Index: api.scm
==================================================================
--- api.scm
+++ api.scm
@@ -312,14 +312,37 @@
 	   (api:unregister-thread (current-thread))
 	   payload))
 	(else
 	 (assert #f "FATAL: failed to deserialize indat "indat))))))
        
+(define *last-refresh-of-dbs* 0)
+(define *db-starts-running* #f)
 
 (define (api:dispatch-request dbstruct cmd run-id params)
-  (if (not *no-sync-db*)
-      (db:open-no-sync-db))
+  (if (not *no-sync-db*)(db:open-no-sync-db))
+
+  (thread-start!
+   (make-thread
+    (lambda ()
+      (if (and (not *db-starts-running*)
+	       (not run-id) ;; i.e. we are mainl.db
+	       (> (- (current-seconds) *last-refresh-of-dbs*) 20))
+	  (set! *db-starts-running* #t)
+	  (let loop ((dbnum 10))
+	    (let* ((dbname     (conc dbnum".db")) ;; Yes, this is correct, use dbnum directly
+		   (candidates (dbfile:get-process-options *no-sync-db* "server" dbname)))
+	      (if (null? candidates)
+		  ;; start a server for this dbfile
+		  (tt:server-process-run
+		   *toppath*
+		   (common:get-testsuite-name)
+		   (common:find-local-megatest)
+		   dbname)))
+	    (thread-sleep! 0.5)
+	    (if (> dbnum 0)(loop (- dbnum 1)))
+	    (set! *db-starts-running* #f)
+	    (set! *last-refresh-of-dbs* (current-seconds)))))))
   (case cmd
     ;;===============================================
     ;; READ/WRITE QUERIES
     ;;===============================================
 

Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -580,10 +580,11 @@
 		   host port pid starttime endtime status purpose dbname mtversion))
 
 (define (dbfile:set-process-status nsdb host pid newstatus)
   (sqlite3:execute nsdb "UPDATE processes SET status=? WHERE host=? AND pid=?;" newstatus host pid))
 
+;; get list of process records to examine for suitabliity of connecting to
 (define (dbfile:get-process-options nsdb purpose dbname)
   (sqlite3:fold-row
    ;; host port pid starttime status mtversion
    (lambda (res . row)
      (cons row res))

Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -138,11 +138,12 @@
 	 (server-start-proc (lambda ()
 			      (tt:server-process-run
 			       (tt-areapath ttdat)
 			       testsuite ;; (dbfile:testsuite-name)
 			       (common:find-local-megatest)
-			       run-id))))
+			       dbfname ;; run-id
+			       ))))
     (if conn
 	(begin 
           ; (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "already connected to the server")
            conn) ;; we are already connected to the server
 	(let* ((sdat (tt:get-current-server-info ttdat dbfname)))
@@ -755,16 +756,18 @@
 ;; Given an area path,  start a server process    ### NOTE ### > file 2>&1 
 ;; if the target-host is set 
 ;; try running on that host
 ;;   incidental: rotate logs in logs/ dir.
 ;;
-(define  (tt:server-process-run areapath testsuite mtexe run-id #!key (profile-mode "")) ;; areapath is *toppath* for a given testsuite area
+(define  (tt:server-process-run areapath testsuite mtexe
+				dbfname ;; run-id
+				#!key (profile-mode "")) ;; areapath is *toppath* for a given testsuite area
   (assert areapath  "FATAL: tt:server-process-run called without areapath defined.")
   (assert testsuite "FATAL: tt:server-process-run called without testsuite defined.")
   (assert mtexe     "FATAL: tt:server-process-run called without mtexe defined.")
   ;; mtest -server - -m testsuite:ext-tests -db 6.db
-  (let* ((dbfname  (dbmod:run-id->dbfname run-id))
+  (let* (;; (dbfname  (dbmod:run-id->dbfname run-id))
 	 (load     (get-normalized-cpu-load))
 	 (trying   (length (tt:find-server areapath dbfname)))
 	 (nrun     (number-of-processes-running (conc "mtest.*server.*"testsuite".*"dbfname))))
     (cond
      ((> load 2.0)