diff --git a/tractor/__init__.py b/tractor/__init__.py
index 2342a0a..9658b80 100644
--- a/tractor/__init__.py
+++ b/tractor/__init__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import uuid
 import trio
 from async_generator import asynccontextmanager
 
-from .ipc import Channel
+from .ipc import Channel, _connect_chan
 from .log import get_console_log, get_logger
 
 ctx = mp.get_context("forkserver")
@@ -245,7 +245,6 @@ class Actor:
             await self._process_messages(chan)
         finally:
             # Drop ref to channel so it can be gc-ed and disconnected
-            # if chan is not self._parent_chan:
             log.debug(f"Releasing channel {chan} from {chan.uid}")
             chans = self._peers.get(chan.uid)
             chans.remove(chan)
@@ -450,27 +449,29 @@ class Actor:
                         try:
                             if self._parent_chan:
                                 log.debug(f"Starting main task `{self.main}`")
-                                # spawned subactor so deliver "main" task result(s)
-                                # back to parent
+                                # spawned subactor so deliver "main"
+                                # task result(s) back to parent
                                 await nursery.start(
                                     _invoke, 'main',
                                     self._parent_chan, self.main, {},
-                                    False, True  # treat_as_gen, raise_errs params
+                                    # treat_as_gen, raise_errs params
+                                    False, True
                                 )
                             else:
                                 # run directly - we are an "unspawned actor"
                                 log.debug(f"Running `{self.main}` directly")
                                 result = await self.main()
-
                         finally:
+                            self._main_complete.set()
                             # tear down channel server in order to ensure
                             # we exit normally when the main task is done
                             if not self._outlive_main:
                                 log.debug(f"Shutting down channel server")
                                 self.cancel_server()
+                                log.debug(f"Shutting down root nursery")
+                                nursery.cancel_scope.cancel()
                     if main_scope.cancelled_caught:
                         log.debug("Main task was cancelled sucessfully")
-                self._main_complete.set()
                 log.debug("Waiting on root nursery to complete")
             # blocks here as expected if no nursery was provided until
             # the channel server is killed (i.e. this actor is
@@ -674,6 +675,9 @@ class Portal:
             resptype, first_msg, q = (await result_from_q(q, self.channel))
             self._result = await self._return_from_resptype(
                 'main', resptype, first_msg, q)
+            log.warn(
+                f"Retrieved first result `{self._result}` "
+                f"for {self.channel.uid}")
         # await q.put(first_msg)  # for next consumer (e.g. nursery)
         return self._result
 
@@ -760,6 +764,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
         # We'll likely want some way to cancel all sub-actors eventually
         # self.cancel_scope = cancel_scope
         self._children = {}
+        self.cancelled = False
 
     async def __aenter__(self):
         return self
@@ -867,17 +872,6 @@ class ActorNursery:
     async def __aexit__(self, etype, value, tb):
         """Wait on all subactor's main routines to complete.
         """
-        async def wait_for_actor(actor, proc, portal):
-            if proc.is_alive():
-                res = await portal.result()
-                log.info(f"{actor.uid} main task completed with {res}")
-                if not actor._outlive_main:
-                    # trigger msg loop to break
-                    chans = self._actor.get_chans(actor.uid)
-                    for chan in chans:
-                        log.info(f"Signalling msg loop exit for {actor.uid}")
-                        await chan.send(None)
-
         if etype is not None:
             if etype is trio.Cancelled:
                 log.warn(f"{current_actor().uid} was cancelled with {etype}, "
@@ -889,13 +883,17 @@ class ActorNursery:
                               "cancelling actor nursery")
                 await self.cancel()
         else:
+            # XXX: this is effectively the lone cancellation/supervisor
+            # strategy which exactly mimicks trio's behaviour
             log.debug(f"Waiting on subactors {self._children} to complete")
-            async with trio.open_nursery() as nursery:
-                for subactor, proc, portal in self._children.values():
-                    nursery.start_soon(wait_for_actor, subactor, proc, portal)
-
-        await self.wait()
-        log.debug(f"Nursery teardown complete")
+            try:
+                await self.wait()
+            except Exception as err:
+                log.warn(f"Nursery caught {err}, cancelling")
+                await self.cancel()
+                self.cancelled = True
+                raise
+            log.debug(f"Nursery teardown complete")
 
 
 def current_actor() -> Actor:
@@ -955,18 +953,6 @@ async def _start_actor(actor, host, port, arbiter_addr, nursery=None):
     return result
 
 
-@asynccontextmanager
-async def _connect_chan(host, port):
-    """Attempt to connect to an arbiter's channel server.
-
-    Return the channel on success or ``None`` on failure.
-    """
-    chan = Channel((host, port))
-    await chan.connect()
-    yield chan
-    await chan.aclose()
-
-
 @asynccontextmanager
 async def get_arbiter(host, port):
     """Return a portal instance connected to a local or remote