Index: api.scm
==================================================================
--- api.scm
+++ api.scm
@@ -125,11 +125,11 @@
      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* " message: "  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))       
      (vector #f (vector exn call-chain dat))) ;; return some stuff for debug if an exception happens
    (cond
     ((not (vector? dat))                    ;; it is an error to not receive a vector
      (vector #f #f "remote must be called with a vector")       )
-    ((> *api-process-request-count* 25)
+    ((> *api-process-request-count* 20)
      (vector #f 'overloaded))
     (else  
      (let* ((cmd-in (vector-ref dat 0))
             (cmd    (if (symbol? cmd-in)
                         cmd-in

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -167,11 +167,12 @@
 	       (not (remote-conndat runremote)))
 	  (and (not (cdr (remote-hh-dat runremote)))        ;; not on a homehost 
 	       (not (remote-conndat runremote))))           ;; and no connection
       (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case  6  hh-dat: " (remote-hh-dat runremote) " conndat: " (remote-conndat runremote))
       (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
-      (server:start-and-wait *toppath*)
+      (if (not (server:check-if-running *toppath*)) ;; who knows, maybe one has started up?
+	  (server:start-and-wait *toppath*))
       (remote-force-server-set! runremote (common:force-server?))
       (remote-conndat-set! runremote (rmt:get-connection-info *toppath*)) ;; calls client:setup which calls client:setup-http
       (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params attemptnum: attemptnum)) ;; TODO: add back-off timeout as
      ;; all set up if get this far, dispatch the query
      ((and (not (remote-force-server runremote))
@@ -217,11 +218,12 @@
 		  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: communication failed. Trying again, try num: " attemptnum)
 		  (remote-conndat-set!    runremote #f)
 		  (remote-server-url-set! runremote #f)
 		  (debug:print-info 12 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive, case  9.1")
 		  (mutex-unlock! *rmt-mutex*)
-		  (server:start-and-wait *toppath*)
+		  (if (not (server:check-if-running *toppath*))
+		      (server:start-and-wait *toppath*))
 		  (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params attemptnum: (+ attemptnum 1))))))))))
 
 ;; (define (rmt:update-db-stats run-id rawcmd params duration)
 ;;   (mutex-lock! *db-stats-mutex*)
 ;;   (handle-exceptions