Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -287,40 +287,42 @@
 ;;
 (define *watchdog*
   (make-thread 
    (lambda ()
      (thread-sleep! 0.05) ;; delay for startup
-     (let loop ()
-       ;; sync for filesystem local db writes
-       ;;
-       (let ((start-time      (current-seconds))
-	     (servers-started (make-hash-table)))
-	 (for-each 
-	  (lambda (run-id)
-	    (mutex-lock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*)
-	    (if (hash-table-ref/default *db-local-sync* run-id #f)
-		;; (if (> (- start-time last-write) 5) ;; every five seconds
-		(begin ;; let ((sync-time (- (current-seconds) start-time)))
-		  (db:multi-db-sync (list run-id) 'new2old)
-		  (if (common:low-noise-print 30 "sync new to old")
-		      (let ((sync-time (- (current-seconds) start-time)))
-			(debug:print-info 0 "Sync of newdb to olddb for run-id " run-id " completed in " sync-time " seconds")
-			(if (> sync-time 10) ;; took more than ten seconds, start a server for this run
-			    (begin
-			      (debug:print-info 0 "Sync is taking a long time, start up a server to assist for run " run-id)
-			      (server:kind-run run-id)))))
-		  (hash-table-delete! *db-local-sync* run-id)))
-	    (mutex-unlock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*))
-	  (hash-table-keys *db-local-sync*)))
-
-       ;; keep going unless time to exit
-       ;;
-       (if (not *time-to-exit*)
-	   (begin
-	     (thread-sleep! 1) ;; wait one second before syncing again
-	     (loop)))))
-   "Watchdog thread"))
+     (let ((legacy-sync (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "megatest-db")))
+       (let loop ()
+	 ;; sync for filesystem local db writes
+	 ;;
+	 (let ((start-time      (current-seconds))
+	       (servers-started (make-hash-table)))
+	   (for-each 
+	    (lambda (run-id)
+	      (mutex-lock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*)
+	      (if (and legacy-sync 
+		       (hash-table-ref/default *db-local-sync* run-id #f))
+		  ;; (if (> (- start-time last-write) 5) ;; every five seconds
+		  (begin ;; let ((sync-time (- (current-seconds) start-time)))
+		    (db:multi-db-sync (list run-id) 'new2old)
+		    (if (common:low-noise-print 30 "sync new to old")
+			(let ((sync-time (- (current-seconds) start-time)))
+			  (debug:print-info 0 "Sync of newdb to olddb for run-id " run-id " completed in " sync-time " seconds")))
+		    ;; (if (> sync-time 10) ;; took more than ten seconds, start a server for this run
+		    ;;     (begin
+		    ;;       (debug:print-info 0 "Sync is taking a long time, start up a server to assist for run " run-id)
+		    ;;       (server:kind-run run-id)))))
+		    (hash-table-delete! *db-local-sync* run-id)))
+	      (mutex-unlock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*))
+	    (hash-table-keys *db-local-sync*)))
+
+	 ;; keep going unless time to exit
+	 ;;
+	 (if (not *time-to-exit*)
+	     (begin
+	       (thread-sleep! 1) ;; wait one second before syncing again
+	       (loop)))))
+     "Watchdog thread")))
 
 (thread-start! *watchdog*)
 
 (if (args:get-arg "-log")
     (let ((oup (open-output-file (args:get-arg "-log"))))

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -110,29 +110,16 @@
 		;; may kill it here but what are the criteria?
 		;; start with three calls then kill server
 		(if (eq? attemptnum 3)(tasks:kill-server-run-id run-id))
 
 		(rmt:send-receive cmd run-id params attemptnum: (+ attemptnum 1)))))
-	(let ((max-avg-qry (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "server-query-threshold") "10"))))
-	  (if (and (< attemptnum 10)
-		   (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "required"))
-	      (begin
-		(debug:print-info 0 "Server required mode, attempting to start server and retry query in ten seconds")
-		(server:kind-run run-id)
-		(thread-sleep! 10)
-		(rmt:send-receive cmd rid params (+ attemptnum 1)))
-	      ;; (if (rmt:write-frequency-over-limit? cmd run-id)(server:kind-run run-id))
-	      (let* ((curr-max     (rmt:get-max-query-average run-id))
-		     (curr-max-val (cdr curr-max)))
-		(debug:print-info 4 "no server and read-only query, bypassing normal channel")
-		(if (> curr-max-val max-avg-qry)
-		    (if (common:low-noise-print 10 "start server due to max average query too long")
-			(begin
-			  (debug:print-info 0 "Max average query, " (inexact->exact (round curr-max-val)) "ms (" (car curr-max) ") exceeds " max-avg-qry "ms, try starting server ...")
-			  (server:kind-run run-id))
-			(debug:print-info 3 "Max average query, " (inexact->exact (round curr-max-val)) "ms (" (car curr-max) ") below " max-avg-qry "ms, not starting server...")))
-		(rmt:open-qry-close-locally cmd run-id params)))))))
+	(if (and (< attemptnum 10)
+		 (tasks:need-server run-id))
+	    (begin
+	      (tasks:start-and-wait-for-server (db:delay-if-busy (tasks:open-db)) run-id 10)
+	      (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params (+ attemptnum 1)))
+	    (rmt:open-qry-close-locally cmd run-id params)))))
 
 (define (rmt:update-db-stats run-id rawcmd params duration)
   (mutex-lock! *db-stats-mutex*)
   (handle-exceptions
    exn

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -216,11 +216,11 @@
 	 (test-names         #f)  ;; (tests:filter-test-names all-test-names test-patts))
 	 (required-tests     #f)  ;;(lset-intersection equal? (string-split test-patts ",") test-names))) ;; test-names)) ;; Added test-names as initial for required-tests but that failed to work
 	 (task-key           (conc (hash-table->alist flags) " " (get-host-name) " " (current-process-id)))
 	 (tdbdat             (tasks:open-db)))
 
-    (tasks:start-and-wait-for-server tdbdat run-id 10)
+    (if (tasks:need-server run-id)(tasks:start-and-wait-for-server tdbdat run-id 10))
 
     (set-signal-handler! signal/int
 			 (lambda (signum)
 			   (signal-mask! signum)
 			   (print "Received signal " signum ", cleaning up before exit. Please wait...")
@@ -935,14 +935,15 @@
 	     (newtal      (append tal (list hed)))
 	     (regfull     (>= (length reg) reglen))
 	     (num-running (rmt:get-count-tests-running-for-run-id run-id)))
 
 	;; every couple minutes verify the server is there for this run
-	(if (common:low-noise-print 60 "try start server"  run-id)
+	(if (and (common:low-noise-print 60 "try start server"  run-id)
+		 (tasks:need-server run-id))
 	    (tasks:start-and-wait-for-server tdbdat run-id 10))
-
-      (if (> num-running 0)
+	
+	(if (> num-running 0)
 	  (set! last-time-some-running (current-seconds)))
 
       (if (> (current-seconds)(+ last-time-some-running 240))
 	  (hash-table-set! *max-tries-hash* tfullname (+ (hash-table-ref/default *max-tries-hash* tfullname 0) 1)))
 	;; (debug:print 0 "max-tries-hash: " (hash-table->alist *max-tries-hash*))
@@ -1433,18 +1434,18 @@
 	   (debug:print-info 4 "runs:operate-on run=" run ", header=" header)
 	   (if (not (null? tests))
 	       (begin
 		 (case action
 		   ((remove-runs)
-		    (tasks:start-and-wait-for-server tdbdat run-id 10)
+		    (if (tasks:need-server run-id)(tasks:start-and-wait-for-server tdbdat run-id 10))
 		    ;; seek and kill in flight -runtests with % as testpatt here
 		    (if (equal? testpatt "%")
 			(tasks:kill-runner (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) target run-name)
 			(debug:print 0 "not attempting to kill any run launcher processes as testpatt is " testpatt))
 		    (debug:print 1 "Removing tests for run: " runkey " " (db:get-value-by-header run header "runname")))
 		   ((set-state-status)
-		    (tasks:start-and-wait-for-server tdbdat run-id 10)
+		    (if (tasks:need-server run-id)(tasks:start-and-wait-for-server tdbdat run-id 10))
 		    (debug:print 1 "Modifying state and staus for tests for run: " runkey " " (db:get-value-by-header run header "runname")))
 		   ((print-run)
 		    (debug:print 1 "Printing info for run " runkey ", run=" run ", tests=" tests ", header=" header)
 		    action)
 		   ((run-wait)

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -344,10 +344,26 @@
      (lambda (id)
        (set! res id))
      mdb ;; NEEDS dbprep ADDED
      "SELECT id FROM servers WHERE run_id=? AND (state = 'running' OR (state = 'dbprep' AND  (strftime('%s','now') - start_time) < 60));" run-id)
     res))
+
+(define (tasks:need-server run-id)
+  (let ((forced (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "required"))
+	(maxqry (cdr (rmt:get-max-query-average run-id)))
+	(threshold   (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "server-query-threshold") "10"))))
+    (cond
+     (forced 
+      (if (common:low-noise-print 60 run-id "server required is set")
+	  (debug:print-info 0 "Server required is set, starting server."))
+      #t)
+     ((> maxqry threshold)
+      (if (common:low-noise-print 60 run-id "Max query time execeeded")
+	  (debug:print-info 0 "Max avg query time of " maxqry "ms exceeds limit of " threshold "ms, starting server."))
+      #t)
+     (else
+      #f))))
 
 ;; try to start a server and wait for it to be available
 ;;
 (define (tasks:start-and-wait-for-server tdbdat run-id delay-max-tries)
   ;; ensure a server is running for this run
@@ -354,11 +370,12 @@
   (let loop ((server-dat (tasks:get-server (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id))
 	     (delay-time 0))
       (if (and (not server-dat)
 	       (< delay-time delay-max-tries))
 	  (begin
-	    (if (common:low-noise-print 60 "tasks:start-and-wait-for-server" run-id)(debug:print 0 "Try starting server for run-id " run-id))
+	    (if (common:low-noise-print 60 "tasks:start-and-wait-for-server" run-id)
+		(debug:print 0 "Try starting server for run-id " run-id))
 	    (server:kind-run run-id)
 	    (thread-sleep! (min delay-time 5))
 	    (loop (tasks:get-server (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id)(+ delay-time 1))))))
 
 (define (tasks:get-all-servers mdb)

Index: tests/fullrun/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fullrun/megatest.config
+++ tests/fullrun/megatest.config
@@ -139,11 +139,11 @@
 
 # Server is required - slower but more resistant to Sqlite issues.
 # required yes
 
 # Start server when average query takes longer than this
-server-query-threshold 15
+server-query-threshold 55500
 
 # daemonize yes
 # hostname #{scheme (get-host-name)}
 
 ## disks are: