diff --git a/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py b/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py
index 33c875782..30f3462fa 100755
--- a/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py
+++ b/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ def setup_logger(name, log_file, level=logging.INFO):
 meta["cpu_limit"] = args.cpu_limit
 meta["mem_limit"] = args.mem_limit
 meta["workflow_file"] = os.path.abspath(args.workflowfile)
+args.target_tasks = [f.strip('"').strip("'") for f in args.target_tasks] # strip quotes from the shell
 meta["target_task"] = args.target_tasks
 meta["rerun_from"] = args.rerun_from
 meta["target_labels"] = args.target_labels
@@ -321,12 +322,12 @@ def load_json(workflowfile):
 
 
 # filters the original workflowspec according to wanted targets or labels
-# returns a new workflowspec
+# returns a new workflowspec and the list of "final" workflowtargets
 def filter_workflow(workflowspec, targets=[], targetlabels=[]):
     if len(targets)==0:
-       return workflowspec
+       return workflowspec, []
     if len(targetlabels)==0 and len(targets)==1 and targets[0]=="*":
-       return workflowspec
+       return workflowspec, []
 
     transformedworkflowspec = workflowspec
 
@@ -334,7 +335,7 @@ def task_matches(t):
         for filt in targets:
             if filt=="*":
                 return True
-            if re.match(filt, t)!=None:
+            if re.match(filt, t) != None:
                 return True
         return False
 
@@ -372,6 +373,8 @@ def canBeDone(t,cache={}):
              ok = False
              break
        cache[t['name']] = ok
+       if ok == False:
+           print (f"Disabling target {t['name']} due to unsatisfied requirements")
        return ok
 
     okcache = {}
@@ -404,7 +407,7 @@ def needed_by_targets(name):
     # we finaly copy everything matching the targets as well
     # as all their requirements
     transformedworkflowspec['stages']=[ l for l in workflowspec['stages'] if needed_by_targets(l['name']) ]
-    return transformedworkflowspec
+    return transformedworkflowspec, full_target_name_list
 
 
 # builds topological orderings (for each timeframe)
@@ -898,7 +901,7 @@ def ok_to_submit_backfill(res, backfill_cpu_factor=1.5, backfill_mem_factor=1.5)
                     break
 
 
-def filegraph_expand_timeframes(data: dict, timeframes: set) -> dict:
+def filegraph_expand_timeframes(data: dict, timeframes: set, target_namelist) -> dict:
     """
     A utility function for the fileaccess logic. Takes a template and duplicates
     for the multi-timeframe structure.
@@ -921,6 +924,12 @@ def filegraph_expand_timeframes(data: dict, timeframes: set) -> dict:
             entry["written_by"] = [
                 re.sub(r"_\d+$", f"_{i}", w) for w in entry["written_by"]
             ]
+            # for now we mark some files as keep if they are written
+            # by a target in the runner targetlist. TODO: Add other mechanisms
+            # to ask for file keeping (such as via regex or the like)
+            for e in entry["written_by"]:
+                if e in target_namelist:
+                    entry["keep"] = True
             entry["read_by"] = [
                 re.sub(r"_\d+$", f"_{i}", r) for r in entry["read_by"]
             ]
@@ -945,7 +954,8 @@ def __init__(self, workflowfile, args, jmax=100):
            os.environ[e] = str(value)
 
       # only keep those tasks that are necessary to be executed based on user's filters
-      self.workflowspec = filter_workflow(self.workflowspec, args.target_tasks, args.target_labels)
+      self.full_target_namelist = []
+      self.workflowspec, self.full_target_namelist = filter_workflow(self.workflowspec, args.target_tasks, args.target_labels)
 
       if not self.workflowspec['stages']:
           if args.target_tasks:
@@ -1015,7 +1025,7 @@ def __init__(self, workflowfile, args, jmax=100):
           with open(args.remove_files_early) as f:
             filegraph_data = json.load(f)
             self.do_early_file_removal = True
-            self.file_removal_candidates = filegraph_expand_timeframes(filegraph_data, self.timeframeset)
+            self.file_removal_candidates = filegraph_expand_timeframes(filegraph_data, self.timeframeset, self.full_target_namelist)
 
 
     def perform_early_file_removal(self, taskids):
@@ -1031,7 +1041,7 @@ def remove_if_exists(filepath: str) -> None:
           if os.path.exists(filepath):
             fsize = os.path.getsize(filepath)
             os.remove(filepath)
-            actionlogger.info(f"Removing {filepath} since no longer needed. Freeing {fsize/1024.} MB.")
+            actionlogger.info(f"Removing {filepath} since no longer needed. Freeing {fsize/1024./1024.} MB.")
             return True
 
           return False
@@ -1057,7 +1067,7 @@ def remove_for_task_id(taskname, file_dict, timeframe_id, listofalltimeframes):
                         file_entry['written_by'].remove(taskname)
 
                     # TODO: in principle the written_by criterion might not be needed
-                    if len(file_entry['read_by']) == 0 and len(file_entry['written_by']) == 0:
+                    if len(file_entry['read_by']) == 0 and len(file_entry['written_by']) == 0 and file_entry.get('keep', False) == False:
                         # the filename mentioned here is no longer needed and we can remove it
                         # make sure it is there and then delete it
                         if remove_if_exists(filename):
@@ -1329,6 +1339,17 @@ def monitor(self, process_list):
         globalPSS=0.
         resources_per_task = {}
 
+        # On a global level, we are interested in total disc space used (not differential in tasks)
+        # We can call system "du" as the fastest impl
+        def disk_usage_du(path: str) -> int:
+          """Use system du to get total size in bytes."""
+          out = subprocess.check_output(['du', '-sb', path], text=True)
+          return int(out.split()[0])
+
+        disc_usage = -1
+        if os.getenv("MONITOR_DISC_USAGE"):
+            disc_usage = disk_usage_du(os.getcwd()) / 1024. / 1024 # in MB
+
         for tid, proc in process_list:
 
             # proc is Popen object
@@ -1399,7 +1420,15 @@ def monitor(self, process_list):
             totalUSS = totalUSS / 1024 / 1024
             totalPSS = totalPSS / 1024 / 1024
             nice_value = proc.nice()
-            resources_per_task[tid]={'iter':self.internalmonitorid, 'name':self.idtotask[tid], 'cpu':totalCPU, 'uss':totalUSS, 'pss':totalPSS, 'nice':nice_value, 'swap':totalSWAP, 'label':self.workflowspec['stages'][tid]['labels']}
+            resources_per_task[tid]={'iter':self.internalmonitorid,
+                                     'name':self.idtotask[tid],
+                                     'cpu':totalCPU,
+                                     'uss':totalUSS,
+                                     'pss':totalPSS,
+                                     'nice':nice_value,
+                                     'swap':totalSWAP,
+                                     'label':self.workflowspec['stages'][tid]['labels'],
+                                     'disc': disc_usage}
             self.resource_manager.add_monitored_resources(tid, time_delta, totalCPU / 100, totalPSS)
             if nice_value == self.resource_manager.nice_default:
                 globalCPU += totalCPU
diff --git a/MC/bin/o2dpg_qc_finalization_workflow.py b/MC/bin/o2dpg_qc_finalization_workflow.py
index 78792b424..e05bf83d1 100755
--- a/MC/bin/o2dpg_qc_finalization_workflow.py
+++ b/MC/bin/o2dpg_qc_finalization_workflow.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def add_QC_finalization(taskName, qcConfigPath, needs=None):
     if standalone == True:
       needs = []
     elif needs == None:
-      needs = [taskName + '_local' + str(tf) for tf in range(1, ntimeframes + 1)]
+      needs = [taskName + '_local_' + str(tf) for tf in range(1, ntimeframes + 1)]
 
     task = createTask(name=QC_finalize_name(taskName), needs=needs, cwd=qcdir, lab=["QC"], cpu=1, mem='2000')
     def remove_json_prefix(path):
diff --git a/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py b/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
index 795545199..6923a50cc 100755
--- a/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
+++ b/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
@@ -1726,7 +1726,7 @@ def getDigiTaskName(det):
    if includeFullQC or includeLocalQC:
 
      def addQCPerTF(taskName, needs, readerCommand, configFilePath, objectsFile=''):
-       task = createTask(name=taskName + '_local' + str(tf), needs=needs, tf=tf, cwd=timeframeworkdir, lab=["QC"], cpu=1, mem='2000')
+       task = createTask(name=taskName + '_local_' + str(tf), needs=needs, tf=tf, cwd=timeframeworkdir, lab=["QC"], cpu=1, mem='2000')
        objectsFile = objectsFile if len(objectsFile) > 0 else taskName + '.root'
 
        def remove_json_prefix(path):
diff --git a/MC/run/ANCHOR/anchorMC.sh b/MC/run/ANCHOR/anchorMC.sh
index 70ac64a87..77fb37af3 100755
--- a/MC/run/ANCHOR/anchorMC.sh
+++ b/MC/run/ANCHOR/anchorMC.sh
@@ -338,6 +338,10 @@ fi
 TIMESTAMP=`grep "Determined timestamp to be" ${anchoringLogFile} | awk '//{print $6}'`
 echo_info "TIMESTAMP IS ${TIMESTAMP}"
 
+if [ "${ONLY_WORKFLOW_CREATION}" ]; then
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 # check if this job is exluded because it falls inside a bad data-taking period
 ISEXCLUDED=$(grep "TIMESTAMP IS EXCLUDED IN RUN" ${anchoringLogFile})
 if [ "${ISEXCLUDED}" ]; then
@@ -383,30 +387,36 @@ export FAIRMQ_IPC_PREFIX=./
 
 echo_info "Ready to start main workflow"
 
-${O2DPG_ROOT}/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py -f workflow.json -tt ${ALIEN_JDL_O2DPGWORKFLOWTARGET:-aod} --cpu-limit ${ALIEN_JDL_CPULIMIT:-8} --dynamic-resources
-MCRC=$?  # <--- we'll report back this code
-if [[ "${MCRC}" == "0" && "${ALIEN_JDL_ADDTIMESERIESINMC}" != "0" ]]; then
-  # Default value is 1 so this is run by default.
-  echo_info "Running TPC time series"
-  ${O2DPG_ROOT}/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py -f workflow.json -tt tpctimes
-  # Note: We could maybe avoid this if-else by including `tpctimes` directly in the workflow-targets above
-fi
-
-if [[ "${MCRC}" == "0" && "${ALIEN_JDL_DOTPCRESIDUALEXTRACTION}" = "1" ]]; then
-  echo_info "Running TPC residuals extraction, aggregation and merging"
-    ${O2DPG_ROOT}/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py -f workflow.json -tt tpcresidmerge
+# Let us construct the workflow targets
+targetString=""
+if [ "${ALIEN_JDL_O2DPGWORKFLOWTARGET}" ]; then
+   # The user gave ${ALIEN_JDL_O2DPGWORKFLOWTARGET}. This is an expert mode not used in production.
+   # In this case, we will build just that. No QC, no TPC timeseries, ...
+   targetString=${ALIEN_JDL_O2DPGWORKFLOWTARGET}
+else
+   targetString="'aodmerge.*'"
+   # Now add more targets depending on options
+   # -) The TPC timeseries targets
+   if [[ "${ALIEN_JDL_ADDTIMESERIESINMC}" == "1" ]]; then
+     targetString="${targetString} 'tpctimes.*'"
+   fi
+   # -) TPC residual calibration
+   if [ "${ALIEN_JDL_DOTPCRESIDUALSEXTRACTION}" ]; then
+     targetString="${targetString} 'tpcresidmerge.*'"
+   fi
+   # -) QC tasks
+   if [[ -z "${DISABLE_QC}" && "${remainingargs}" == *"--include-local-qc"* ]]; then
+     targetString="${targetString} '^.*QC.*'" # QC tasks should have QC in the name
+   fi
 fi
+echo_info "Workflow will run with target specification ${targetString}"
 
-[[ -n "${DISABLE_QC}" ]] && echo_info "QC is disabled, skip it."
+${O2DPG_ROOT}/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py -f workflow.json -tt ${targetString}                                    \
+                                               --cpu-limit ${ALIEN_JDL_CPULIMIT:-8} --dynamic-resources                \
+                                               ${ALIEN_O2DPG_FILEGRAPH:+--remove-files-early ${ALIEN_O2DPG_FILEGRAPH}} \
+                                               ${ALIEN_O2DPG_ADDITIONAL_WORKFLOW_RUNNER_ARGS}
 
-if [[ -z "${DISABLE_QC}" && "${MCRC}" == "0" && "${remainingargs}" == *"--include-local-qc"* ]] ; then
-  # do QC tasks
-  echo_info "Doing QC"
-  ${O2DPG_ROOT}/MC/bin/o2_dpg_workflow_runner.py -f workflow.json --target-labels QC --cpu-limit ${ALIEN_JDL_CPULIMIT:-8} -k
-  # NOTE that with the -k|--keep-going option, the runner will try to keep on executing even if some tasks fail.
-  # That means, even if there is a failing QC task, the return code will be 0
-  MCRC=$?
-fi
+MCRC=$?  # <--- we'll report back this code
 
 #
 # full logs tar-ed for output, regardless the error code or validation - to catch also QC logs...