Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -435,21 +435,32 @@
 							    start-seconds)))))
 					(kill-tries 0))
 				   ;; (tests:set-full-meta-info #f test-id run-id (calc-minutes) work-area)
 				   ;; (tests:set-full-meta-info test-id run-id (calc-minutes) work-area)
 				   (tests:set-full-meta-info #f test-id run-id (calc-minutes) work-area 10)
-				   (let loop ((minutes   (calc-minutes)))
-				     (begin
+				   (let loop ((minutes   (calc-minutes))
+					      (cpu-load  (get-cpu-load))
+					      (disk-free (get-df (current-directory))))
+				     (let ((new-cpu-load (let* ((load  (get-cpu-load))
+								(delta (abs (- load cpu-load))))
+							   (if (> delta 0.6) ;; don't bother updating with small changes
+							       load
+							       #f)))
+					   (new-disk-free (let* ((df    (get-df (current-directory)))
+								 (delta (abs (- df disk-free))))
+							    (if (> delta 200) ;; ignore changes under 200 Meg
+								df
+								#f))))
 				       (set! kill-job? (or (test-get-kill-request run-id test-id) ;; run-id test-name itemdat))
 							   (and runtlim (let* ((run-seconds   (- (current-seconds) start-seconds))
 									       (time-exceeded (> run-seconds runtlim)))
 									  (if time-exceeded
 									      (begin
 										(debug:print-info 0 "KILLING TEST DUE TO TIME LIMIT EXCEEDED! Runtime=" run-seconds " seconds, limit=" runtlim)
 										#t)
 									      #f)))))
-				       (tests:update-central-meta-info run-id test-id (get-cpu-load) (get-df (current-directory))(calc-minutes) #f #f)
+				       (tests:update-central-meta-info run-id test-id new-cpu-load new-disk-free (calc-minutes) #f #f)
 				       (if kill-job? 
 					   (begin
 					     (mutex-lock! m)
 					     ;; NOTE: The pid can change as different steps are run. Do we need handshaking between this
 					     ;;       section and the runit section? Or add a loop that tries three times with a 1/4 second
@@ -492,12 +503,12 @@
 					     ;; no point in sticking around. Exit now.
 					     (exit)))
 				       (if keep-going
 					   (begin
 					     (thread-sleep! 3) ;; (+ 3 (random 6))) ;; add some jitter to the call home time to spread out the db accesses
-					     (if keep-going
-						 (loop (calc-minutes)))))))
+					     (if keep-going    ;; keep originals for cpu-load and disk-free unless they change more than the allowed delta
+						 (loop (calc-minutes) (or new-cpu-load cpu-load) (or new-disk-free disk-free)))))))
 				   (tests:update-central-meta-info run-id test-id (get-cpu-load) (get-df (current-directory))(calc-minutes) #f #f)))) ;; NOTE: Checking twice for keep-going is intentional
 		 (th1          (make-thread monitorjob "monitor job"))
 		 (th2          (make-thread runit "run job")))
 	    (set! job-thread th2)
 	    (thread-start! th1)

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -1073,11 +1073,12 @@
 	 "SELECT count(id) FROM test_rundat;")
 	res))
   0)
 
 (define (tests:update-central-meta-info run-id test-id cpuload diskfree minutes uname hostname)
-  (rmt:general-call 'update-cpuload-diskfree run-id cpuload diskfree test-id)
+  (if (and cpuload diskfree)
+      (rmt:general-call 'update-cpuload-diskfree run-id cpuload diskfree test-id))
   (if minutes 
       (rmt:general-call 'update-run-duration run-id minutes test-id))
   (if (and uname hostname)
       (rmt:general-call 'update-uname-host run-id uname hostname test-id)))