Index: common_records.scm
==================================================================
--- common_records.scm
+++ common_records.scm
@@ -6,28 +6,31 @@
 ;; 
 ;;  This program is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the
 ;;  implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
 ;;  PURPOSE.
 ;;======================================================================
+
+(use trace)
 
 (define (debug:calc-verbosity vstr)
   (cond
-   (vstr
-    (let ((debugvals (string-split vstr ",")))
-      (if (> (length debugvals) 1)
-	  (map string->number debugvals)
-	  (string->number (car debugvals)))))
-   ((args:get-arg "-v")    2)
+   ((string-match "^\\s*$" vstr) #f)
+   (vstr (let ((debugvals (string-split vstr ",")))
+	   (cond
+	    ((> (length debugvals) 1)(map string->number debugvals))
+	    ((> (length debugvals) 0)(string->number (car debugvals)))
+	    (else #f))))
+    ((args:get-arg "-v")   2)
    ((args:get-arg "-q")    0)
    (else                   1)))
 
 ;; check verbosity, #t is ok
 (define (debug:check-verbosity verbosity vstr)
   (if (not (or (number? verbosity)
 	       (list?   verbosity)))
       (begin
-	(print "ERROR: Invalid debug value " vstr)
+	(print "ERROR: Invalid debug value \"" vstr "\"")
 	#f)
       #t))
 
 (define (debug:debug-mode n)
   (or (and (number? *verbosity*)
@@ -38,10 +41,12 @@
 (define (debug:setup)
   (let ((debugstr (or (args:get-arg "-debug")
 		      (getenv "MT_DEBUG_MODE"))))
     (set! *verbosity* (debug:calc-verbosity debugstr))
     (debug:check-verbosity *verbosity* debugstr)
+    ;; if we were handed a bad verbosity rule then we will override it with 1 and continue
+    (if (not *verbosity*)(set! *verbosity* 1))
     (if (or (args:get-arg "-debug")
 	    (not (getenv "MT_DEBUG_MODE")))
 	(setenv "MT_DEBUG_MODE" (if (list? *verbosity*)
 				    (string-intersperse (map conc *verbosity*) ",")
 				    (conc *verbosity*))))))

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 ;;  PURPOSE.
 
 ;; (include "common.scm")
 ;; (include "megatest-version.scm")
 
-(use sqlite3 srfi-1 posix regex regex-case srfi-69 base64 format readline apropos json http-client) ;; (srfi 18) extras)
+(use sqlite3 srfi-1 posix regex regex-case srfi-69 base64 format readline apropos json http-client directory-utils) ;; (srfi 18) extras)
 (import (prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:))
 (import (prefix base64 base64:))
 
 ;; (use zmq)
 
@@ -110,10 +110,11 @@
   -show-runconfig         : dump the internal representation of the runconfigs.config file
   -dumpmode json          : dump in json format instead of sexpr
   -show-cmdinfo           : dump the command info for a test (run in test environment)
 
 Misc 
+  -start-dir path         : switch to this directory before running megatest
   -rebuild-db             : bring the database schema up to date
   -cleanup-db             : remove any orphan records, vacuum the db
   -update-meta            : update the tests metadata for all tests
   -env2file fname         : write the environment to fname.csh and fname.sh
   -setvars VAR1=val1,VAR2=val2 : Add environment variables to a run NB// these are
@@ -184,10 +185,11 @@
 			":value"
 			":expected"
 			":tol"
 			":units"
 			;; misc
+			"-start-dir"
 			"-server"
 			"-transport"
 			"-stop-server"
 			"-port"
 			"-extract-ods"
@@ -253,10 +255,17 @@
 
 (if (args:get-arg "-h")
     (begin
       (print help)
       (exit)))
+
+(if (args:get-arg "-start-dir")
+    (if (file-exists? (args:get-arg "-start-dir"))
+	(change-directory (args:get-arg "-start-dir"))
+	(begin
+	  (debug:print 0 "ERROR: non-existant start dir " (args:get-arg "-start-dir") " specified, exiting.")
+	  (exit 1))))
 
 (if (args:get-arg "-version")
     (begin
       (print megatest-version)
       (exit)))