Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -1408,13 +1408,16 @@
 	(let ((res (proc)))
 	  (dbfile:simple-file-release-lock fname)
 	  res)
         (begin
           (dbfile:print-err "dbfile:with-simple-file-lock: " fname " is locked by "
-			    (with-input-from-file fname
-			      (lambda ()
-				(dbfile:print-err (read-line)))))
+			    (handle-exceptions
+				exn
+				"unreadable"
+			      (with-input-from-file fname
+				(lambda ()
+				  (read-line)))))
           (dbfile:print-err "wait time = " (- end-time start-time))
 	  (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: simple file lock could not get a lock for " fname " in " expire-time " seconds")
 	  (if run-anyway
 	      (let ((res (proc)))
 		(dbfile:simple-file-release-lock fname)

Index: dbmod.scm
==================================================================
--- dbmod.scm
+++ dbmod.scm
@@ -531,26 +531,33 @@
 		    (start-ms   (current-milliseconds))
 		    (new-ids    (sqlite3:fold-row (lambda (res id)(cons id res)) '() dbh newrec)))
 	       ;; (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Got "(length aux-ids)" in aux-ids and "(length main-ids)" in main-ids")
 	       (update-changed (length new-ids) table "new records")
 	       (mutex-lock! *db-transaction-mutex*)
-	       (sqlite3:with-transaction
-		dbh
-		(lambda ()
-		  (for-each (lambda (id)
-			      (sqlite3:execute dbh stmt2 id))
-			    new-ids)))
+	       (handle-exceptions
+		   exn
+		   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Transaction update of "table" failed.")
+		 (sqlite3:with-transaction
+		  dbh
+		  (lambda ()
+		    (for-each (lambda (id)
+				(sqlite3:execute dbh stmt2 id))
+			      new-ids))))
+	       
 	       (if (member "last_update" fields)
-		   (sqlite3:with-transaction
-		    dbh
-		    (lambda ()
-		      (let* ((changed-ids  (sqlite3:fold-row (lambda (res id)(cons id res)) '() dbh changedrec)))
-			(update-changed (length changed-ids) table "changed records")
-			(for-each (lambda (id)
-				    (sqlite3:execute dbh stmt9 id id))
-				  changed-ids)))))
-	       
+		   (handle-exceptions
+		       exn
+		       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Transaction update of "table" failed.")
+		     (sqlite3:with-transaction
+		      dbh
+		      (lambda ()
+			(let* ((changed-ids  (sqlite3:fold-row (lambda (res id)(cons id res)) '() dbh changedrec)))
+			  (update-changed (length changed-ids) table "changed records")
+			  (for-each (lambda (id)
+				      (sqlite3:execute dbh stmt9 id id))
+				    changed-ids))))))
+		   
 	       (mutex-unlock! *db-transaction-mutex*)
 	       
 	       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Synced table "table
 	        	    " in "(- (current-milliseconds) start-ms)"ms")