Index: configf.scm
==================================================================
--- configf.scm
+++ configf.scm
@@ -99,10 +99,12 @@
 		;; (print "fullcmd=" fullcmd)
 		(handle-exceptions
 		 exn
 		 (begin
 		   (debug:print 0 "WARNING: failed to process config input \"" l "\"")
+		   (debug:print 0 " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+		   ;; (print "exn=" (condition->list exn))
 		   (set! result (conc "#{( " cmdtype ") " cmd"}")))
 		 (if (or allow-system
 			 (not (member cmdtype '("system" "shell"))))
 		     (with-input-from-string fullcmd
 		       (lambda ()

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -437,17 +437,13 @@
 							    (hash-table-ref/default testconfig "ezsteps" '())
 							    #f)))
 				       (if testconfig
 					   (hash-table-set! *testconfigs* test-name testconfig) ;; cached for lazy reads later ...
 					   (begin
-					     ;; got here but there are race condiitions - re-do all setup and try one more time
-					     (if (launch:setup)
-						 (begin
-						   (launch:cache-config)
-						   (set! testconfig (full-runconfigs-read))) ;; redunantly redundant, but does it resolve the race?
+					     (launch:setup)
 					     (debug:print 0 "WARNING: no testconfig found for " test-name " in search path:\n  "
-							  (string-intersperse (tests:get-tests-search-path *configdat*) "\n  ")))))
+							  (string-intersperse (tests:get-tests-search-path *configdat*) "\n  "))))
 				       ;; after all that, still no testconfig? Time to abort
 				       (if (not testconfig)
 					   (begin
 					     (debug:print 0 "ERROR: Failed to resolve megatest.config, runconfigs.config and testconfig issues. Giving up now")
 					     (exit 1)))
@@ -715,18 +711,20 @@
 ;;     sets; *configdat*    (megatest.config info)
 ;;           *runconfigdat* (runconfigs.config info)
 ;;           *configstatus* (status of the read data)
 ;;
 (define (launch:setup-new #!key (force #f))
-  (let* ((runname  (common:args-get-runname))
+  (let* ((toppath  (or *toppath* (getenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
+	 (runname  (common:args-get-runname))
 	 (target   (common:args-get-target))
 	 (linktree (common:get-linktree))
 	 (rundir   (if (and runname target linktree)(conc linktree "/" target "/" runname) #f))
 	 (mtcachef (and rundir (conc rundir "/" ".megatest.cfg-"  megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash)))
 	 (rccachef (and rundir (conc rundir "/" ".runconfigs.cfg-"  megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash)))
 	 (cancreate (and rundir (file-exists? rundir)(file-write-access? rundir))))
     ;; (print "runname: " runname " target: " target " mtcachef: " mtcachef " rccachef: " rccachef)
+    (if (not *toppath*)(set! *toppath* toppath)) ;; this probably is not needed?
     (cond
      ;; data was read and cached and available in *configstatus*
      ((eq? *configstatus* 'fulldata)
       *toppath*)
      ;; if mtcachef exists just read it
@@ -745,11 +743,12 @@
 				  pathenvvar: "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
 	(if first-pass
 	    (begin
 	      (set! *configdat*  (car first-pass))
 	      (set! *configinfo* first-pass)
-	      (set! *toppath*    (cadr first-pass))
+	      (set! *toppath*    (or toppath (cadr first-pass))) ;; use the gathered data unless already have it
+	      (set! toppath      *toppath*)
 	      ;; the seed read is done, now read runconfigs, cache it then read megatest.config one more time and cache it
 	      (let* ((keys     (rmt:get-keys))
 		     (key-vals (if target (keys:target->keyval keys target) #f))
 		     (sections (if target (list "default" target) #f)) ;; for runconfigs
 		     (linktree (or (getenv "MT_LINKTREE")
@@ -761,19 +760,21 @@
 						     (setenv (car kt) (cadr kt)))
 						   key-vals))
 				     (read-config (conc *toppath* "/runconfigs.config") #f #t sections: sections))))
 		(if cancreate (configf:write-alist runconfigdat rccachef))
 		(set! *runconfigdat* runconfigdat)
-		(let ((second-pass (find-and-read-config 
-				    (or (args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config")
-				    environ-patt: "env-override"
-				    given-toppath: (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")
-				    pathenvvar: "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
-		  (if cancreate (configf:write-alist (car second-pass) mtcachef))
-		  (set! *configdat* (car second-pass))
-		  (set! *toppath*   (cadr second-pass))
-		  (if cancreate (set! *configstatus* 'fulldata)))))
+		(if cancreate (configf:write-alist *configdat* mtcachef))
+		(if cancreate (set! *configstatus* 'fulldata))))
+		;; (let ((second-pass (find-and-read-config
+		;; 		    (or (args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config")
+		;; 		    environ-patt: "env-override"
+		;; 		    given-toppath: (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")
+		;; 		    pathenvvar: "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
+		;;   (if cancreate (configf:write-alist (car second-pass) mtcachef))
+		;;   (set! *configdat* (car second-pass))
+		;;   (set! *toppath*   (or toppath (cadr second-pass))) ;; this should be a no-op, remove it later
+		;;   (if cancreate (set! *configstatus* 'fulldata)))))
 	    ;; no configs found? should not happen but let's try to recover gracefully, return an empty hash-table
 	    (set! *configdat* (make-hash-table))
 	    )))
      ;; else read what you can and set the flag accordingly
      (else
@@ -786,17 +787,15 @@
 	     (rdat     (read-config (conc (or *toppath* (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")(cadr cfgdat))
 					  "/runconfigs.config") #f #t sections: sections)))
 	(set! *configinfo*   cfgdat)
 	(set! *configdat*    (car cfgdat))
 	(set! *runconfigdat* rdat)
-	(set! *toppath*      (cadr cfgdat))
+	(set! *toppath*      (or toppath (cadr cfgdat)))
+	(set! toppath        *toppath*)  ;; remove this sillyness later
 	(set! *configstatus* 'partial))))
-    ;; final house keeping
-    (let* ((keys     (rmt:get-keys))
-	   (key-vals (if target (keys:target->keyval keys target) #f))
-	   (sections (if target (list "default" target) #f)) ;; for runconfigs
-	   (linktree (or (getenv "MT_LINKTREE")
+    ;; additional house keeping
+    (let* ((linktree (or (getenv "MT_LINKTREE")
 			 (if *configdat* (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") #f))))
       (if linktree
 	  (if (not (file-exists? linktree))
 	      (begin
 		(handle-exceptions