Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -533,11 +533,12 @@
 	  (daemon:ize)
 	  (if *alt-log-file* ;; we should re-connect to this port, I think daemon:ize disrupts it
 	      (begin
 		(current-error-port *alt-log-file*)
 		(current-output-port *alt-log-file*)))))
-    (if (server:check-if-running run-id)
+    (if (and (server:read-dotserver *toppath*)
+             (server:check-if-running run-id))
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: Server for run-id " run-id " already running")
 	  (exit 0))
 	(begin ;; ok, no server detected, clean out any lingering records
 	   (tasks:server-force-clean-running-records-for-run-id  (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id "notresponding")))

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@
 ;;
 ;;  grep define ../rmt.scm | grep rmt: |perl -pi -e 's/\(define\s+\((\S+)\W.*$/\1/'|sort -u
 
 (defstruct remote
   (hh-dat            (common:get-homehost)) ;; homehost record ( addr . hhflag )
-  (server-url        (if *toppath* (server:check-if-running *toppath*) #f))
+  (server-url        (if *toppath* (server:read-dotserver *toppath*))) ;; (server:check-if-running *toppath*) #f))
   (last-server-check 0)  ;; last time we checked to see if the server was alive
   (conndat           #f)
   (transport         *transport-type*)
   (server-timeout    (or (server:get-timeout) 100))) ;; default to 100 seconds
 
@@ -111,21 +111,21 @@
       (rmt:open-qry-close-locally cmd 0 params))
      ;; no server contact made and this is a write, passively start a server 
      ((and (not (remote-server-url *runremote*))
 	   (not (member cmd api:read-only-queries)))
       (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case  5")
-      (let ((serverconn (server:check-if-running *toppath*)))
+      (let ((serverconn (server:read-dotserver *toppath*))) ;; (server:check-if-running *toppath*))) ;; Do NOT want to run server:check-if-running - very expensive to do for every write call
 	(if serverconn
 	    (remote-server-url-set! *runremote* serverconn) ;; the string can be consumed by the client setup if needed
 	    (if (not (server:start-attempted? *toppath*))
 		(server:kind-run *toppath*))))
       (if (cdr (remote-hh-dat *runremote*)) ;; we are on the homehost, just do the call
           (begin
             (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
 	    (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case  5.1")
             (rmt:open-qry-close-locally cmd 0 params))
-          (begin
+          (begin                            ;; not on homehost, start server and wait
             (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
 	    (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case  5.2")
 	    (tasks:start-and-wait-for-server (tasks:open-db) 0 15)
             (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum))))
      ;; if not on homehost ensure we have a connection to a live server

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -404,11 +404,15 @@
 	    (if (common:low-noise-print 60 "tasks:start-and-wait-for-server" run-id)
 		(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Try starting server for run-id " run-id))
 	    (thread-sleep! (/ (random 2000) 1000))
 	    (server:kind-run run-id)
 	    (thread-sleep! (min delay-time 1))
-	    (loop (tasks:get-server (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id)(+ delay-time 1))))))
+            (if (not (or (server:start-attempted? *toppath*)
+                         (server:read-dotserver *toppath*))) ;; no point in trying
+                (loop (tasks:get-server (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id)(+ delay-time 1))
+                #f))
+          #f)))
 
 (define (tasks:get-all-servers mdb)
   (let ((res '()))
     (sqlite3:for-each-row
      (lambda (id pid hostname interface port pubport start-time priority state mt-version last-update transport run-id)