Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -1248,10 +1248,57 @@
 	      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Failed to create work area at " test-path " with link at " lnktarget ", remaining attempts " remtries)
 	      ;; 
 	      (create-work-area run-id run-info keyvals test-id test-src-path disk-path testname itemdat remtries: (- remtries 1)))
 	    (list #f #f)))))
 
+;;
+(define (launch-test-standalone test-work-dir)
+  (when (not (directory-exists? test-work-dir))
+    (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Cannot launch.  test-work-dir for lauched test does not exist, cannot proceed with launch: "test-work-dir)
+    (exit 1))
+  (change-directory test-work-dir)
+  (let* ((launch-dat-file (conc test-work-dir "/launch.dat")))
+    (if (not (common:file-exists? launch-dat-file))
+        ;; error and exit
+        #f
+        (let* ((launch-info  (with-input-from-file launch-dat-file read))
+               (run-id       (alist-ref 'run-id     launch-info))
+               (test-id      (alist-ref 'test-id    launch-info))
+               (work-area    (alist-ref 'work-area  launch-info))
+               (fullcmd      (alist-ref 'fullcmd    launch-info))
+               (launchwait   (alist-ref 'launchwait launch-info))
+               (useshell     (alist-ref 'useshell   launch-info))
+               (launch-results-prev
+                (apply (if launchwait ;; BB: TODO: refactor this to examine return code of launcher, if nonzero, set state to launch failed.
+                           process:cmd-run-with-stderr-and-exitcode->list
+                           process-run)
+                       (if useshell
+                           (let ((cmdstr (string-intersperse fullcmd " ")))
+                             (if launchwait
+                                 cmdstr
+                                 (conc cmdstr " >> mt_launch.log 2>&1 &")))
+                           (car fullcmd))
+                       (if useshell
+					'()
+					(cdr fullcmd))))
+               (success
+                (if launchwait (equal? 0 (cadr launch-results-prev)) #t))
+               (exit-code (if launchwait (cadr launch-results-prev) 0))
+               )
+          (if success
+              (tests:test-set-status! run-id test-id "LAUNCHED" "enqueued" #f #f) 
+              (tests:test-set-status! run-id test-id "COMPLETED" "DEAD" "launcher failed; exited non-zero; check mt_launch.log" #f))
+          (with-output-to-file "mt_launch.log"
+            (lambda ()
+              (print "LAUNCHCMD: " (string-intersperse fullcmd " "))
+              (print "exit code => "exit-code)
+              
+              #:append))
+          (debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "Launching completed, updating db")
+          (debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "Launcher exit code: " exit-code)
+          success))))
+
 ;; 1. look though disks list for disk with most space
 ;; 2. create run dir on disk, path name is meaningful
 ;; 3. create link from run dir to megatest runs area 
 ;; 4. remotely run the test on allocated host
 ;;    - could be ssh to host from hosts table (update regularly with load)
@@ -1280,11 +1327,11 @@
 	  (begin
 	    (if (common:low-noise-print 1200 "test launch delay") ;; every two hours or so remind the user about launch delay.
 		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "NOTE: test launches are delayed by " launch-delay " seconds. See megatest.config launch-delay setting to adjust.")) ;; launch of " test-name " for " (- launch-delay delta) " seconds"))
 	    (thread-sleep! (- launch-delay delta))
 	    (loop (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*) launch-delay))))
-    (change-directory *toppath*)
+    ;;(change-directory *toppath*)
     (alist->env-vars ;; consolidate this code with the code in megatest.scm for "-execute", *maybe* - the longer they are set the longer each launch takes (must be non-overlapping with the vars)
      (append
       (list
        (list "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
        (list "MT_TEST_NAME" test-name)
@@ -1433,50 +1480,31 @@
 				      itemdat)))
 	     (testprevvals   (alist->env-vars
 			      (hash-table-ref/default tconfig "pre-launch-env-overrides" '())))
 	     ;; Launchwait defaults to true, must override it to turn off wait
 	     (launchwait     (if (equal? (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "launchwait") "no") #f #t))
-	     (launch-results (apply (if launchwait ;; BB: TODO: refactor this to examine return code of launcher, if nonzero, set state to launch failed.
-					process:cmd-run-with-stderr->list
-					process-run)
-				    (if useshell
-					(let ((cmdstr (string-intersperse fullcmd " ")))
-					  (if launchwait
-					      cmdstr
-					      (conc cmdstr " >> mt_launch.log 2>&1 &")))
-					(car fullcmd))
-				    (if useshell
-					'()
-					(cdr fullcmd)))))
-        (mutex-unlock! *launch-setup-mutex*) ;; yes, really should mutex all the way to here. Need to put this entire process into a fork.
-	;; (rmt:no-sync-del! lock-key)         ;; release the lock for starting this test
-	(if (not launchwait) ;; give the OS a little time to allow the process to start
-	    (thread-sleep! 0.01))
-	(with-output-to-file "mt_launch.log"
-	  (lambda ()
-	    (print "LAUNCHCMD: " (string-intersperse fullcmd " "))
-	    (if (list? launch-results)
-		(apply print launch-results)
-		(print "NOTE: launched \"" fullcmd "\"\n  but did not wait for it to proceed. Add the following to megatest.config \n[setup]\nlaunchwait yes\n  if you have problems with this"))
-	    #:append))
-	(debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "Launching completed, updating db")
-	(debug:print 2 *default-log-port* "Launch results: " launch-results)
-	(if (not launch-results)
-	    (begin
-	      (print "ERROR: Failed to run " (string-intersperse fullcmd " ") ", exiting now")
-	      ;; (sqlite3:finalize! db)
-	      ;; good ole "exit" seems not to work
-	      ;; (_exit 9)
-	      ;; but this hack will work! Thanks go to Alan Post of the Chicken email list
-	      ;; NB// Is this still needed? Should be safe to go back to "exit" now?
-	      (process-signal (current-process-id) signal/kill)
-	      ))
-	(alist->env-vars miscprevvals)
+             (launch-info    (list
+                              (cons 'run-id     run-id)
+                              (cons 'test-id    test-id)
+                              (cons 'work-area  work-area)
+                              (cons 'fullcmd    fullcmd)
+                              (cons 'launchwait launchwait)
+                              (cons 'useshell   useshell)))
+             (launch-dat-file (conc work-area "/launch.dat"))
+             (write-result    (with-output-to-file launch-dat-file
+                               (lambda () (pp launch-info))))
+             (launch-cmd             (conc "megatest -start-dir "*toppath*" -internal-launch-test "work-area" &"))
+	     )
+
+        (system launch-cmd)
+
+        (alist->env-vars miscprevvals)
 	(alist->env-vars testprevvals)
 	(alist->env-vars commonprevvals)
-	launch-results))
-    (change-directory *toppath*)))
+        (change-directory *toppath*)
+        (mutex-unlock! *launch-setup-mutex*) ;; yes, really should mutex all the way to here. Need to put this entire process into a fork.
+        write-result))))
 
 ;; recover a test where the top controlling mtest may have died
 ;;
 (define (launch:recover-test run-id test-id)
   ;; this function is called on the test run host via ssh

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -277,10 +277,11 @@
 			"-m"
 			"-rerun"
 			"-days"
 			"-rename-run"
 			"-to"
+                        "-internal-launch-test" 
 			;; values and messages
 			":category"
 			":variable"
 			":value"
 			":expected"
@@ -1688,10 +1689,21 @@
      (lambda (target runname keys keyvals)
        (runs:rollup-run keys
 			keyvals
 			(or (args:get-arg "-runname")(args:get-arg ":runname") )
 			user))))
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; launch test in separate call; takes test run dir as argument.
+;;======================================================================
+(if (args:get-arg "-internal-launch-test")
+    (let ((toppath  (launch:setup)))
+      (launch-test-standalone (args:get-arg "-internal-launch-test"))
+      (set! *didsomething* #t)))
+
+
+
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Lock or unlock a run
 ;;======================================================================
 

Index: process.scm
==================================================================
--- process.scm
+++ process.scm
@@ -13,11 +13,10 @@
 ;; Process convience utils
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (use regex)
 (declare (unit process))
-;;(declare (uses common))
 
 (define (process:conservative-read port)
   (let loop ((res ""))
     (if (not (eof-object? (peek-char port)))
 	(loop (conc res (read-char port)))
@@ -45,10 +44,36 @@
 	   (begin
 	     (close-input-port fh)
 	     (close-input-port fhe)
 	     (close-output-port fho)
 	     result))))) ;; )
+
+(define (process:cmd-run-with-stderr-and-exitcode->list cmd . params)
+  ;; (print "Called with cmd=" cmd ", proc=" proc ", params=" params)
+;;  (handle-exceptions
+;;   exn
+;;   (begin
+;;     (print "ERROR:  Failed to run command: " cmd " " (string-intersperse params " "))
+;;     (print "       " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+;;     #f)
+   (let-values (((fh fho pid fhe) (if (null? params)
+				      (process* cmd)
+				      (process* cmd params))))
+       (let loop ((curr (read-line fh))
+		  (result  '()))
+	 (let ((errstr (process:conservative-read fhe)))
+	   (if (not (string=? errstr ""))
+	       (set! result (append result (list errstr)))))
+       (if (not (eof-object? curr))
+	   (loop (read-line fh)
+		 (append result (list curr)))
+	   (begin
+	     ;(close-input-port fh)
+	     ;(close-input-port fhe)
+	     ;(close-output-port fho)
+             (let-values (((anotherpid normalexit? exitstatus)  (process-wait pid)))
+               (list result (if normalexit? exitstatus -1))))))))
 
 (define (process:cmd-run-proc-each-line cmd proc . params)
   ;; (print "Called with cmd=" cmd ", proc=" proc ", params=" params)
   (handle-exceptions
    exn