diff --git a/html/svc/main.php b/html/svc/main.php
index 8d7bf0f..2979813 100644
--- a/html/svc/main.php
+++ b/html/svc/main.php
@@ -40,10 +40,13 @@
  */
 include __DIR__."/../lib/sysVcom.php";
 
+
 function debug_print( $msg ){
-	print( $msg );
+	file_put_contents( __DIR__."/../data/rpc_op.log", $msg, FILE_APPEND);
 }
 
+debug_print( date_format( date_create("now", new DateTimeZone("UTC")), 'Y-m-d H:i:s') . " started\n");
+
 //create the comms file
 touch('BU-commander');
 
@@ -71,6 +74,7 @@
 $g_bu_table = array();
 $g_bu_colIdxs = array();
 getbu_list_all( $g_bu_table, $g_bu_colIdxs, 'order by BU_DATE desc, BU_TIME desc' );
+$g_fork_cnt=0;
 
 while(true){
 
@@ -119,6 +123,12 @@
 	
 	global $g_bu_table;
 	global $g_bu_colIdxs;
+	global $g_fork_cnt;
+
+	if($g_fork_cnt>0){
+		//we limit to a single fork for now
+		return;
+	}
 
 	//get the first non null entry which is not running
 	$keys = array_keys( $g_bu_table );
@@ -162,6 +172,7 @@
 	
 	global $g_bu_table;
 	global $g_bu_colIdxs;
+	global $g_fork_cnt;
 
 	$isRunning = $g_bu_table[$buid][ $g_bu_colIdxs['BuRunning'] ];
 	if( !$bu_test && $isRunning==1) return array("e:Error", "Backup already running" );
@@ -177,25 +188,26 @@
 	// we should be able to use pcntl_fork()
 	$pid = pcntl_fork();
 	if ( $pid == -1 ) {        
-		print("fork failed");
+		debug_print("fork failed");
 		return array("e:Error", "fork failed" );
 	}
 
 	if ( $pid ) {
 		// parent process
-		print( "parentpid = ". getmypid() . "\n" );
+		debug_print( "parentpid = ". getmypid() . "\n" );
 		$g_bu_table[$buid][ $g_bu_colIdxs['BuRunning'] ] = 1;
 		return array("ok:", "running" );
 		 
 	} else {
 		
 		// child process
-				
+		$g_fork_cnt++;
+
 		$g_bu_table = array();	//data here is unique to the parent
 		$pid = getmypid();
-		print( "childpid = $pid\n" );
+		debug_print( "childpid = $pid\n" );
 				
-		print( "kickoff_backup for $buid\n" );
+		debug_print( "kickoff_backup for $buid\n" );
 		include_once __DIR__."/backup.php";
 		$bu_result = '';
 		global $g_data_dir;
@@ -203,7 +215,7 @@
 		
 		$bu_result = run_backup_block( $buid, $bu_row, $bu_test );
 	
-		print( "backup ended for $buid, result = $bu_result\n" );
+		debug_print( "backup ended for $buid, result = $bu_result\n" );
 		$obj = rpc( 'm:fork-complete', $pid, "backup-complete", $buid, $scheduled );	//we use our rpc mechanism to notify parent
 		//print_r( $obj );
 		//print( "\n" );
@@ -222,7 +234,8 @@
 function check_rpc_clients(){
 	
 	global $msgArr;
-	
+	global $g_fork_cnt;
+
 	$caller_id = 0;
 	
 	$obj_in = rpc_listen( $caller_id, $msgArr, false );
@@ -234,7 +247,7 @@
 		$obj_out = handle_rpc_req( $obj_in );
 		
 	}catch( Exception $e ){
-		print( "Exception: " . $e->getMessage() ."\n" );
+		debug_print( "Exception: " . $e->getMessage() ."\n" );
 		$obj_out = array( 'e:Exception', $e );
 	}
 			
@@ -244,11 +257,12 @@
 	if( $obj_in[0] === 'm:fork-complete' ){
 		//clean up child process
 				
-		print("clean up fork child pid = {$obj_in[1]} \n");		
+		debug_print("clean up fork child pid = {$obj_in[1]} \n");		
 		$status;
 		pcntl_waitpid( $obj_in[1], $status );
 
-		print("clean up done pid = {$obj_in[1]} \n");		
+		$g_fork_cnt--;
+		debug_print("clean up done pid = {$obj_in[1]} \n");		
 
 		//finish any requirements for specific child processes (db updates etc)
 		if( count($obj_in)>2 && $obj_in[2]="backup-complete"){