Index: subrun.scm
==================================================================
--- subrun.scm
+++ subrun.scm
@@ -85,17 +85,14 @@
 
     (configf:write-alist testconfig "testconfig.subrun")))
 
 (define (subrun:set-state-status test-run-dir state status new-state-status)
   (if (and (not (subrun:subrun-removed? test-run-dir)) (subrun:subrun-test-initialized? test-run-dir))
-      (let* ((action-switches-str
-              (conc "-set-state-status "new-state-status
-                    (if state (conc " -state "state) "")
-                    (if status (conc " -status "status) "")))
-             (log-prefix (conc "set-state-status="new-state-status
-                    (if state (conc ":state="state) "")
-                    (if status (conc "+status="status) "")))
+      (let* ((log-prefix (subrun:sanitize-path
+                          (conc "set-state-status="new-state-status
+                                (if state (conc ":state="(state) "")
+                                    (if status (conc "+status="status) "")))))
              (submt-result 
               (subrun:exec-sub-megatest test-run-dir action-switches-str log-prefix)))
         submt-result)))
 
 (define (subrun:remove-subrun test-run-dir keep-records )
@@ -122,10 +119,16 @@
          (run-wait #t)
          (cmd      (conc "megatest -run "switches" "
                          (if run-wait "-run-wait " ""))))
     cmd))
 
+
+(define (subrun:sanitize-path inpath)
+  (let* ((insane-pattern (irregex "[^[a-zA-Z0-9_\\-]")))
+    (regex#string-substitute insane-pattern "_" inpath #t)))
+
+(subrun:sanitize-path "a/b/c-d/e*f")
 
 (define (subrun:get-runarea test-run-dir)
   (if (subrun:subrun-test-initialized? test-run-dir)
       (let* ((info-alist (subrun:selector+log-alist
                           test-run-dir
@@ -167,19 +170,19 @@
          ;; define compact-stem for logfile
          (target        (alist-ref "-target" switch-alist-pre equal? #f)) ;; want data-structures alist-ref, not alist-lib alist-ref
          (runname       (alist-ref "-runname" switch-alist-pre equal? #f))
 
 
-         (compact-stem  (string-substitute "[/*]" "_"
-                                           (conc
-                                            target
-                                            "-"
-                                            runname
-                                            "-" (or testpatt mode-patt tag-expr "NO-TESTPATT"))))
+         (compact-stem  (subrun:sanitize-path
+                         (conc
+                          target
+                          "-"
+                          runname
+                          "-" (or testpatt mode-patt tag-expr "NO-TESTPATT"))))
          (logfile       (conc
                          test-run-dir "/"
-                         (or log-prefix "")
+                         (or (subrun:sanitize-path log-prefix) "")
                          (if log-prefix "-" "")
                          compact-stem
                          ".log"))
          ;; swap out testpatt with modified test-patt and add -log
          (switch-alist  (cons