Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -71,23 +71,29 @@
 		    (if (common:low-noise-print 60 "tests:get-tests-search-path" d)
 			(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: problem with directory " d ", dropping it from tests path"))
 		    #f)))
 	    (append paths (list (conc *toppath* "/tests"))))))
 
+;; on each filesystem operation, try twice due to NFS seemingly flakiness
+;;
 (define (tests:get-valid-tests test-registry tests-paths)
   (if (null? tests-paths) 
       test-registry
       (let loop ((hed (car tests-paths))
 		 (tal (cdr tests-paths)))
-	(if (common:file-exists? hed)
+	(if (common:file-exists? hed tries: 2)
 	    (for-each (lambda (test-path)
 			(let* ((tname   (last (string-split test-path "/")))
 			       (tconfig (conc test-path "/testconfig")))
 			  (if (and (not (hash-table-ref/default test-registry tname #f))
-				   (common:file-exists? tconfig))
+				   (common:file-exists? tconfig tries: 2))
 			      (hash-table-set! test-registry tname test-path))))
-		      (glob (conc hed "/*"))))
+		      (or (common:false-on-exception
+			   (lambda ()(glob (conc hed "/*")))
+			   message: (conc "Problem listing files in " hed)
+			   tries: 2)
+			  '())))
 	(if (null? tal)
 	    test-registry
 	    (loop (car tal)(cdr tal))))))
 
 (define (tests:filter-test-names-not-matched test-names test-patts)