Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -299,10 +299,11 @@
 	(handle-exceptions
 	 exn
 	 (begin 
 	   (debug:print 0 "WARNING: database files may not have been closed correctly. Consider running -cleanup-db")
 	   (debug:print 0 " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+	   (debug:print 0 " db: " rundb)
 	   (print-call-chain)
 	   #f)
 	 (sqlite3:interrupt! rundb)
 	 (sqlite3:finalize! rundb #t))))
   ;; (mutex-unlock! *db-sync-mutex*)

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@
 ;;  PURPOSE.
 
 ;; (include "common.scm")
 ;; (include "megatest-version.scm")
 
-(use sqlite3 srfi-1 posix regex regex-case srfi-69 base64 format readline apropos json http-client directory-utils z3) ;; (srfi 18) extras)
+(use sqlite3 srfi-1 posix regex regex-case srfi-69 base64 format readline apropos json 
+     http-client directory-utils z3 srfi-18) ;;  extras)
+
 (import (prefix sqlite3 sqlite3:))
 (import (prefix base64 base64:))
 
 ;; (use zmq)
 
@@ -278,10 +280,44 @@
 			"-v" ;; verbose 2, more than normal (normal is 1)
 			"-q" ;; quiet 0, errors/warnings only
 		       )
 		 args:arg-hash
 		 0))
+
+;; The watchdog is to keep an eye on things like db sync etc.
+;;
+(define *watchdog*
+  (make-thread 
+   (lambda ()
+     (let loop ()
+       (thread-sleep! 5) ;; five second resolution is only a minor burden and should be tolerable 
+
+       ;; sync for filesystem local db writes
+       ;;
+       (let ((start-time (current-seconds)))
+	 (mutex-lock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*)
+	 (for-each 
+	  (lambda (run-id)
+	    (let ((last-write (hash-table-ref/default *db-local-sync* run-id 0)))
+	      (if ;; (and 
+	       (> (- start-time last-write) 5) ;; every five seconds
+	       ;;      (common:db-access-allowed?))
+	       (begin
+		 (db:multi-db-sync (list run-id) 'new2old)
+		 (if (common:low-noise-print 30 "sync new to old")
+		     (debug:print-info 0 "Sync of newdb to olddb for run-id " run-id " completed in " (- (current-seconds) start-time) " seconds"))
+		 (hash-table-delete! *db-local-sync* run-id)))))
+	  (hash-table-keys *db-local-sync*))
+	 (mutex-unlock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*))
+       
+       ;; keep going unless time to exit
+       ;;
+       (if (not *time-to-exit*)
+	   (loop))))
+   "Watchdog thread"))
+
+(thread-start! *watchdog*)
 
 (define (std-exit-procedure)
   (rmt:print-db-stats)
   (let ((run-ids (hash-table-keys *db-local-sync*)))
     (if (not (null? run-ids))
@@ -1353,10 +1389,13 @@
 (if *runremote* (close-all-connections!))
 
 (if (not *didsomething*)
     (debug:print 0 help))
 
+(set! *time-to-exit* #t)
+(thread-join! *watchdog*)
+
 (if (not (eq? *globalexitstatus* 0))
     (if (or (args:get-arg "-runtests")(args:get-arg "-runall"))
         (begin
            (debug:print 0 "NOTE: Subprocesses with non-zero exit code detected: " *globalexitstatus*)
            (exit 0))

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -153,14 +153,14 @@
 			   (loop (car tal)(cdr tal) newmax-cmd currmax)))))))
     (mutex-unlock! *db-stats-mutex*)
     res))
 	  
 (define (rmt:open-qry-close-locally cmd run-id params)
-  (let* ((dbdir (conc    (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
-	 (dbstruct-local (if *dbstruct-db*
+  (let* ((dbstruct-local (if *dbstruct-db*
 			     *dbstruct-db*
-			     (let ((db (make-dbr:dbstruct path:  dbdir local: #t)))
+			     (let* ((dbdir (conc    (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree") "/.db"))
+				    (db (make-dbr:dbstruct path:  dbdir local: #t)))
 			       (set! *dbstruct-db* db)
 			       db)))
 	 (db-file-path   (db:dbfile-path 0)))
     ;; (read-only      (not (file-read-access? db-file-path)))
     (let* ((start         (current-milliseconds))
@@ -169,20 +169,12 @@
       (rmt:update-db-stats cmd params duration)
       ;; mark this run as dirty if this was a write
       (if (not (member cmd api:read-only-queries))
 	  (let ((start-time (current-seconds)))
 	    (mutex-lock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*)
-	    (let ((last-sync (hash-table-ref/default *db-local-sync* run-id 0)))
-	      (if ;; (and 
-		   (> (- start-time last-sync) 5) ;; every five seconds
-		  ;;      (common:db-access-allowed?))
-		  (begin
-		    ;; MOVE THIS TO A THREAD?
-		    (db:multi-db-sync (list run-id) 'new2old)
-		    (if (common:low-noise-print 30 "sync new to old")
-			(debug:print-info 0 "Sync of newdb to olddb for run-id " run-id " completed in " (- (current-seconds) start-time) " seconds"))
-		    (hash-table-set! *db-local-sync* run-id start-time))))
+	    (if (not (hash-table-ref/default *db-local-sync* run-id #f))
+		(hash-table-set! *db-local-sync* run-id start-time)) ;; the oldest "write"
 	    (mutex-unlock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*)))
       res)))
 
 (define (rmt:send-receive-no-auto-client-setup connection-info cmd run-id params)
   (let* ((run-id   (if run-id run-id 0))