Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -551,10 +551,25 @@
 	  thekey))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;;  T E S T S
 ;;======================================================================
+
+(define (db:tests-register-test db run-id test-name item-path)
+  (debug:print 4 "INFO: db:tests-register-test db=" db ", run-id=" run-id ", test-name=" test-name ", item-path=\"" item-path "\"")
+  (let ((item-paths (if (equal? item-path "")
+			(list item-path)
+			(list item-path ""))))
+    (for-each 
+     (lambda (pth)
+       (sqlite3:execute db "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO tests (run_id,testname,event_time,item_path,state,status) VALUES (?,?,strftime('%s','now'),?,'NOT_STARTED','n/a');" 
+			run-id 
+			test-name
+			pth))
+     item-paths)
+    #f))
+
 
 ;; states and statuses are lists, turn them into ("PASS","FAIL"...) and use NOT IN
 ;; i.e. these lists define what to NOT show.
 ;; states and statuses are required to be lists, empty is ok
 ;; not-in #t = above behaviour, #f = must match
@@ -698,12 +713,11 @@
      (lambda (id) ;;  run-id testname state status event-time host cpuload diskfree uname rundir item-path run_duration final_logf comment )
        (set! res id)) ;; (vector id run-id testname state status event-time host cpuload diskfree uname rundir item-path run_duration final_logf comment )))
      db 
      "SELECT id FROM tests WHERE run_id=? AND testname=? AND item_path=?;"
      run-id testname item-path)
-    res)
-  #f)
+    res))
 
 ;; given a test-info record, patch in the latest data from the testdat.db file
 ;; found in the test run directory
 (define (db:patch-tdb-data-into-test-info db test-id res)
   (let ((tdb (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id)))

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -362,11 +362,11 @@
 		  ;; but should check if it is due to lack of resources vs. prerequisites
 		  (debug:print 1 "INFO: Skipping " (tests:testqueue-get-testname test-record) " " item-path " as it doesn't match " item-patts)
 		  (if (not (null? tal))
 		      (loop (car tal)(cdr tal))))
 		 ((not (hash-table-ref/default test-registery (conc test-name "/" item-path) #f))
-		  (open-run-close tests:register-test #f run-id test-name item-path)
+		  (open-run-close db:tests-register-test #f run-id test-name item-path)
 		  (hash-table-set! test-registery (conc test-name "/" item-path) #t)
 		  (loop (car newtal)(cdr newtal)))
 		 ((not have-resources) ;; simply try again after waiting a second
 		  (thread-sleep! (+ 1 *global-delta*))
 		  (debug:print 1 "INFO: no resources to run new tests, waiting ...")
@@ -546,11 +546,16 @@
 	    ;; (open-run-close tests:register-test db run-id test-name item-path)
 	    ;;
 	    ;; NB// for the above line. I want the test to be registered long before this routine gets called!
 	    ;;
 	    (set! test-id (open-run-close db:get-test-id db run-id test-name item-path))
-	    (debug:print 4 "test-id=" test-id ", run-id=" run-id ", test-name=" test-name ", item-path=" item-path)
+	    (if (not test-id)
+		(begin
+		  (debug:print 2 "WARN: Test not pre-created? test-name=" test-name ", item-path=" item-path ", run-id=" run-id)
+		  (open-run-close db:tests-register-test db run-id test-name item-path)
+		  (set! test-id (open-run-close db:get-test-id db run-id test-name item-path))))
+	    (debug:print 4 "INFO: test-id=" test-id ", run-id=" run-id ", test-name=" test-name ", item-path=\"" item-path "\"")
 	    (set! testdat (open-run-close db:get-test-info-by-id db test-id))))
       (set! test-id (db:test-get-id testdat))
       (change-directory test-path)
       (case (if force ;; (args:get-arg "-force")
 		'NOT_STARTED

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -27,23 +27,10 @@
 (include "key_records.scm")
 (include "db_records.scm")
 (include "run_records.scm")
 (include "test_records.scm")
 
-(define (tests:register-test db run-id test-name item-path)
-  (debug:print 4 "INFO: tests:register-test db=" db ", run-id=" run-id ", test-name=" test-name ", item-path=" item-path)
-  (let ((item-paths (if (equal? item-path "")
-			(list item-path)
-			(list item-path ""))))
-    (for-each 
-     (lambda (pth)
-       (sqlite3:execute db "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO tests (run_id,testname,event_time,item_path,state,status) VALUES (?,?,strftime('%s','now'),?,'NOT_STARTED','n/a');" 
-			run-id 
-			test-name
-			pth))
-     item-paths)))
-
 ;; get the previous record for when this test was run where all keys match but runname
 ;; returns #f if no such test found, returns a single test record if found
 (define (test:get-previous-test-run-record db run-id test-name item-path)
   (let* ((keys    (db:get-keys db))
 	 (selstr  (string-intersperse (map (lambda (x)(vector-ref x 0)) keys) ","))