diff --git a/test/test_job_user_push.py b/test/test_job_user_push.py
index a3d0bf9..19e0212 100644
--- a/test/test_job_user_push.py
+++ b/test/test_job_user_push.py
@@ -49,11 +49,6 @@
 
 $OMNISTAT_DIR/omnistat-usermode --start --interval 0.5
 $cmd
-ps uxw
-curl localhost:8428/api/v1/query?query=rmsjob_info
-curl localhost:8001/metrics
-ls -ltr /tmp/
-cat /tmp/omni*
 $OMNISTAT_DIR/omnistat-usermode --stop
 """
 
@@ -65,39 +60,54 @@ def test_job_multinode(self):
         job_seconds = 2
         jobid = self.run_job(config.nodes, job_seconds)
 
+#        return
+#        time.sleep(2)
         self.start_victoria_proxy()
-        time.sleep(2)
-
-        cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "ps", "ux"]
-        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
-        print(p.stdout)
-
-        cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "curl", "localhost:9090/api/v1/query?query=rmsjob_info"]
-        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
-        print(p.stdout)        
-
-        cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "cat", "/jobs/victoria_server.log"]
-        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
-        print(p.stdout)
-
-        cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "cat", "/jobs/exporter.log"]
-        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
-        print(p.stdout)
-
-        cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "cat", "/jobs/slurm-1.out"]
-        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
-        print(p.stdout)
-
-        cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "ls", "-l","/jobs"]
-        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
-        print(p.stdout)        
-
-        cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "find", "/jobs/vic-data"]
-        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
-        print(p.stdout)
 
+##         cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "ps", "ux"]
+##         p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+##         print(p.stdout)
+## 
+##         cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "curl", 'localhost:9090/api/v1/query?query=rmsjob_info']
+##         p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+##         print(p.stdout)        
+
+#####         cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "cat", "/jobs/victoria_server.log"]
+#####         p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+#####         print(p.stdout)
+##### 
+#####         cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "cat", "/jobs/exporter.log"]
+#####         p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+#####         print(p.stdout)
+##### 
+#####         cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "cat", "/jobs/slurm-1.out"]
+#####         p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+#####         print(p.stdout)
+##### 
+#####         cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "ls", "-l","/jobs"]
+#####         p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+#####         print(p.stdout)
+#        return
+
+##         cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "find", "/jobs/vic-data"]
+##         p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+##         print(p.stdout)
+
+#        return
+
+        # verify we see rmsjob_info metric; note that VM can take some time on first startup before it successfully reports
+        # data via api/v1 queries. Hence, we try multiple times here before giving up.
+        
         prometheus = PrometheusConnect(url=config.victoria_url)
-        results = prometheus.custom_query("rmsjob_info")
+        wait_interval = 2.0
+        for i in range(15):
+            results = prometheus.custom_query("rmsjob_info")
+            if len(results) == 0:
+                print("sleeping to wait for VM to deliver...")
+                time.sleep(wait_interval)
+            else:
+                break
+
         assert len(results) >= 1, "Metric rmsjob_info not available"
 
         query = f"rmsjob_info{{jobid='{jobid}'}}[{config.time_range}]"
@@ -139,12 +149,28 @@ def start_victoria_proxy(self, data_path=config.victoria_data_user):
             "-d",
             "slurm-controller",
             "victoria-metrics",
+#            "/tmp/victoria-metrics-prod",            
             "-httpListenAddr=:9090",
+#            "-search.disableCache",
+#            "-search.maxStalenessInterval=15m",
+#            "-search.resetRollupResultCacheOnStartup",
             f"--storageDataPath={data_path}",
         ]
         p = subprocess.run(start_cmd)
         assert p.returncode == 0
 
+        time.sleep(2)
+#        cmd = ["curl", "localhost:9090/internal/force_flush"]
+#        p = subprocess.run(cmd)                                
+#        cmd = ["curl", "localhost:9090/internal/force_merge"]
+#        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+        cmd = ["curl", "localhost:9090/internal/resetRollupResultCache"]
+        p = subprocess.run(cmd)
+#        cmd = ["curl", 'localhost:9090/api/v1/query?query=rmsjob_info']
+#        p = subprocess.run(cmd)        
+
+#        time.sleep(5)                
+
     def stop_victoria_proxy(self, ignore_errors=False):
         stop_cmd = ["docker", "exec", "slurm-controller", "pkill", "-f", "-SIGTERM", "victoria-metrics"]
         p = subprocess.run(stop_cmd)
@@ -184,5 +210,5 @@ def run_job(self, nodes, seconds):
         for pattern in patterns:
             assert re.search(pattern, p.stdout) != None, f"Missing expected pattern\n{p.stdout}"
 
-        self.remove_job_file()
+#        self.remove_job_file()
         return jobid