Index: dbmod.scm
==================================================================
--- dbmod.scm
+++ dbmod.scm
@@ -1944,20 +1944,29 @@
                 (null? toplevels))
            #f
            #t)))))
 
 (define (db:get-status-from-final-status-file run-dir)
-  (let ((infile (conc run-dir "/.final-status")))
+  (let* ((infile (conc run-dir "/.final-status"))
+	 (found  (file-exists? infile)))
     ;; first verify we are able to write the output file
-    (if (and (file-exists? infile)
-	     (not (file-readable? infile)))
-        (begin 
-	  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: cannot read " infile)
-          (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: run-dir is " run-dir)
-          #f)
-        (with-input-from-file infile read-lines))))
-
+    (cond
+     ((not found) #f)
+     ((and (file-exists? infile)
+	   (not (file-readable? infile)))
+      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: cannot read " infile)
+      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: run-dir is " run-dir)
+      #f)
+     (else
+      (let ((res (condition-case
+		  (with-input-from-file infile read-lines)
+		  (exn (i/o file) #f))))
+	(cond
+	 ((equal? res "#!eof") #f)
+	 ((eof-object? res)    #f)
+	 (else res)))))))
+     
 ;;  select end_time-now from
 ;;      (select testname,item_path,event_time+run_duration as
 ;;                          end_time,strftime('%s','now') as now from tests where state in
 ;;      ('RUNNING','REMOTEHOSTSTART','LAUNCHED'));