Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -541,15 +541,13 @@
    (lambda ()
      (condition-case
       (let* ((curr-val (db:no-sync-get/default db keyname #f)))
 	(if curr-val
 	    (match (db:extract-time-identifier curr-val) ;; result->timestamp, identifier
-	       ((timestamp ident)
-		(if (equal? ident identifier)
-		    (cons #t timestamp)    ;; this *is* my lock
-		    (cons #f timestamp)))  ;; nope, not my lock
-	       (else (cons #f #f)))  ;; nope, not my lock
+	       ((timestamp . ident)
+		(cons (equal? ident identifier) timestamp))
+	       (else (cons #f 'malformed-lock)))  ;; lock malformed
 	    (let ((curr-sec (current-seconds))
 		  (lock-value (if identifier
 				  (conc (current-seconds)"+"identifier)
 				  (current-seconds))))
 	      (sqlite3:execute db "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO no_sync_metadat (var,val) VALUES(?,?);" keyname lock-value)
@@ -559,12 +557,32 @@
       (exn (busy)      (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: database no-sync db is locked. Try copying to another location, remove original and copy back."))
       (exn (permission)(dbfile:print-err "ERROR: database no-sync db has some permissions problem."))
       (exn () ;; (status done) ;; I don't know how to detect status done but no data!
 	   (dbfile:print-err "ERROR: Unknown error with database no-sync db message: exn="(condition->list exn)", \n"
 			     ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
-	   #f)))))
+	   (cons #f #f))))))
+
+(define (db:no-sync-check-lock db keyname identifier)
+  (let* ((curr-val (db:no-sync-get/default db keyname #f)))
+    (match (db:extract-time-identifier curr-val) ;; result->timestamp, identifier
+      ((timestamp . ident)
+       (cons (equal? ident identifier) ident))
+      (else  (cons #f 'no-lock)))))
 
+;; get the lock, wait 0.25 seconds and verify still have it.
+;; this should not be necessary given the use of transaction in
+;; db:no-sync-get-lock-with-id but it does seem to be needed
+;;
+(define (db:no-sync-lock-and-check db keyname identifier)
+  (let* ((result  (db:no-sync-get-lock-with-id db keyname identifier))
+	 (gotlock (car result)))
+    (if gotlock
+	(begin
+	  (thread-sleep! 0.25)
+	  (db:no-sync-check-lock db keyname identifier))
+	result)))
+    
 ;; transaction protected lock aquisition
 ;; either:
 ;;    fails    returns  (#f . lock-creation-time)
 ;;    succeeds (returns (#t . lock-creation-time)
 ;; use (db:no-sync-del! db keyname) to release the lock

Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -517,24 +517,23 @@
 		       ((null? servers) #f) ;; not ok
 		       ((equal? (list-ref (car servers) 6) ;; compare the servinfofile
 				(tt-servinf-file ttdat))
 			(let* ((res (if db-locked-in
 					#t
-					(let* ((lock-result
+					(let* ((lock-result  ;; this is the primary lock - need to double verify that got it
 						(dbfile:with-no-sync-db
 						 nosyncdbpath
 						 (lambda (db)
-						   (db:no-sync-get-lock-with-id db dbfname
-										;; (tt-servinf-file ttdat)
-										(dbr:dbstruct-dbtmpname dbstruct)
-										))))
+						   (db:no-sync-lock-and-check db dbfname
+									      (tt-servinf-file ttdat)
+									      ;; (dbr:dbstruct-dbtmpname dbstruct)
+									      ))))
 					       (success (car lock-result)))
 					  (if success
 					      (begin
 						(tt-state-set! ttdat 'running)
-						(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Got server lock for "
-							     dbfname)
+						(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Got server lock for " dbfname)
 						(set! db-locked-in #t)
 						#t)
 					      (begin
 						(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Failed to get server lock for "dbfname)
 						#f))))))