Index: archive.scm
==================================================================
--- archive.scm
+++ archive.scm
@@ -111,11 +111,11 @@
 	 (archive-id   (if archive-info (car archive-info) -1))
 	 (disk-groups  (make-hash-table))
 	 (test-groups  (make-hash-table)) ;; these two (disk and test groups) could be combined nicely
 	 (bup-exe      (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "archive" "bup") "bup"))
 	 (compress     (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "archive" "compress") "9"))
-	 (linktree     (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
+	 (linktree     (common:get-linktree))) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
 
     (if (not archive-dir) ;; no archive disk found, this is fatal
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "FATAL: No archive disks found. Please add disks with at least " min-space " MB space to the [archive-disks] section of megatest.config")
 	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "       use [archive] minspace to specify minimum available space")
@@ -211,11 +211,11 @@
 
 (define (archive:bup-restore archive-command run-id run-name tests rp-mutex bup-mutex)  ;; move the getting of archive space down into the below block so that a single run can 
   ;; allocate as needed should a disk fill up
   ;;
   (let* ((bup-exe      (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "archive" "bup") "bup"))
-	 (linktree     (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
+	 (linktree     (common:get-linktree))) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
 
     ;; from the test info bin the path to the test by stem
     ;;
     (for-each
      (lambda (test-dat)

Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -953,11 +953,14 @@
      (else args-testpatt))))
      
 (define (common:get-linktree)
   (or (getenv "MT_LINKTREE")
       (if *configdat*
-	  (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))))
+	  (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")
+	  (if *toppath*
+	      (conc *toppath* "/lt")
+	      #f))))
 
 (define (common:args-get-runname)
   (let ((res (or (args:get-arg "-runname")
 		 (args:get-arg ":runname")
 		 (getenv "MT_RUNNAME"))))

Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@
 					   ;; (string-intersperse (map number->string (u8vector->list (hostname->ip hostname))) ".")
 					   (server:get-best-guess-address hostname)
 					   #f)))
 			    (if ipstr ipstr hostn))) ;; hostname))) 
 	 (start-port      (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:find-port))
-	 (link-tree-path  (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
+	 (link-tree-path  (common:get-linktree))) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "portlogger recommended port: " start-port)
     (root-path     (if link-tree-path 
 		       link-tree-path
 		       (current-directory))) ;; WARNING: SECURITY HOLE. FIX ASAP!
     (handle-directory spiffy-directory-listing)

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -576,11 +576,11 @@
 	      (list  "MT_ITEM_INFO" (conc itemdat))
 	      (list  "MT_ITEMPATH"  item-path)
 	      (list  "MT_RUNNAME"   runname)
 	      (list  "MT_MEGATEST"  megatest)
 	      (list  "MT_TARGET"    target)
-	      (list  "MT_LINKTREE"  (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
+	      (list  "MT_LINKTREE"  (common:get-linktree)) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
 	      (list  "MT_TESTSUITENAME" (common:get-testsuite-name))))
 
 	  (if mt-bindir-path (setenv "PATH" (conc (getenv "PATH") ":" mt-bindir-path)))
 	  ;; (change-directory top-path)
 	  ;; Can setup as client for server mode now
@@ -682,11 +682,11 @@
   ;; to megatest-(current-seconds).cfg and symlink it to megatest.cfg
   (if (and *configdat* 
 	   (or (args:get-arg "-run")
 	       (args:get-arg "-runtests")
 	       (args:get-arg "-execute")))
-      (let* ((linktree (get-environment-variable "MT_LINKTREE"))
+      (let* ((linktree (common:get-linktree)) ;; (get-environment-variable "MT_LINKTREE"))
 	     (target   (common:args-get-target exit-if-bad: #t))
 	     (runname  (or (args:get-arg "-runname")
 			   (args:get-arg ":runname")
 			   (getenv "MT_RUNNAME")))
 	     (fulldir  (conc linktree "/"
@@ -801,11 +801,13 @@
 	      (setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
 	      ;; the seed read is done, now read runconfigs, cache it then read megatest.config one more time and cache it
 	      (let* ((keys         (rmt:get-keys))
 		     (key-vals     (keys:target->keyval keys target))
 		     (linktree     (or (getenv "MT_LINKTREE")
-				       (if *configdat* (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") #f)))
+				       (if *configdat*
+					   (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")
+					   (conc *toppath* "/lt"))))
 		     (second-pass  (find-and-read-config
 				    mtconfig
 				    environ-patt: "env-override"
 				    given-toppath: toppath
 				    pathenvvar: "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))
@@ -840,12 +842,11 @@
 	      (set! *configstatus* 'partial))
 	    (begin
 	      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "No " mtconfig " file found. Giving up.")
 	      (exit 2))))))
     ;; additional house keeping
-    (let* ((linktree (or (getenv "MT_LINKTREE")
-			 (if *configdat* (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") #f))))
+    (let* ((linktree (common:get-linktree)))
       (if linktree
 	  (begin
 	    (if (not (file-exists? linktree))
 		(begin
 		  (handle-exceptions
@@ -932,12 +933,14 @@
 	 ;; nb// if itempath is not "" then it is prefixed with "/"
 	 (toptest-path (conc disk-path (if contour (conc "/" contour) "") "/" testtop-base))
 	 (test-path    (conc disk-path (if contour (conc "/" contour) "") "/" test-base))
 
 	 ;; ensure this exists first as links to subtests must be created there
-	 (linktree  (let ((rd (config-lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
-		      (if rd rd (conc *toppath* "/runs"))))
+	 (linktree  (common:get-linktree))
+	 ;; WAS: (let ((rd (config-lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
+	 ;;         (if rd rd (conc *toppath* "/runs"))))
+	 ;; which seems wrong ...
 
 	 (lnkbase   (conc linktree (if contour (conc "/" contour) "") "/" target "/" runname))
 	 (lnkpath   (conc lnkbase "/" testname))
 	 (lnkpathf  (conc lnkpath (if not-iterated "" "/") item-path))
 	 (lnktarget (conc lnkpath "/" item-path)))

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -526,11 +526,11 @@
     (begin
       (set! *didsomething* #t) ;; suppress the help output.
       (if (getenv "MT_TARGET") ;; no point in trying if no target
 	  (if (args:get-arg "-runname")
 	      (let* ((toppath  (launch:setup))
-		     (linktree (if toppath (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
+		     (linktree (common:get-linktree)) ;; (if toppath (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
 		     (runtop   (conc linktree "/" (getenv "MT_TARGET") "/" (args:get-arg "-runname")))
 		     (files    (if (file-exists? runtop)
 				   (append (glob (conc runtop "/.megatest*"))
 					   (glob (conc runtop "/.runconfig*")))
 				   '())))

Index: mt.scm
==================================================================
--- mt.scm
+++ mt.scm
@@ -208,11 +208,11 @@
 		     (tal (cdr test-dirs)))
 	    ;; Setting MT_LINKTREE here is almost certainly unnecessary. 
 	    (let ((tconfig-file (conc hed "/" test-name "/testconfig")))
 	      (if (and (file-exists? tconfig-file)
 		       (file-read-access? tconfig-file))
-		  (let ((link-tree-path (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
+		  (let ((link-tree-path (common:get-linktree)) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
 			(old-link-tree  (get-environment-variable "MT_LINKTREE")))
 		    (if link-tree-path (setenv "MT_LINKTREE" link-tree-path))
 		    (let ((newtcfg (read-config tconfig-file #f #f))) ;; NOTE: Does NOT run [system ...]
 		      (hash-table-set! *testconfigs* test-name newtcfg)
 		      (if old-link-tree 

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@
 			(common:args-get-target)
 			(get-environment-variable "MT_TARGET")))
 	 (keys      (if inkeys    inkeys    (rmt:get-keys)))
 	 (keyvals   (if inkeyvals inkeyvals (keys:target->keyval keys target)))
 	 (vals      (hash-table-ref/default *env-vars-by-run-id* run-id #f))
-	 (link-tree (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
+	 (link-tree (common:get-linktree))) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
     (if testname (setenv "MT_TEST_NAME" testname))
     (if itempath (setenv "MT_ITEMPATH"  itempath))
 
     ;; get the info from the db and put it in the cache
     (if link-tree

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -60,11 +60,11 @@
 	       #t))))))
 
 (define (tasks:get-task-db-path)
   (let ((dbdir  (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "monitordir")
 		    (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "dbdir")
-		    (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))))
+		    (conc (common:get-linktree) "/.db"))))
     (handle-exceptions
      exn
      (begin
        (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Couldn't create path to " dbdir)
        (exit 1))