Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -982,23 +982,36 @@
   (rmt:send-receive 'test-set-archive-block-id run-id (list run-id test-id archive-block-id)))
 
 (define (rmt:test-get-archive-block-info archive-block-id)
   (rmt:send-receive 'test-get-archive-block-info #f (list archive-block-id)))
 
-
 (define (rmtmod:calc-ro-mode runremote *toppath*)
-  (if (and runremote
-	   (remote-ro-mode-checked runremote))
-      (remote-ro-mode runremote)
-      (let* ((mtcfgfile  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.config"))
-	     (ro-mode (not (file-write-access? mtcfgfile)))) ;; TODO: use dbstruct or runremote to figure this out in future
-	(if runremote
-	    (begin
-	      (remote-ro-mode-set! runremote ro-mode)
-	      (remote-ro-mode-checked-set! runremote #t)
-	      ro-mode)
-	    ro-mode))))
+  (case (rmt:transport-mode)
+    ((http)
+     (if (and runremote
+	      (remote-ro-mode-checked runremote))
+	 (remote-ro-mode runremote)
+	 (let* ((mtcfgfile  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.config"))
+		(ro-mode (not (file-write-access? mtcfgfile)))) ;; TODO: use dbstruct or runremote to figure this out in future
+	   (if runremote
+	       (begin
+		 (remote-ro-mode-set! runremote ro-mode)
+		 (remote-ro-mode-checked-set! runremote #t)
+		 ro-mode)
+	       ro-mode))))
+    ((tcp)
+     (if (and runremote
+	      (tt-ro-mode-checked runremote))
+	 (tt-ro-mode runremote)
+	 (let* ((mtcfgfile  (conc *toppath* "/megatest.config"))
+		(ro-mode (not (file-write-access? mtcfgfile)))) ;; TODO: use dbstruct or runremote to figure this out in future
+	   (if runremote
+	       (begin
+		 (tt-ro-mode-set! runremote ro-mode)
+		 (tt-ro-mode-checked-set! runremote #t)
+		 ro-mode)
+	       ro-mode))))))
 
 (define (extras-readonly-mode rmt-mutex log-port cmd params)
   (mutex-unlock! rmt-mutex)
   (debug:print-info 12 log-port "rmt:send-receive, case 3")
   (debug:print 0 log-port "WARNING: write transaction requested on a readonly area.  cmd="cmd" params="params)

Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -94,10 +94,12 @@
   (handler      #f) ;; receives data and responds
   (socket       #f)
   (thread       #f)
   (host-port    #f)
   (cmd-thread   #f)
+  (ro-mode      #f)
+  (ro-mode-checked #f)
   (last-access  (current-seconds))
   )
 
 (define (tt:make-remote areapath)
   (make-tt areapath: areapath))
@@ -179,11 +181,16 @@
 		(thread-sleep! 1)
 		(tt:handler  ttdat cmd run-id params attemptnum area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))
 	       (else
 		result)))
 	    (else
-	     (assert #f "FATAL: tt:handler received bad data "res))))
+	     (if (not res)
+		 (begin ;; server likely died
+		   (hash-table-set! (tt-conns ttdat) dbfname #f)
+		   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: connection to server broken, reconnecting.")
+		   (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params attemptnum area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))
+		 (assert #f "FATAL: tt:handler received bad data "res)))))
 	(begin
 	  (thread-sleep! 1) ;; give it a rest and try again
 	  (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params attemptnum area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe)))))
 
 	;; no conn yet, find and or start and find a server