Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -220,11 +220,11 @@
 					      (load-b (tt:get-server-threads b)))
 					 (< load-a load-b))))))))
 				     
 	  ;; (let ((indx (max (random (- (length sdats) 1)) 0)))
 	  ;;    (list-ref sdats indx)))))
-	  (debug:print-info 1 *default-log-port* "found sdat " sdat" from sdats: "sdats)
+	  ;; (debug:print-info 1 *default-log-port* "found sdat " sdat" from sdats: "sdats)
           (match sdat
 	    ((host port start-time server-id pid dbfname2 servinffile)
 	     (assert (equal? dbfname dbfname2) "FATAL: read server info from wrong file.")
              (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "no conn - in match servinffile:" servinffile)
 	     (let* ((host-port (conc host":"port))
@@ -295,14 +295,14 @@
   (hash-table-set! *server-load* (conc host":"port) (cons meta (current-seconds))))
 
 (define (tt:get-server-threads dat)
   (let* ((host (car  dat))
 	 (port (cadr dat))
-	 (dat  (tt:get-server-meta host port #t))
-	 (meta (if dat (car dat) #f)))
-    (if (list? meta)
-	(or (alist-ref 'sload meta) 99998)
+	 (dat  (tt:get-server-meta host port #t)))
+    ;; (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "host: "host" port: "port" dat: "dat)
+    (if (list? dat)
+	(or (alist-ref 'sload dat) 99998)
 	99999))) ;; absurd number means don't use this one
 
 ;; lazy get, does not auto-refresh meta, this might be a problem
 ;;
 (define (tt:get-server-meta host port #!optional (do-ping #f))
@@ -323,16 +323,18 @@
 	     (get-lowest-thread-load
 	      (lambda ()
 		(let* ((sdats (tt:get-server-info-sorted ttdat dbfname)))
 		  (car (map tt:get-server-threads sdats))))))
 	(if ttdat
-	    (let loop ()
-	      (if (> (get-lowest-thread-load) 5) ;; load is pretty high
-		  (begin
-		    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Servers appear overloaded, waiting...")
-		    (thread-sleep! 1)
-		    (loop))))
+	    (let loop ((count 0))
+	      (let* ((lowestload (get-lowest-thread-load)))
+		(if (> lowestload 5) ;; load is pretty high
+		    (begin
+		      (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Servers appear overloaded with "lowestload" threads, waiting...")
+		      (thread-sleep! 1)
+		      (if (< count 10)
+			  (loop (+ count 1)))))))
 	    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Can't wait on server load, *ttdat* not set")))))
 
 (define (tt:ping host port server-id #!optional (tries-left 5))
   (let*  ((res      (tt:send-receive-direct host port `(ping #f #f #f) ping-mode: #t)) ;; please send me your server-id
 	  (try-again (lambda ()