Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -5027,11 +5027,11 @@
 	    (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "watchdog done."))
 	  (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "no need for watchdog on non-homehost"))))
 
 (define (server:writable-watchdog-bruteforce dbstruct)
   (thread-sleep! 1) ;; delay for startup
-  (let* ((do-a-sync  (server:get-bruteforce-syncer dbstruct))
+  #;(let* ((do-a-sync  (server:get-bruteforce-syncer dbstruct))
          (final-sync (server:get-bruteforce-syncer dbstruct fork-to-background: #t persist-until-sync: #t)))
     (when (and (not (args:get-arg "-sync-to-megatest.db")) ;; conditions under which we do not run the sync
 	       (args:get-arg "-server"))
       
       (let loop ()

Index: server.scm
==================================================================
--- server.scm
+++ server.scm
@@ -606,11 +606,14 @@
 
 ;; moving this here as it needs access to db and cannot be in common.
 ;;
 
 (define (server:get-bruteforce-syncer dbstruct #!key (fork-to-background #f) (persist-until-sync #f))
-  (let* ((sqlite-exe   (or (get-environment-variable "MT_SQLITE3_EXE"))) ;; defined in cfg.sh
+  (debug:print "WARNING: bruteforce-syncer is called but has been disabled!")
+  (lambda ()
+    (debug:print "WARNING: bruteforce-syncer is called but has been disabled!"))
+  #;(let* ((sqlite-exe   (or (get-environment-variable "MT_SQLITE3_EXE"))) ;; defined in cfg.sh
          (sync-log     (or (args:get-arg "-sync-log") (conc *toppath* "/logs/sync-" (current-process-id) "-" (get-host-name) ".log")))
 	 (tmp-area     (common:get-db-tmp-area))
 	 (tmp-db       (conc tmp-area "/megatest.db"))
 	 (staging-file (conc *toppath* "/.megatest.db"))
 	 (mtdbfile     (conc *toppath* "/megatest.db"))