Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -268,10 +268,11 @@
 ;; E X I T   H A N D L I N G
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define (common:legacy-sync-recommended)
   (or (args:get-arg "-runtests")
+      (args:get-arg "-run")
       (args:get-arg "-server")
       (args:get-arg "-set-run-status")
       (args:get-arg "-remove-runs")
       (args:get-arg "-get-run-status")
       ))
@@ -278,12 +279,19 @@
 
 (define (common:legacy-sync-required)
   (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "megatest-db"))
 
 (define (std-exit-procedure)
-  (let ((no-hurry  (if *time-to-exit* ;; hurry up
-		       #f
+  ;; (let ((dbpath      (db:dbfile-path run-id))
+  ;; 	(lockf       (conc dbpath "/." run-id ".lck")))
+  ;;   (common:simple-file-lock lockf)
+  ;;   (db:multi-db-sync (list run-id) 'new2old)
+  ;;   (common:simple-file-release-lock lockf))
+  (let* ((dbpath      (db:dbfile-path run-id))
+	 (lockf       (conc dbpath "/." run-id ".lck"))
+	 (no-hurry  (if *time-to-exit* ;; hurry up
+			#f
 		       (begin
 			 (set! *time-to-exit* #t)
 			 #t))))
     (debug:print-info 4 "starting exit process, finalizing databases.")
     (if (and no-hurry (debug:debug-mode 18))
@@ -290,11 +298,16 @@
 	(rmt:print-db-stats))
     (let ((th1 (make-thread (lambda () ;; thread for cleaning up, give it five seconds
 			      (let ((run-ids (hash-table-keys *db-local-sync*)))
 				(if (and (not (null? run-ids))
 					 (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "megatest-db"))
-				    (if no-hurry (db:multi-db-sync run-ids 'new2old))))
+				    ;; was if no-hurry but I always want it sync'd I think ...
+				    ;; (if no-hurry (db:multi-db-sync run-ids 'new2old))))
+				    (begin
+				      (common:simple-file-lock lockf)
+				      (db:multi-db-sync run-ids 'new2old)
+				      (common:simple-file-release-lock lockf))))
 			      (if *dbstruct-db* (db:close-all *dbstruct-db*))
 			      (if *inmemdb*     (db:close-all *inmemdb*))
 			      (if (and *megatest-db*
 				       (sqlite3:database? *megatest-db*))
 				  (begin

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -138,12 +138,19 @@
 
 ;; NB// #f => return dbdir only
 ;;      (was planned to be;  zeroth db with name=main.db)
 ;;
 (define (db:dbfile-path run-id)
-  (let* ((dbdir           (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "dbdir")
-			      (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db")))
+  (let* ((dbdirs           (filter string?
+				   (list (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "dbdir")
+					 (conc *toppath* "/.db")
+					 (conc (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))))
+	 (existing-dirs   (filter file-exists? dbdirs))
+	 (dbdir           (if (null? existing-dirs)
+			      (or  (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "dbdir")
+				   (conc *toppath* "/.db"))
+			      (car existing-dirs)))
 	 (fname           (if run-id
 			      (if (eq? run-id 0) "main.db" (conc run-id ".db"))
 			      #f)))
     (handle-exceptions
      exn