Index: api.scm
==================================================================
--- api.scm
+++ api.scm
@@ -253,11 +253,11 @@
 			     (assert ok "FATAL: database file and run-id not aligned.")))))
 		(ttdat   *server-info*)
 		(server-state (tt-state ttdat))
 		(status  (cond
 			  ;; ((> newcount 600) 'busy)
-			  ((> newcount 5) 'loaded) ;; this gets transmitted to the client which calls tt:backoff-incr to slow stuff down.
+			  ((> newcount 3) 'loaded) ;; this gets transmitted to the client which calls tt:backoff-incr to slow stuff down.
 			  (else 'ok)))
 		(errmsg  (case status
 			   ((busy)   (conc "Server overloaded, "newcount" threads in flight"))
 			   ((loaded) (conc "Server loaded, "newcount" threads in flight"))
 			   (else     #f)))

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -2596,11 +2596,11 @@
 ;; 
 (define (db:get-test-info-by-id dbstruct run-id test-id)
   (db:with-db
    dbstruct
    run-id
-   #f
+   #t ;; treat as high load and run under mutex
    (lambda (dbdat db)
      (let ((res #f))
        (sqlite3:for-each-row ;; attemptnum added to hold pid of top process (not Megatest) controlling a test
 	(lambda (id run-id testname state status event-time host cpuload diskfree uname rundir-id item-path run_duration final-logf-id comment short-dir-id attemptnum archived last-update)
 	  ;;                0    1       2      3      4        5       6      7        8     9     10      11          12          13           14         15          16

Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -250,19 +250,20 @@
 			(port    (tt-conn-port conn))
 			;; (dbfname (tt-conn-port conn)) ;; 192.168.0.127:4242-726924:4.db
 			(pid     (tt-conn-pid  conn))
                         (servinf (tt-conn-servinf-file conn))) 
 			;;(servinf (tt-servinf-file ttdat))) ;; (conc areapath"/.servinfo/"host":"port"-"pid":"dbfname))) ;; TODO, use (server:get-servinfo-dir areapath)
-		   (hash-table-set! (tt-conns ttdat) dbfname #f)
+		   (hash-table-delete! (tt-conns ttdat) dbfname)
 		   (if (and servinf (file-exists? servinf))
 		       (begin
 			 (if (< attemptnum 3)
 			     (begin
 			       (thread-sleep! 0.25)
 			       (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))
 			     (begin
 			       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: no response from server "host":"port" for "dbfname)
+			       (hash-table-delete! (tt-conns ttdat) dbfname)
 			       (if (and (file-exists? servinf)
 					(> (- (current-seconds)(file-modification-time servinf)) 60))
 				   (begin
 				     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: "servinf" file seems old and no ping response, removing it.")
 				     (handle-exceptions
@@ -762,10 +763,11 @@
 ;;
 (define (tt:start-tcp-server ttdat)
   (setup-listener-portlogger ttdat) ;; set up tcp-listener
   (let* ((socket   (tt-socket  ttdat))
 	 (handler  (tt-handler ttdat)) ;; the handler comes from our client setting a handler function
+	 (fatal-err #f) ;; 
 	 (handler-proc (lambda ()
 			 (let* ((indat         (deserialize))
 				(result        #f)
 				(exn-result    #f)
 				(stdout-result (with-output-to-string
@@ -775,13 +777,14 @@
 								(let* ((errdat (condition->list exn)))
 								  (set! exn-result errdat)
 								  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: handler exception, these are bad, will exit in five seconds.")
 								  (pp errdat *default-log-port*)
 								  ;; these are always bad, set up an exit thread
-								  (thread-start! (make-thread (lambda ()
+								  #;(thread-start! (make-thread (lambda ()
 												(thread-sleep! 5)
-												(exit))))
+								  (exit))))
+								  (set! fatal-err #t)
 								  #f)
 								(handler indat) ;; this is the proc being called by the remote client
 								)))
 						     (set! result res)))))
 				(full-result (list result exn-result (if (equal? stdout-result "") #f stdout-result))))
@@ -789,32 +792,18 @@
 			       exn
 			     (begin
 			       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Serialization failure. full-result="full-result)
 			       ;; (serialize '(#f #f #f)) ;; doesn't work - the first call to serialize caused failure
 			       )
-			     (serialize full-result))))))
+			     (serialize full-result))
+			   (if fatal-err (exit))
+			   ;;(assert fatal-err "FATAL: exception in handler.")
+			   ))))
     ((make-tcp-server socket handler-proc)
      #f ;; yes, send error messages to std-err
      )))
 
-;; create a tcp listener and return a populated udat struct with
-;; my port, address, hostname, pid etc.
-;; return #f if fail to find a port to allocate.
-;;
-;;  if udata-in is #f create the record
-;;  if there is already a serv-listener return the udata
-;;
-;; (define (setup-listener uconn #!optional (port 4242))
-;;   (assert (tt? uconn) "FATAL: setup-listener called with wrong struct "uconn)
-;;   (handle-exceptions
-;;    exn
-;;    (if (< port 65535)
-;;        (begin
-;; 	 (thread-sleep! 0.25)
-;; 	 (setup-listener uconn (+ port 1)))
-;;        #f)
-;;    (connect-listener uconn port)))
 
 (define (setup-listener-portlogger uconn)
   (let ((port (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:find-port)))
     (assert (tt? uconn) "FATAL: setup-listener called with wrong struct "uconn)
     (handle-exceptions