
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define *http-mutex* (make-mutex))
+(define *http-requests-in-progress* 0)
+(define *http-connections-next-cleanup* (current-seconds))
+
+(define (http-transport:get-time-to-cleanup)
+  (let ((res #f))
+    (mutex-lock! *http-mutex*)
+    (set! res (> (current-seconds) *http-connections-next-cleanup*))
+    (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*)
+    res))
+
+(define (http-transport:inc-requests-count)
+  (mutex-lock! *http-mutex*)
+  (set! *http-requests-in-progress* (+ 1 *http-requests-in-progress*))
+  ;; Use this opportunity to slow things down iff there are too many requests in flight
+  (if (> *http-requests-in-progress* 5)
+      (begin
+	(debug:print-info 0 "Whoa there buddy, ease up...")
+	(thread-sleep! 1)))
+  (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*))
+
+(define (http-transport:dec-requests-count proc) 
+  (mutex-lock! *http-mutex*)
+  (proc)
+  (set! *http-requests-in-progress* (- *http-requests-in-progress* 1))
+  (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*))
+
+(define (http-transport:dec-requests-count-and-close-all-connections)
+  (set! *http-requests-in-progress* (- *http-requests-in-progress* 1))
+  (let loop ((etime (+ (current-seconds) 5))) ;; give up in five seconds
+    (if (> *http-requests-in-progress* 0)
+	(if (> etime (current-seconds))
+	    (begin
+	      (thread-sleep! 0.05)
+	      (loop etime))
+	    (debug:print 0 "ERROR: requests still in progress after 5 seconds of waiting. I'm going to pass on cleaning up http connections"))
+	(close-all-connections!)))
+  (set! *http-connections-next-cleanup* (+ (current-seconds) 10))
+  (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*))
+
+(define (http-transport:inc-requests-and-prep-to-close-all-connections)
+  (mutex-lock! *http-mutex*)
+  (set! *http-requests-in-progress* (+ 1 *http-requests-in-progress*)))
 
 ;; (system "megatest -list-servers | grep alive || megatest -server - -daemonize && sleep 4")
 
 ;; <html>
 ;; <head></head>
@@ -216,17 +258,30 @@
        ;;  		 #t))
        ;; send the data and get the response
        ;; extract the needed info from the http data and 
        ;; process and return it.
        (let* ((send-recieve (lambda ()
-			      (mutex-lock! *http-mutex*)
-			      (set! res (with-input-from-request 
-					 fullurl 
-					 (list (cons 'dat msg)) 
-					 read-string))
-			      (close-all-connections!) 
-			      (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*)))
+			      (let ((dat #f)
+				    (cleanup (http-transport:get-time-to-cleanup)))
+				(if cleanup 
+				    (begin
+				      (debug:print-info 0 "Running cleanup mode")
+				      (http-transport:inc-requests-and-prep-to-close-all-connections))
+				    (http-transport:inc-requests-count))
+				;; Do the actual data transfer
+				(set! dat (with-input-from-request 
+					   fullurl 
+					   (list (cons 'dat msg)) 
+					   read-string))
+				(if cleanup
+				    ;; mutex already set
+				    (begin
+				      (set! res dat)
+				      (http-transport:dec-requests-count-and-close-all-connections))
+				    (http-transport:dec-requests-count
+				     (lambda ()
+				       (set! res dat)))))))
 	      (time-out     (lambda ()
 			      (thread-sleep! 45)
 			      (if (not res)
 				  (begin
 				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: communication with the server timed out.")
@@ -281,19 +336,30 @@
 
        ;; (with-input-from-request "http://localhost/echo-service"
        ;;                  '((test . "value")) read-string)
 
        (let* ((send-recieve (lambda ()
-			      (mutex-lock! *http-mutex*)
-			      (set! res (with-input-from-request 
-					 fullurl 
-					 (list (cons 'key "thekey")
-					       (cons 'cmd cmd)
-					       (cons 'params params))
-					 read-string))
-			      (close-all-connections!) 
-			      (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*)))
+			      (let ((dat #f)
+				    (cleanup (http-transport:get-time-to-cleanup)))
+				(if cleanup 
+				    (http-transport:inc-requests-and-prep-to-close-all-connections)
+				    (http-transport:inc-requests-count))
+				;; Do the actual data transfer NB// KEPP THIS IN SYNC WITH http-transport:client-send-receive
+				(set! dat (with-input-from-request 
+					   fullurl 
+					   (list (cons 'key "thekey")
+						 (cons 'cmd cmd)
+						 (cons 'params params))
+					   read-string))
+				(if cleanup
+				    ;; mutex already set
+				    (begin
+				      (set! res dat)
+				      (http-transport:dec-requests-count-and-close-all-connections))
+				    (http-transport:dec-requests-count
+				     (lambda ()
+				       (set! res dat)))))))
 	      (time-out     (lambda ()
 			      (thread-sleep! 45)
 			      (if (not res)
 				  (begin
 				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: communication with the server timed out.")

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -136,10 +136,11 @@
 	  (set-item-env-vars itemdat)
 	  (save-environment-as-files "megatest")
 	  ;; open-run-close not needed for test-set-meta-info
 	  (tests:set-meta-info #f test-id run-id test-name itemdat 0 work-area)
 	  (tests:test-set-status! test-id "REMOTEHOSTSTART" "n/a" (args:get-arg "-m") #f)
+	  ;; (cdb:set-test-start-time!  *runremote* test-id)
 	  (if (args:get-arg "-xterm")
 	      (set! fullrunscript "xterm")
 	      (if (and fullrunscript (not (file-execute-access? fullrunscript)))
 		  (system (conc "chmod ug+x " fullrunscript))))
 	  ;; We are about to actually kick off the test
@@ -661,10 +662,11 @@
     ;; clean out step records from previous run if they exist
     ;; (debug:print-info 4 "FIXMEEEEE!!!! This can be removed some day, perhaps move all test records to the test db?")
     ;; (open-run-close db:delete-test-step-records db test-id)
     (change-directory work-area) ;; so that log files from the launch process don't clutter the test dir
     (tests:test-set-status! test-id "LAUNCHED" "n/a" #f #f) ;; (if launch-results launch-results "FAILED"))
+    ;; (cdb:set-test-start-time!  *runremote* test-id)
     (cond
      ((and launcher hosts) ;; must be using ssh hostname
       (set! fullcmd (append launcher (car hosts)(list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms) debug-param)))
      ;; (set! fullcmd (append launcher (car hosts)(list remote-megatest test-sig "-execute" cmdparms))))
      (launcher