Index: configf.scm
==================================================================
--- configf.scm
+++ configf.scm
@@ -70,15 +70,18 @@
 						(loop (read-line inp) curr-section-name)))
 	       (else (print "ERROR: Should not get here,\n   \"" inl "\"")
 		     (loop (read-line inp) curr-section-name))))))))
   
 (define (find-and-read-config fname)
-  (let* ((configinfo (find-config fname))
+  (let* ((curr-dir   (current-directory))
+         (configinfo (find-config fname))
 	 (toppath    (car configinfo))
-	 (configfile (cadr configinfo))
-	 (configdat  (if configfile (read-config configfile) #f))) ;; (make-hash-table))))
-    (list configdat toppath configfile fname)))
+	 (configfile (cadr configinfo)))
+    (if toppath (change-directory toppath)) 
+    (let ((configdat  (if configfile (read-config configfile) #f))) ;; (make-hash-table))))
+      (if toppath (change-directory curr-dir))
+      (list configdat toppath configfile fname))))
 
 (define (config-lookup cfgdat section var)
   (let ((sectdat (hash-table-ref/default cfgdat section '())))
     (if (null? sectdat)
 	#f

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -109,10 +109,11 @@
 ;; 4. remotely run the test on allocated host
 ;;    - could be ssh to host from hosts table (update regularly with load)
 ;;    - could be netbatch
 ;;      (launch-test db (cadr status) test-conf))
 (define (launch-test db run-id test-conf keyvallst test-name test-path itemdat)
+  (change-directory *toppath*)
   (let ((launcher   (config-lookup *configdat* "jobtools"     "launcher"))
 	(runscript  (config-lookup test-conf   "setup"        "runscript"))
 	(diskspace  (config-lookup test-conf   "requirements" "diskspace"))
 	(memory     (config-lookup test-conf   "requirements" "memory"))
 	(hosts      (config-lookup *configdat* "jobtools"     "workhosts"))
@@ -145,10 +146,11 @@
 						   (list 'test-name test-name) 
 						   (list 'runscript runscript) 
 						   (list 'run-id    run-id   )
 						   (list 'itemdat   itemdat  )
 						   (list 'megatest  remote-megatest)
+						   (list 'env-ovrd  (hash-table-ref/default *configdat* "env-override" '()))
 						   (list 'runname   (args:get-arg ":runname"))
 						   (list 'mt-bindir-path mt-bindir-path))))))) ;; (string-intersperse keyvallst " "))))
     (change-directory work-area) ;; so that log files from the launch process don't clutter the test dir
     (cond
      ((and launcher hosts) ;; must be using ssh hostname

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -319,10 +319,11 @@
 		 (test-name (assoc/default 'test-name cmdinfo))
 		 (runscript (assoc/default 'runscript cmdinfo))
 		 (db-host   (assoc/default 'db-host   cmdinfo))
 		 (run-id    (assoc/default 'run-id    cmdinfo))
 		 (itemdat   (assoc/default 'itemdat   cmdinfo))
+		 (env-ovrd  (assoc/default 'env-ovrd  cmdinfo))
 		 (runname   (assoc/default 'runname   cmdinfo))
 		 (megatest  (assoc/default 'megatest  cmdinfo))
 		 (mt-bindir-path (assoc/default 'mt-bindir-path cmdinfo))
 		 (fullrunscript (conc testpath "/" runscript))
 		 (db        #f))
@@ -344,10 +345,12 @@
 	    (change-directory work-area) 
 	    (let ((runconfigf (conc  *toppath* "/runconfigs.config")))
 	      (if (file-exists? runconfigf)
 		  (setup-env-defaults db runconfigf run-id)
 		  (print "WARNING: You do not have a run config file: " runconfigf)))
+            ;; environment overrides are done *before* the remaining critical envars.
+            (alist->env-vars env-ovrd)
 	    (set-megatest-env-vars db run-id)
 	    (set-item-env-vars itemdat)
             (save-environment-as-files "megatest")
 	    (test-set-meta-info db run-id test-name itemdat)
 	    (test-set-status! db run-id test-name "REMOTEHOSTSTART" "n/a" itemdat (args:get-arg "-m"))

Index: tests/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/megatest.config
+++ tests/megatest.config
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@
 status pass fail n/a
 
 # These are set before all tests, override them 
 # in the testconfig [pre-launch-env-overrides] section
 [env-override]
-SPECIAL_ENV_VARS overide them here - seen only by the test launcher
+SPECIAL_ENV_VARS overide them here - should be seen at launch and in the runs
+TESTVAR [system realpath .]
 
 ## disks are:
 ## name host:/path/to/area
 ## -or-
 ## name /path/to/area