can't validate on Linux

Hi devs, When I try validating my patch, validation fails with

... Registering library for ghc-prim-0.5.0.0.. ghc-cabal: '/home/rae/ghc/ghc-valid/bindisttest/install dir/lib/ghc-8.3.20170312/bin/ghc-pkg' exited with an error: ghc-pkg: Couldn't open database /home/rae/ghc/ghc-valid/bindisttest/install dir/lib/ghc-8.3.20170312/package.conf.d for modification: {handle: /home/rae/ghc/ghc-valid/bindisttest/install dir/lib/ghc-8.3.20170312/package.conf.d/package.cache.lock}: hLock: invalid argument (Bad file descriptor) make[3]: *** [ghc.mk:990: install_packages] Error 1 make[2]: *** [Makefile:51: install] Error 2 make[1]: *** [bindisttest/ghc.mk:33: test_bindist] Error 2 make: *** [Makefile:127: test_bindist] Error 2

Any advice? Thanks! Richard