Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -296,14 +296,14 @@
 
 (define (tt:get-server-threads dat)
   (let* ((host (car  dat))
 	 (port (cadr dat))
 	 (dat  (tt:get-server-meta host port #t))
-	 (meta (car dat)))
+	 (meta (if dat (car dat) #f)))
     (if (list? meta)
-	(alist-ref 'sload meta)
-	#f)))
+	(or (alist-ref 'sload meta) 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))
   (let* ((get-meta (lambda ()
@@ -316,23 +316,24 @@
 	  (tt:timed-ping host port #f)
 	  (get-meta))
 	meta)))
 
 (define (tt:wait-on-server-load run-id ttdat)
-  (let* ((dbfname                 (dbmod:run-id->dbfname run-id))
-	 (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))))
-	(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Can't wait on server load, *ttdat* not set"))))
+  (if ttdat ;; if no server yet just pass on through
+      (let* ((dbfname                 (dbmod:run-id->dbfname run-id))
+	     (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))))
+	    (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 ()
 		       (if (> tries-left 0)