diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 4ed52be3a8..fc630a1e71 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -7336,3 +7336,15 @@ David  17 Oct 2011
     client/
         sim.cpp
         sim_util.cpp
+
+David  17 Oct 2011
+    - client: call xp.skip_unexpected() if get unexpected tag,
+        to avoid showing multiple error messages
+    - client simulator: bug fixes and tweaks
+
+    client/
+        client_types.cpp,h
+        app.h
+        sim.cpp,h
+        work_fetch.cpp
+        sim_util.cpp
diff --git a/client/app.h b/client/app.h
index be19633b6b..387ac81c45 100644
--- a/client/app.h
+++ b/client/app.h
@@ -156,10 +156,6 @@ struct ACTIVE_TASK {
         return _task_state;
     }
 
-#ifdef SIM
-    double flops_left;
-#endif
-
 #if (defined (__APPLE__) && (defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__)))
     // PowerPC apps emulated on i386 Macs crash if running graphics
     int powerpc_emulated_on_i386;
diff --git a/client/client_types.cpp b/client/client_types.cpp
index 6c1818cd35..5dec67c1e1 100644
--- a/client/client_types.cpp
+++ b/client/client_types.cpp
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ void PROJECT::init() {
     completions_ratio_s = 0.0;
     completions_ratio_stdev = 0.1;  // for the first couple of completions - guess.
     completions_required_stdevs = 3.0;
+    result_index = 0;
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -322,6 +323,7 @@ int PROJECT::parse_state(XML_PARSER& xp) {
                 xp.parsed_tag
             );
         }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
@@ -693,6 +695,7 @@ int PROJECT::parse_project_files(XML_PARSER& xp, bool delete_existing_symlinks)
                     xp.parsed_tag
                 );
             }
+            xp.skip_unexpected();
         }
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
@@ -789,12 +792,6 @@ int APP::parse(XML_PARSER& xp) {
         }
         if (xp.parse_str("name", name, sizeof(name))) continue;
         if (xp.parse_str("user_friendly_name", user_friendly_name, sizeof(user_friendly_name))) continue;
-        if (log_flags.unparsed_xml) {
-            msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
-                "[unparsed_xml] APP::parse(): unrecognized: %s\n",
-                xp.parsed_tag
-            );
-        }
 #ifdef SIM
         if (xp.parse_double("latency_bound", latency_bound)) continue;
         if (xp.parse_double("fpops_est", fpops_est)) continue;
@@ -810,6 +807,13 @@ int APP::parse(XML_PARSER& xp) {
         }
         if (xp.parse_bool("non_cpu_intensive", non_cpu_intensive)) continue;
 #endif
+        if (log_flags.unparsed_xml) {
+            msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                "[unparsed_xml] APP::parse(): unrecognized: %s\n",
+                xp.parsed_tag
+            );
+        }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
@@ -1019,6 +1023,7 @@ int FILE_INFO::parse(XML_PARSER& xp) {
                 xp.parsed_tag
             );
         }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
@@ -1325,6 +1330,7 @@ int APP_VERSION::parse(XML_PARSER& xp) {
                 xp.parsed_tag
             );
         }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
@@ -1473,6 +1479,7 @@ int FILE_REF::parse(XML_PARSER& xp) {
                 xp.parsed_tag
             );
         }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
@@ -1546,6 +1553,7 @@ int WORKUNIT::parse(XML_PARSER& xp) {
                 xp.parsed_tag
             );
         }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
@@ -1639,6 +1647,7 @@ int RESULT::parse_name(XML_PARSER& xp, const char* end_tag) {
                 xp.parsed_tag
             );
         }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
@@ -1704,6 +1713,7 @@ int RESULT::parse_server(XML_PARSER& xp) {
                 xp.parsed_tag
             );
         }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
@@ -1766,6 +1776,7 @@ int RESULT::parse_state(XML_PARSER& xp) {
                 xp.parsed_tag
             );
         }
+        xp.skip_unexpected();
     }
     return ERR_XML_PARSE;
 }
diff --git a/client/client_types.h b/client/client_types.h
index 1ea6d72908..7007ae9d27 100644
--- a/client/client_types.h
+++ b/client/client_types.h
@@ -655,6 +655,7 @@ struct RESULT {
     double final_elapsed_time;
 #ifdef SIM
     double peak_flop_count;
+    double sim_flops_left;
 #endif
 
     // the following are nonzero if reported by app
@@ -718,7 +719,11 @@ struct RESULT {
     double estimated_duration_uncorrected();
     double estimated_time_remaining();
     inline double estimated_flops_remaining() {
+#ifdef SIM
+        return sim_flops_left;
+#else
         return estimated_time_remaining()*avp->flops;
+#endif
     }
 
     inline bool computing_done() {
diff --git a/client/sim.cpp b/client/sim.cpp
index 10319698d2..dab1438872 100644
--- a/client/sim.cpp
+++ b/client/sim.cpp
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ void make_job(
     sprintf(rp->name, "%s_%d", p->project_name, p->result_index++);
     wup->project = p;
     wup->rsc_fpops_est = app->fpops_est;
+    rp->sim_flops_left = rp->wup->rsc_fpops_est;
     strcpy(wup->name, rp->name);
     strcpy(wup->app_name, app->name);
     wup->app = app;
@@ -610,12 +611,12 @@ bool ACTIVE_TASK_SET::poll() {
             flops *= cpu_scale;
         }
 
-        atp->flops_left -= diff*flops;
+        rp->sim_flops_left -= diff*flops;
 
-        atp->fraction_done = 1 - (atp->flops_left / rp->wup->rsc_fpops_est);
+        atp->fraction_done = 1 - rp->sim_flops_left / rp->wup->rsc_fpops_est;
         atp->checkpoint_wall_time = gstate.now;
 
-        if (atp->flops_left <= 0) {
+        if (rp->sim_flops_left <= 0) {
             atp->set_task_state(PROCESS_EXITED, "poll");
             rp->exit_status = 0;
             rp->ready_to_report = true;
@@ -708,6 +709,7 @@ void SIM_RESULTS::compute_figures_of_merit() {
     double flops_total = cpu_peak_flops()*active_time
         + gpu_peak_flops()*gpu_active_time;
     double flops_idle = flops_total - flops_used;
+    if (flops_idle<0) flops_idle=0;
     wasted_frac = flops_wasted/flops_total;
     idle_frac = flops_idle/flops_total;
     share_violation = gstate.share_violation();
@@ -715,7 +717,7 @@ void SIM_RESULTS::compute_figures_of_merit() {
 }
 
 void SIM_RESULTS::print(FILE* f, bool human_readable) {
-    double r = ((double)nrpcs)/(njobs*2);
+    double r = njobs?((double)nrpcs)/(njobs*2):0;
     if (human_readable) {
         fprintf(f,
             "wasted fraction %f\n"
@@ -858,9 +860,9 @@ void show_resource(int rsc_type) {
         fprintf(html_out, "<tr><td>%.2f</td><td bgcolor=%s><font color=#ffffff>%s%s</font></td><td>%.0f</td>%s</tr>\n",
             ninst,
             colors[p->index%NCOLORS],
-            atp->result->rr_sim_misses_deadline?"*":"",
-            atp->result->name,
-            atp->flops_left/1e9,
+            rp->rr_sim_misses_deadline?"*":"",
+            rp->name,
+            rp->sim_flops_left/1e9,
             buf
         );
     }
@@ -926,8 +928,8 @@ void html_start() {
 void html_rec() {
     if (html_msg.size()) {
         fprintf(html_out,
-            "<table border=0 cellpadding=4><tr><td width=%d valign=top>%.0f</td>",
-            WIDTH1, gstate.now
+            "<table border=0 cellpadding=4><tr><td width=%d valign=top>%s</td>",
+            WIDTH1, sim_time_string(gstate.now)
         );
         fprintf(html_out,
             "<td width=%d valign=top><font size=-2>%s</font></td></tr></table>\n",
@@ -936,7 +938,7 @@ void html_rec() {
         );
         html_msg = "";
     }
-    fprintf(html_out, "<table border=0 cellpadding=4><tr><td width=%d valign=top>%.0f</td>", WIDTH1, gstate.now);
+    fprintf(html_out, "<table border=0 cellpadding=4><tr><td width=%d valign=top>%s</td>", WIDTH1, sim_time_string(gstate.now));
 
     if (active) {
         show_resource(0);
@@ -1174,9 +1176,13 @@ void get_app_params() {
     for (i=0; i<gstate.results.size(); i++) {
         RESULT* rp = gstate.results[i];
         app = rp->app;
+        double latency_bound = rp->report_deadline - rp->received_time;
         if (!app->latency_bound) {
-            app->latency_bound = rp->report_deadline - rp->received_time;
+            app->latency_bound = latency_bound;
         }
+        rp->received_time = START_TIME;
+        rp->report_deadline = START_TIME + latency_bound;
+        rp->sim_flops_left = rp->wup->rsc_fpops_est;
     }
     for (i=0; i<gstate.workunits.size(); i++) {
         WORKUNIT* wup = gstate.workunits[i];
@@ -1465,5 +1471,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     sprintf(buf, "%s%s", outfile_prefix, SUMMARY_FNAME);
     summary_file = fopen(buf, "w");
 
+    srand(1);       // make it deterministic
     do_client_simulation();
 }
diff --git a/client/sim.h b/client/sim.h
index bc9f6af029..70d6a3948f 100644
--- a/client/sim.h
+++ b/client/sim.h
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ extern SIM_RESULTS sim_results;
 extern double calculate_exponential_backoff(
     int n, double MIN, double MAX
 );
+extern char* sim_time_string(int t);
 
 extern bool dcf_dont_use;
 extern bool dcf_stats;
diff --git a/client/sim_util.cpp b/client/sim_util.cpp
index ed81fbec52..309b22c1e0 100644
--- a/client/sim_util.cpp
+++ b/client/sim_util.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,28 @@ void HOST_INFO::generate_host_cpid() {}
 
 //int get_connected_state() {return 1;}
 
+char* sim_time_string(int t) {
+    static char buf[256];
+    char buf2[256];
+    if (t > 86400) {
+        int n = t/86400;
+        t %= 86400;
+        if (n == 1) {
+            sprintf(buf2, "1 day ");
+        } else {
+            sprintf(buf2, "%d days ", n);
+        }
+    } else {
+        strcpy(buf2, "");
+    }
+    int hours = t / 3600;
+    t %= 3600;
+    int mins = t/60;
+    int secs = t%60;
+    sprintf(buf, "%s%02d:%02d:%02d", buf2, hours, mins, secs);
+    return buf;
+}
+
 void show_message(PROJ_AM *p, char* msg, int priority, bool, const char*) {
     const char* x;
     char message[1024];
@@ -73,7 +95,7 @@ void show_message(PROJ_AM *p, char* msg, int priority, bool, const char*) {
         x = "---";
     }
 
-    fprintf(logfile, "%.0f [%s] %s\n", gstate.now, x, message);
+    fprintf(logfile, "%s [%s] %s\n", sim_time_string(gstate.now), x, message);
 }
 
 APP_CLIENT_SHM::APP_CLIENT_SHM() {}
@@ -99,12 +121,15 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::resume_or_start(bool first_time) {
     if (log_flags.task) {
         msg_printf(result->project, MSG_INFO,
             "[task] %s task %s: FLOPS left %.2fG",
-            first_time?"Starting":"Resuming", result->name, flops_left/1e9
+            first_time?"Starting":"Resuming",
+            result->name, result->sim_flops_left/1e9
         );
     }
     set_task_state(PROCESS_EXECUTING, "start");
     char buf[256];
-    sprintf(buf, "Starting %s<br>", result->name);
+    sprintf(buf, "Starting %s; deadline %s<br>",
+        result->name, sim_time_string(result->report_deadline)
+    );
     html_msg += buf;
     return 0;
 }
@@ -116,7 +141,6 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::init(RESULT* rp) {
     max_elapsed_time = rp->wup->rsc_fpops_bound/result->avp->flops;
     max_disk_usage = rp->wup->rsc_disk_bound;
     max_mem_usage = rp->wup->rsc_memory_bound;
-    flops_left = rp->wup->rsc_fpops_est;
     _task_state = PROCESS_UNINITIALIZED;
     scheduler_state = CPU_SCHED_UNINITIALIZED;
     return 0;
diff --git a/client/work_fetch.cpp b/client/work_fetch.cpp
index 31aaa7d779..e096326238 100644
--- a/client/work_fetch.cpp
+++ b/client/work_fetch.cpp
@@ -1029,7 +1029,11 @@ double RESULT::estimated_time_remaining() {
     if (computing_done()) return 0;
     ACTIVE_TASK* atp = gstate.lookup_active_task_by_result(this);
     if (atp) {
+#ifdef SIM
+        return sim_flops_left/avp->flops;
+#else
         return atp->est_dur() - atp->elapsed_time;
+#endif
     }
     return estimated_duration();
 }