Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -404,11 +404,11 @@
 					      )))))
 				 ;; then, if runscript ran ok (or did not get called)
 				 ;; do all the ezsteps (if any)
 				 (if ezsteps
 				     (let* ((testconfig ;; (read-config (conc work-area "/testconfig") #f #t environ-patt: "pre-launch-env-vars")) ;; FIXME??? is allow-system ok here?
-					     (tests:get-testconfig test-name tconfigreg #t)) ;; 'return-procs)))
+					     (tests:get-testconfig test-name tconfigreg #t force-create: #t)) ;; 'return-procs)))
 					    (ezstepslst (hash-table-ref/default testconfig "ezsteps" '())))
 				       (hash-table-set! *testconfigs* test-name testconfig) ;; cached for lazy reads later ...
 				       (if (not (file-exists? ".ezsteps"))(create-directory ".ezsteps"))
 				       ;; if ezsteps was defined then we are sure to have at least one step but check anyway
 				       (if (not (> (length ezstepslst) 0))
@@ -856,11 +856,11 @@
     ))
   (let* ((tregistry       (tests:get-all))
 	 (item-path       (let ((ip (item-list->path itemdat)))
 			    (alist->env-vars (list (list "MT_ITEMPATH" ip)))
 			    ip))
-	 (tconfig         (or (tests:get-testconfig test-name tregistry #t)
+	 (tconfig         (or (tests:get-testconfig test-name tregistry #t force-create: #t)
 			      test-conf)) ;; force re-read now that all vars are set
 	 (useshell        (let ((ush (config-lookup *configdat* "jobtools"     "useshell")))
 			    (if ush 
 				(if (equal? ush "no") ;; must use "no" to NOT use shell
 				    #f

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -728,18 +728,20 @@
 	     (getenv "MT_TEST_NAME") "/"
 	     (if (or (getenv "MT_ITEMPATH")
 		     (not (string=? "" (getenv "MT_ITEMPATH"))))
 		 (conc "/" (getenv "MT_ITEMPATH"))))))
 
-(define (tests:get-testconfig test-name test-registry system-allowed)
+(define (tests:get-testconfig test-name test-registry system-allowed #!key (force-create #f))
   (let* ((test-path         (hash-table-ref/default 
 			     test-registry test-name 
 			     (conc *toppath* "/tests/" test-name)))
 	 (test-configf (conc test-path "/testconfig"))
 	 (testexists   (and (file-exists? test-configf)(file-read-access? test-configf)))
 	 (cache-path   (tests:get-test-path-from-environment))
-	 (cache-exists (and cache-path (file-exists? (conc cache-path "/.testconfig"))))
+	 (cache-exists (and cache-path 
+			    (not force-create)  ;; if force-create then pretend there is no cache to read
+			    (file-exists? (conc cache-path "/.testconfig"))))
 	 (cache-file   (conc cache-path "/.testconfig"))
 	 (tcfg         (if testexists
 			   (or (and cache-exists
 				    (handle-exceptions
 				     exn