Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -254,14 +254,16 @@
 	(if maindb
 	    (if (or (not (number? mtime))
 		    (not (number? stime))
 		    (> mtime stime)
 		    force-sync)
-		(let ((num-synced (db:sync-tables (db:sync-main-list maindb) maindb olddb)))
-		  (dbr:dbstruct-set-stime! dbstruct (current-milliseconds))
-		  num-synced)
-		0)
+		(begin
+		  (db:delay-if-busy)
+		  (let ((num-synced (db:sync-tables (db:sync-main-list maindb) maindb olddb)))
+		    (dbr:dbstruct-set-stime! dbstruct (current-milliseconds))
+		    num-synced)
+		  0))
 	    (begin
 	      ;; this can occur when using local access (i.e. not in a server)
 	      ;; need a flag to turn it off.
 	      ;;
 	      (debug:print 3 "WARNING: call to sync main.db to megatest.db but main not initialized")
@@ -269,14 +271,16 @@
 	;; any other runid is a run
 	(if (or (not (number? mtime))
 		(not (number? stime))
 		(> mtime stime)
 		force-sync)
-	    (let ((num-synced (db:sync-tables db:sync-tests-only inmem refdb rundb olddb)))
-	      (dbr:dbstruct-set-stime! dbstruct (current-milliseconds))
-	      num-synced)
-	    0))))
+	    (begin
+	      (db:delay-if-busy)
+	      (let ((num-synced (db:sync-tables db:sync-tests-only inmem refdb rundb olddb)))
+		(dbr:dbstruct-set-stime! dbstruct (current-milliseconds))
+		num-synced)
+	      0)))))
 
 ;; close all opened run-id dbs
 (define (db:close-all dbstruct)
   ;; finalize main.db
   (db:sync-touched dbstruct 0 force-sync: #t)
@@ -511,11 +515,13 @@
   (let* ((toppath  (launch:setup-for-run))
 	 (dbstruct (if toppath (make-dbr:dbstruct path: toppath) #f))
 	 (mtdb     (if toppath (db:open-megatest-db)))
 	 (run-ids  (if run-ids 
 		       run-ids
-		       (if toppath (db:get-all-run-ids mtdb))))
+		       (if toppath (begin
+				     (db:delay-if-busy)
+				     (db:get-all-run-ids mtdb)))))
 	 (mdb     (tasks:open-db))
 	 (servers (tasks:get-all-servers mdb)))
     
     ;; kill servers
     (if (member 'killservers options)
@@ -526,24 +532,29 @@
 	 servers))
 
     ;; clear out junk records
     ;;
     (if (member 'dejunk options)
-	(db:clean-up mtdb))
+	(begin
+	  (db:delay-if-busy)
+	  (db:clean-up mtdb)))
 
     ;; adjust test-ids to fit into proper range
     ;;
     (if (member 'adj-testids options)
-	(db:prep-megatest.db-for-migration mtdb))
+	(begin
+	  (db:delay-if-busy)
+	  (db:prep-megatest.db-for-migration mtdb)))
 
     ;; sync runs, test_meta etc.
     ;;
     (if (member 'old2new options)
 	(begin
 	  (db:sync-tables (db:sync-main-list mtdb) mtdb (db:get-db dbstruct #f))
 	  (for-each 
 	   (lambda (run-id)
+	     (db:delay-if-busy)
 	     (let ((testrecs (db:get-all-tests-info-by-run-id mtdb run-id))
 		   (dbstruct (if toppath (make-dbr:dbstruct path: toppath local: #t) #f)))
 	       (debug:print 0 "INFO: Propagating " (length testrecs) " records for run-id=" run-id " to run specific db")
 	       (db:replace-test-records dbstruct run-id testrecs)
 	       (sqlite3:finalize! (dbr:dbstruct-get-rundb dbstruct))))
@@ -551,10 +562,11 @@
 
     ;; now ensure all newdb data are synced to megatest.db
     (if (member 'new2old options)
 	(for-each
 	 (lambda (run-id)
+	   (db:delay-if-busy)
 	   (let ((fromdb (if toppath (make-dbr:dbstruct path: toppath local: #t) #f)))
 	     (if (eq? run-id 0)
 		 (db:sync-tables (db:sync-main-list dbstruct)(db:get-db fromdb run-id) mtdb)
 		 (db:sync-tables db:sync-tests-only (db:get-db fromdb run-id) mtdb))))
 	 run-ids))

Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -155,14 +155,16 @@
 	     (http-transport:try-start-server run-id
 					      ipaddrstr
 					      (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:find-port)
 					      server-id))
 	   (begin
+	     (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
 	     (tasks:server-force-clean-run-record (tasks:get-db) run-id ipaddrstr portnum " http-transport:try-start-server")
 	     (print "ERROR: Tried and tried but could not start the server"))))
      ;; any error in following steps will result in a retry
      (set! *server-info* (list ipaddrstr portnum))
+     (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
      (tasks:server-set-interface-port 
 		     (tasks:get-db)
 		     server-id 
 		     ipaddrstr portnum)
      (debug:print 0 "INFO: Trying to start server on " ipaddrstr ":" portnum)
@@ -173,10 +175,11 @@
 	 (start-server port: portnum bind-address: (if (equal? config-hostname "-")
 						       ipaddrstr
 						       config-hostname))
 	 (start-server port: portnum))
      ;;  (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:set-port portnum "released")
+     (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
      (tasks:server-force-clean-run-record (tasks:get-db) run-id ipaddrstr portnum " http-transport:try-start-server")
      (debug:print 1 "INFO: server has been stopped"))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; S E R V E R   U T I L I T I E S 
@@ -256,10 +259,11 @@
 	    (close-all-connections!))
 	   (debug:print 0 "WARNING: Failed to communicate with server, trying again, numretries left: " numretries)
 	   (http-transport:client-api-send-receive run-id serverdat cmd params numretries: (- numretries 1)))
 	 (begin
 	   (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*)
+	   (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
 	   (tasks:kill-server-run-id run-id)
 	   #f))
      (begin
        (debug:print-info 11 "fullurl=" fullurl ", cmd=" cmd ", params=" params ", run-id=" run-id "\n")
        ;; set up the http-client here
@@ -369,10 +373,11 @@
 				(debug:print-info 0 "Still waiting, last-sdat=" last-sdat)
                                 (sleep 4)
 				(if (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 120) ;; been waiting for two minutes
 				    (let ((tdb  (tasks:open-db)))
 				      (debug:print 0 "ERROR: transport appears to have died, exiting server " server-id " for run " run-id)
+				      (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
 				      (tasks:server-delete-record tdb server-id "failed to start, never received server alive signature")
 				      (sqlite3:finalize! tdb)
 				      (exit))
 				    (loop start-time
 					  (equal? sdat last-sdat)
@@ -404,10 +409,11 @@
       ;;
       ;; set_running after our first pass through and start the db
       ;;
       (if (eq? server-state 'available)
 	  (begin
+	    (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
 	    (tasks:server-set-state! tdb server-id "dbprep")
 	    (thread-sleep! 5) ;; give some margin for queries to complete before switching from file based access to server based access
 	    (set! *inmemdb*  (db:setup run-id))
 	    (tasks:server-set-state! tdb server-id "running")))
 
@@ -463,10 +469,11 @@
 	    (loop 0 server-state))
 	  (begin
 	    (debug:print-info 0 "Starting to shutdown the server.")
 	    ;; need to delete only *my* server entry (future use)
 	    (set! *time-to-exit* #t)
+	    (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db) ;; wait here in addition to just before the shutting-down
 	    (if *inmemdb* (db:sync-touched *inmemdb* *run-id* force-sync: #t))
 	    ;;
 	    ;; start_shutdown
 	    ;;
 	    (tasks:server-set-state! tdb server-id "shutting-down")
@@ -486,10 +493,11 @@
 				  "n/a (no queries)"
 				  (/ *total-non-write-delay* 
 				     *number-non-write-queries*))
 			      " ms")
 	    (debug:print-info 0 "Server shutdown complete. Exiting")
+	    (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
 	    (tasks:server-delete-record tdb server-id " http-transport:keep-running")
 	    (exit))))))
 
 ;; all routes though here end in exit ...
 ;;
@@ -506,21 +514,24 @@
 	      (current-output-port *alt-log-file*)))))
   (if (server:check-if-running run-id)
       (begin
 	(debug:print 0 "INFO: Server for run-id " run-id " already running")
 	(exit 0)))
+  (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
   (let loop ((server-id (tasks:server-lock-slot (tasks:get-db) run-id))
 	     (remtries  4))
     (if (not server-id)
 	(if (> remtries 0)
 	    (begin
 	      (thread-sleep! 2)
+	      (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
 	      (loop (tasks:server-lock-slot (tasks:get-db) run-id)
 		    (- remtries 1)))
 	    (begin
 	      ;; since we didn't get the server lock we are going to clean up and bail out
 	      (debug:print-info 2 "INFO: server pid=" (current-process-id) ", hostname=" (get-host-name) " not starting due to other candidates ahead in start queue")
+	      (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
 	      (tasks:server-delete-records-for-this-pid (tasks:get-db) " http-transport:launch")
 	      ))
 	(let* ((th2 (make-thread (lambda ()
 				   (debug:print-info 0 "Server run thread started")
 				   (http-transport:run 

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -500,19 +500,19 @@
 	(for-each 
 	 (lambda (disk-num)
 	   (let* ((dirpath    (cadr (assoc disk-num disks)))
 		  (freespc    (cond
 			       ((not (directory? dirpath))
-				(if (common:low-noise-print 20 "disks" disk-num)
+				(if (common:low-noise-print 50 "disks not a dir " disk-num)
 				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: disk " disk-num " at path " dirpath " is not a directory - ignoring it."))
 				-1)
 			       ((not (file-write-access? dirpath))
-				(if (common:low-noise-print 20 "disks" disk-num)
+				(if (common:low-noise-print 50 "disks not writeable " disk-num)
 				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: disk " disk-num " at path " dirpath " is not writeable - ignoring it."))
 				-1)
 			       ((not (eq? (string-ref dirpath 0) #\/))
-				(if (common:low-noise-print 20 "disks" disk-num)
+				(if (common:low-noise-print 50 "disks not a proper path " disk-num)
 				    (debug:print 0 "WARNING: disk " disk-num " at path " dirpath " is not a fully qualified path - ignoring it."))
 				-1)
 			       (else
 				(get-df dirpath)))))
 	     (if (> freespc bestsize)

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -97,14 +97,15 @@
 	(let ((max-avg-qry (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "server-query-threshold") "10"))))
 	  (debug:print-info 4 "no server and read-only query, bypassing normal channel")
 	  ;; (if (rmt:write-frequency-over-limit? cmd run-id)(server:kind-run run-id))
 	  (let ((curr-max (rmt:get-max-query-average run-id)))
 	    (if (> (cdr curr-max) max-avg-qry)
-		(begin
-		  (debug:print-info 0 "Max average query, " (inexact->exact (round (cdr curr-max))) "ms (" (car curr-max) ") exceeds " max-avg-qry ", try starting server ...")
-		  (server:kind-run run-id))
-		(debug:print-info 3 "Max average query, " (inexact->exact (round (cdr curr-max))) "ms (" (car curr-max) ") below " max-avg-qry ", not starting server...")))
+		(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 (cdr curr-max))) "ms (" (car curr-max) ") exceeds " max-avg-qry ", try starting server ...")
+			(server:kind-run run-id)
+			(debug:print-info 3 "Max average query, " (inexact->exact (round (cdr curr-max))) "ms (" (car curr-max) ") below " max-avg-qry ", not starting server...")))))
 	  (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

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -160,13 +160,13 @@
 	  (hash-table-set! *runs:denoise* key currtime)
 	  #t)
 	#f)))
 
 (define (runs:can-run-more-tests run-id jobgroup max-concurrent-jobs)
-  (thread-sleep! (cond
-		  ((> *runs:can-run-more-tests-count* 20) 2);; obviously haven't had any work to do for a while
-		  (else 0)))
+  ;;(thread-sleep! (cond
+  ;;      	  ((> *runs:can-run-more-tests-count* 20) 2);; obviously haven't had any work to do for a while
+  ;;      	  (else 0)))
   (let* ((num-running             (rmt:get-count-tests-running run-id))
 	 (num-running-in-jobgroup (rmt:get-count-tests-running-in-jobgroup run-id jobgroup))
 	 (job-group-limit         (let ((jobg-count (config-lookup *configdat* "jobgroups" jobgroup)))
 				    (if (string? jobg-count)
 					(string->number jobg-count)
@@ -1117,11 +1117,11 @@
 		  (debug:print-info 0 "Marking stuck tests as INCOMPLETE while waiting for run " run-id ". Running as pid " (current-process-id) " on " (get-host-name))
 		  (set! last-time-incomplete (current-seconds))
 		  (rmt:find-and-mark-incomplete run-id #f)))
 	    (if (not (eq? num-running prev-num-running))
 		(debug:print-info 0 "run-wait specified, waiting on " num-running " tests in RUNNING, REMOTEHOSTSTART or LAUNCHED state at " (time->string (seconds->local-time (current-seconds)))))
-	    (thread-sleep! 15)
+	    (thread-sleep! 5)
 	    ;; (wait-loop (rmt:get-count-tests-running-for-run-id run-id) num-running))))
 	    (wait-loop (rmt:get-count-tests-running-for-run-id run-id) num-running))))
     ;; LET* ((test-record
     ;; we get here on "drop through". All done!
     (debug:print-info 1 "All tests launched")))

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -51,10 +51,13 @@
       (vector-ref *task-db* 1)
       (let* ((linktree     (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree"))
 	     (dbpath       (conc linktree "/.db/monitor.db")))
 	dbpath)))
 
+(define (tasks:wait-on-busy-monitor.db)
+  (tasks:wait-on-journal (tasks:get-task-db-path) 30))
+
 ;; If file exists AND
 ;;    file readable
 ;;         ==> open it
 ;; If file exists AND
 ;;    file NOT readable