diff --git a/tests/test_resource_cache.py b/tests/test_resource_cache.py
index d3859814..bdcdd6c9 100644
--- a/tests/test_resource_cache.py
+++ b/tests/test_resource_cache.py
@@ -100,16 +100,29 @@ async def streamer(
 @acm
 async def open_stream() -> Awaitable[tractor.MsgStream]:
 
-    async with tractor.open_nursery() as tn:
-        portal = await tn.start_actor('streamer', enable_modules=[__name__])
-        async with (
-            portal.open_context(streamer) as (ctx, first),
-            ctx.open_stream() as stream,
-        ):
-            yield stream
+    try:
+        async with tractor.open_nursery() as an:
+            portal = await an.start_actor(
+                'streamer',
+                enable_modules=[__name__],
+            )
+            async with (
+                portal.open_context(streamer) as (ctx, first),
+                ctx.open_stream() as stream,
+            ):
+                yield stream
 
-        await portal.cancel_actor()
-    print('CANCELLED STREAMER')
+            print('Cancelling streamer')
+            await portal.cancel_actor()
+            print('Cancelled streamer')
+
+    except Exception as err:
+        print(
+            f'`open_stream()` errored?\n'
+            f'{err!r}\n'
+        )
+        await tractor.pause(shield=True)
+        raise err
 
 
 @acm
@@ -132,19 +145,28 @@ async def maybe_open_stream(taskname: str):
             yield stream
 
 
-def test_open_local_sub_to_stream():
+def test_open_local_sub_to_stream(
+    debug_mode: bool,
+):
     '''
     Verify a single inter-actor stream can can be fanned-out shared to
-    N local tasks using ``trionics.maybe_open_context():``.
+    N local tasks using `trionics.maybe_open_context()`.
 
     '''
-    timeout: float = 3.6 if platform.system() != "Windows" else 10
+    timeout: float = 3.6
+    if platform.system() == "Windows":
+        timeout: float = 10
+
+    if debug_mode:
+        timeout = 999
 
     async def main():
 
         full = list(range(1000))
 
         async def get_sub_and_pull(taskname: str):
+
+            stream: tractor.MsgStream
             async with (
                 maybe_open_stream(taskname) as stream,
             ):
@@ -165,17 +187,27 @@ def test_open_local_sub_to_stream():
                 assert set(seq).issubset(set(full))
             print(f'{taskname} finished')
 
-        with trio.fail_after(timeout):
+        with trio.fail_after(timeout) as cs:
             # TODO: turns out this isn't multi-task entrant XD
             # We probably need an indepotent entry semantic?
-            async with tractor.open_root_actor():
+            async with tractor.open_root_actor(
+                debug_mode=debug_mode,
+            ):
                 async with (
-                    trio.open_nursery() as nurse,
+                    trio.open_nursery() as tn,
                 ):
                     for i in range(10):
-                        nurse.start_soon(get_sub_and_pull, f'task_{i}')
+                        tn.start_soon(
+                            get_sub_and_pull,
+                            f'task_{i}',
+                        )
                         await trio.sleep(0.001)
 
                 print('all consumer tasks finished')
 
+        if cs.cancelled_caught:
+            pytest.fail(
+                'Should NOT time out in `open_root_actor()` ?'
+            )
+
     trio.run(main)