Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -521,12 +521,14 @@
     (7 "REMOTEHOSTSTART")
     (8 "RUNNING")
     ))
 
 ;; BBnote: *common:std-statuses* dashboard filter control and test control status buttons defined here; used in set-fields-panel and dboard:make-controls
+;; note these statuses are sorted from better to worse.
+;; This sort order is important to dcommon:status-compare3 and db:set-state-status-and-roll-up-items
 (define *common:std-statuses*
-  '(;; (0 "DELETED")
+  '(;; (0 "DELETED")  
     (1 "n/a")
     (2 "PASS")
     (3 "SKIP")
     (4 "WARN")
     (5 "WAIVED")

Index: dcommon.scm
==================================================================
--- dcommon.scm
+++ dcommon.scm
@@ -333,11 +333,14 @@
 ;; return 1 if status1 is better
 ;; return 0 if status1 and 2 are equally good
 ;; return -1 if status2 is better
 (define (dcommon:status-compare3 status1 status2)
   (let*
-      ((status-goodness-ranking  (list "PASS" "WARN" "WAIVED" "SKIP" "FAIL" "ABORT" #f))
+      ((status-goodness-ranking  (cdr ;; cdr to drop first item -- "n/a"
+                                  (append (map cadr *common:std-statuses*)
+                                          '(#f)) ;; algorithm requres last item to be #f
+                                  )  )
        (mem1 (member status1 status-goodness-ranking))
        (mem2 (member status2 status-goodness-ranking))
        )
     (cond
      ((and (not mem1) (not mem2)) 0)