[IanD]

No it's not the user refreshing the page that causes it - because I can replicate it and I'm not refreshing the page.

Yes, I agree to the core problem is the mysql slow query.. but at the moment is unavoidable. I just don't want it to keep retrying it.

This is what I got from the log file at the time:

2011-02-21 20:15:23.007 [NOTICE] [89.238.173.**:1399-0#APVH_] Content len: 0, Request line: 'GET /test.php HTTP/1.1'
2011-02-21 20:15:33.006 [NOTICE] [94.250.17.**:21751-0#APVH_] No request delivery notification has been received from LSAPI process:8249, possible run away process.
2011-02-21 20:15:33.006 [NOTICE] [94.250.17.**:21751-0#APVH_] Retry with new instance.
2011-02-21 20:15:54.654 [NOTICE] [89.238.173.**:1409-0#APVH_] Content len: 0, Request line: 'GET /test.php HTTP/1.1'

test.php is the script that contained my test slow mysql query.

89.238.173.** is my IP - not sure where 94.250.17.** came from. Maybe it was a coincidence (there is other traffic on the server) but it certainly looks like when it says "Retry with new instance" it's talking me and my script.

My php is in SuExec mode.

I think something like 'LSAPI_MAX_PROCESS_TIME' is what I'm looking for, I want to set that to 60 seconds and then I want the process to die (along with the mysql query).

Thanks for all your help.