Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -73,11 +73,11 @@
 	 (dbexists  (file-exists? dbpath))
 	 (write-access (file-write-access? dbpath))
 	 (db        (sqlite3:open-database dbpath)) ;; (never-give-up-open-db dbpath))
 	 (handler   (make-busy-timeout (if (args:get-arg "-override-timeout")
 					   (string->number (args:get-arg "-override-timeout"))
-					   136000)))) ;; 136000))) ;; 136000 = 2.2 minutes
+					   30)))) ;; 136000))) ;; 136000 = 2.2 minutes
     (if (and dbexists
 	     (not write-access))
 	(set! *db-write-access* write-access)) ;; only unset so other db's also can use this control
     (debug:print-info 11 "open-db, dbpath=" dbpath " argv=" (argv))
     (if write-access (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db handler))
@@ -110,16 +110,16 @@
    (begin
      (debug:print 0 "EXCEPTION: database probably overloaded or unreadable.")
      (debug:print 0 "  " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
      (print-call-chain)
      (thread-sleep! (random 120))
-     (debug:print-info 0 "trying db call one more time....")
+     (debug:print-info 0 "trying db call one more time....this may never recover, if necessary kill process " (current-process-id) " on host " (current-host-name) " to clean up")
      (apply open-run-close-no-exception-handling proc idb params))
    (apply open-run-close-no-exception-handling proc idb params)))
 
 ;; (define open-run-close open-run-close-exception-handling)
-(define open-run-close open-run-close-no-exception-handling)
+(define open-run-close open-run-close-exception-handling)
 
 (define *global-delta* 0)
 (define *last-global-delta-printed* 0)
 
 (define (open-run-close-measure  proc idb . params)
@@ -271,11 +271,12 @@
 	   (set! db (sqlite3:open-database ":memory:"))) ;; open an in-memory db to allow readonly access 
 	 (set! db (sqlite3:open-database dbpath)))
 	(if *db-write-access* (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db handler))
 	(if (not dbexists)
 	    (begin
-	      (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = FULL;")
+	      ;; Why use FULL here? This data is not that critical
+	      ;; (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = FULL;")
 	      (debug:print-info 11 "Initialized test database " dbpath)
 	      (db:testdb-initialize db)))
 	;; (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")
 	(debug:print-info 11 "open-test-db END (sucessful)" work-area)
 	;; now let's test that everything is correct

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -461,22 +461,25 @@
              ;;    		 prereqstrs))
 	     (give-up    #f))
 
 	;; We can get here when a prereq has not been run due to *it* having a prereq that failed.
 	;; We need to use this to dequeue this item as CANNOTRUN
-	(for-each (lambda (prereq)
-		    (if (eq? (hash-table-ref/default test-registry prereq 'justfine) 'CANNOTRUN)
-			(set! give-up #t)))
-		  prereqstrs)
+	;; 
+	(if (member testmode '(toplevel))
+	    (for-each (lambda (prereq)
+			(if (eq? (hash-table-ref/default test-registry prereq 'justfine) 'CANNOTRUN)
+			    (set! give-up #t)))
+		      prereqstrs))
+
 	(if (and give-up
 		 (not (and (null? tal)(null? reg))))
 	    (let ((trimmed-tal (mt:discard-blocked-tests run-id hed tal test-records))
 		  (trimmed-reg (mt:discard-blocked-tests run-id hed reg test-records)))
 	      (debug:print 1 "WARNING: test " hed " has discarded prerequisites, removing it from the queue")
 
 	      (let ((test-id (cdb:remote-run db:get-test-id-cached #f run-id hed "")))
-		(mt:test-set-state-status-by-id test-id "DEQUED" "PREQ_FAIL" "Failed to run due to failed prerequisites"))
+		(mt:test-set-state-status-by-id test-id "DEQUEUED" "PREQ_FAIL" "Failed to run due to failed prerequisites"))
 	      
 	      (if (and (null? trimmed-tal)
 		       (null? trimmed-reg))
 		  #f
 		  (list (runs:queue-next-hed trimmed-tal trimmed-reg reglen regfull)