Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -1188,12 +1188,13 @@
 		(set! res #f))))    ;; overrides -no-cache switch
     res))
   
 ;; force use of server?
 ;;
+(define *common:local-force-server* #f)
 (define (common:force-server?)
-  (let* ((force-setting (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "force"))
+  (let* ((force-setting (or *common:local-force-server* (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "force")))
 	 (force-type    (if force-setting (string->symbol force-setting) #f))
 	 (force-result  (case force-type
 			  ((#f)     #f)
 			  ((always) #t)
 			  ((test)   (if (args:get-arg "-execute") ;; we are in a test

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -1316,11 +1316,20 @@
 ;; 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)
 ;;    - could be netbatch
 ;;      (launch-test db (cadr status) test-conf))
-(define (launch-test test-id run-id run-info keyvals runname test-conf test-name test-path itemdat params)
+
+(define (launch-test . args)
+  (let ((child-pid (process-fork)))
+    (if (zero? child-pid)
+        (begin
+          (set! *common:local-force-server* 'always)
+          (apply launch-test-inner args))
+        #t)))
+
+(define (launch-test-inner test-id run-id run-info keyvals runname test-conf test-name test-path itemdat params)
   (mutex-lock! *launch-setup-mutex*) ;; setting variables and processing the testconfig is NOT thread-safe, reuse the launch-setup mutex
   (let* ( ;; (lock-key        (conc "test-" test-id))
 	;; (got-lock        (let loop ((lock        (rmt:no-sync-get-lock lock-key))
 	;; 			     (expire-time (+ (current-seconds) 15))) ;; give up on getting the lock and steal it after 15 seconds
 	;; 		    (if (car lock)