diff --git a/tractor/_context.py b/tractor/_context.py
index ed720a2..42271b0 100644
--- a/tractor/_context.py
+++ b/tractor/_context.py
@@ -15,12 +15,22 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 '''
-The fundamental cross process SC abstraction: an inter-actor,
-cancel-scope linked task "context".
+The fundamental cross-process SC abstraction: an inter-actor,
+transitively cancel-scope linked, (dual) task IPC coupled "context".
 
-A ``Context`` is very similar to the ``trio.Nursery.cancel_scope`` built
-into each ``trio.Nursery`` except it links the lifetimes of memory space
-disjoint, parallel executing tasks in separate actors.
+A `Context` is very similar to the look and feel of the
+`.cancel_scope: trio.CancelScope` built into each `trio.Nursery`
+except that it links the lifetimes of 2 memory space disjoint,
+parallel executing, tasks scheduled in separate "actors".
+
+So while a `trio.Nursery` has a `.parent_task` which exists both
+before (open) and then inside the body of the `async with` of the
+nursery's scope (/block), a `Context` contains 2 tasks, a "parent"
+and a "child" side, where both execute independently in separate
+memory domains of different (host's) processes linked through
+a SC-transitive IPC "shuttle dialog protocol". The underlying IPC
+dialog-(un)protocol allows for the maintainance of SC properties
+end-2-end between the tasks.
 
 '''
 from __future__ import annotations
@@ -71,13 +81,11 @@ from .msg import (
     MsgCodec,
     NamespacePath,
     PayloadT,
-    Return,
     Started,
     Stop,
     Yield,
     current_codec,
     pretty_struct,
-    types as msgtypes,
     _ops as msgops,
 )
 from ._ipc import (
@@ -90,7 +98,7 @@ from ._state import (
     debug_mode,
     _ctxvar_Context,
 )
-
+# ------ - ------
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ._portal import Portal
     from ._runtime import Actor
@@ -1598,16 +1606,15 @@ class Context:
     async def started(
         self,
 
-        # TODO: how to type this so that it's the
-        # same as the payload type? Is this enough?
         value: PayloadT|None = None,
+        validate_pld_spec: bool = True,
+        strict_pld_parity: bool = False,
 
-        strict_parity: bool = False,
+        # TODO: this will always emit for msgpack for any () vs. []
+        # inside the value.. do we want to offer warnings on that?
+        # complain_no_parity: bool = False,
 
-        # TODO: this will always emit now that we do `.pld: Raw`
-        # passthrough.. so maybe just only complain when above strict
-        # flag is set?
-        complain_no_parity: bool = False,
+        hide_tb: bool = True,
 
     ) -> None:
         '''
@@ -1648,63 +1655,54 @@ class Context:
         #
         # https://zguide.zeromq.org/docs/chapter7/#The-Cheap-or-Nasty-Pattern
         #
-        codec: MsgCodec = current_codec()
-        msg_bytes: bytes = codec.encode(started_msg)
-        try:
-            # be a "cheap" dialog (see above!)
-            if (
-                strict_parity
-                or
-                complain_no_parity
-            ):
-                rt_started: Started = codec.decode(msg_bytes)
-
-                # XXX something is prolly totes cucked with the
-                # codec state!
-                if isinstance(rt_started, dict):
-                    rt_started = msgtypes.from_dict_msg(
-                        dict_msg=rt_started,
-                    )
-                    raise RuntimeError(
-                        'Failed to roundtrip `Started` msg?\n'
-                        f'{pretty_struct.pformat(rt_started)}\n'
-                    )
-
-                if rt_started != started_msg:
+        __tracebackhide__: bool = hide_tb
+        if validate_pld_spec:
+            # __tracebackhide__: bool = False
+            codec: MsgCodec = current_codec()
+            msg_bytes: bytes = codec.encode(started_msg)
+            try:
+                roundtripped: Started = codec.decode(msg_bytes)
+                # pld: PayloadT = await self.pld_rx.recv_pld(
+                pld: PayloadT = self.pld_rx.dec_msg(
+                    msg=roundtripped,
+                    ipc=self,
+                    expect_msg=Started,
+                    hide_tb=hide_tb,
+                    is_started_send_side=True,
+                )
+                if (
+                    strict_pld_parity
+                    and
+                    pld != value
+                ):
                     # TODO: make that one a mod func too..
                     diff = pretty_struct.Struct.__sub__(
-                        rt_started,
+                        roundtripped,
                         started_msg,
                     )
                     complaint: str = (
                         'Started value does not match after roundtrip?\n\n'
                         f'{diff}'
                     )
+                    raise ValidationError(complaint)
 
-                    # TODO: rn this will pretty much always fail with
-                    # any other sequence type embeded in the
-                    # payload...
-                    if (
-                        self._strict_started
-                        or
-                        strict_parity
-                    ):
-                        raise ValueError(complaint)
-                    else:
-                        log.warning(complaint)
+            # raise any msg type error NO MATTER WHAT!
+            except ValidationError as verr:
+                # always show this src frame in the tb
+                # __tracebackhide__: bool = False
+                raise _mk_msg_type_err(
+                    msg=roundtripped,
+                    codec=codec,
+                    src_validation_error=verr,
+                    verb_header='Trying to send ',
+                    is_invalid_payload=True,
+                ) from verr
 
-            await self.chan.send(started_msg)
-
-        # raise any msg type error NO MATTER WHAT!
-        except ValidationError as verr:
-            raise _mk_msg_type_err(
-                msg=msg_bytes,
-                codec=codec,
-                src_validation_error=verr,
-                verb_header='Trying to send payload'
-                # > 'invalid `Started IPC msgs\n'
-            ) from verr
+        # TODO: maybe a flag to by-pass encode op if already done
+        # here in caller?
+        await self.chan.send(started_msg)
 
+        # set msg-related internal runtime-state
         self._started_called = True
         self._started_msg = started_msg
         self._started_pld = value
@@ -1997,12 +1995,7 @@ async def open_context_from_portal(
 
     pld_spec: TypeAlias|None = None,
     allow_overruns: bool = False,
-
-    # TODO: if we set this the wrapping `@acm` body will
-    # still be shown (awkwardly) on pdb REPL entry. Ideally
-    # we can similarly annotate that frame to NOT show? for now
-    # we DO SHOW this frame since it's awkward ow..
-    hide_tb: bool = False,
+    hide_tb: bool = True,
 
     # proxied to RPC
     **kwargs,
@@ -2115,6 +2108,7 @@ async def open_context_from_portal(
                 ipc=ctx,
                 expect_msg=Started,
                 passthrough_non_pld_msgs=False,
+                hide_tb=hide_tb,
             )
 
             # from .devx import pause
diff --git a/tractor/msg/_ops.py b/tractor/msg/_ops.py
index 3014c15..6faf78e 100644
--- a/tractor/msg/_ops.py
+++ b/tractor/msg/_ops.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ from tractor._exceptions import (
     _raise_from_unexpected_msg,
     MsgTypeError,
     _mk_msg_type_err,
-    pack_from_raise,
+    pack_error,
 )
 from tractor._state import current_ipc_ctx
 from ._codec import (
@@ -203,7 +203,6 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
         msg: MsgType = (
             ipc_msg
             or
-
             # async-rx msg from underlying IPC feeder (mem-)chan
             await ipc._rx_chan.receive()
         )
@@ -223,6 +222,10 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
         raise_error: bool = True,
         hide_tb: bool = True,
 
+        # XXX for special (default?) case of send side call with
+        # `Context.started(validate_pld_spec=True)`
+        is_started_send_side: bool = False,
+
     ) -> PayloadT|Raw:
         '''
         Decode a msg's payload field: `MsgType.pld: PayloadT|Raw` and
@@ -230,8 +233,6 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
 
         '''
         __tracebackhide__: bool = hide_tb
-
-        _src_err = None
         src_err: BaseException|None = None
         match msg:
             # payload-data shuttle msg; deliver the `.pld` value
@@ -256,18 +257,58 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
                     # pack mgterr into error-msg for
                     # reraise below; ensure remote-actor-err
                     # info is displayed nicely?
-                    msgterr: MsgTypeError = _mk_msg_type_err(
+                    mte: MsgTypeError = _mk_msg_type_err(
                         msg=msg,
                         codec=self.pld_dec,
                         src_validation_error=valerr,
                         is_invalid_payload=True,
+                        expected_msg=expect_msg,
+                        # ipc_msg=msg,
                     )
-                    msg: Error = pack_from_raise(
-                        local_err=msgterr,
+                    # NOTE: override the `msg` passed to
+                    # `_raise_from_unexpected_msg()` (below) so so that
+                    # we're effectively able to use that same func to
+                    # unpack and raise an "emulated remote `Error`" of
+                    # this local MTE.
+                    err_msg: Error = pack_error(
+                        exc=mte,
                         cid=msg.cid,
-                        src_uid=ipc.chan.uid,
+                        src_uid=(
+                            ipc.chan.uid
+                            if not is_started_send_side
+                            else ipc._actor.uid
+                        ),
+                        # tb=valerr.__traceback__,
+                        tb_str=mte._message,
                     )
+                    # ^-TODO-^ just raise this inline instead of all the
+                    # pack-unpack-repack non-sense!
+
+                    mte._ipc_msg = err_msg
+                    msg = err_msg
+
+                    # set emulated remote error more-or-less as the
+                    # runtime would
+                    ctx: Context = getattr(ipc, 'ctx', ipc)
+
+                    # TODO: should we instead make this explicit and
+                    # use the above masked `is_started_send_decode`,
+                    # expecting the `Context.started()` caller to set
+                    # it? Rn this is kinda, howyousayyy, implicitly
+                    # edge-case-y..
+                    if (
+                        expect_msg is not Started
+                        and not is_started_send_side
+                    ):
+                        ctx._maybe_cancel_and_set_remote_error(mte)
+
+                    # XXX NOTE: so when the `_raise_from_unexpected_msg()`
+                    # raises the boxed `err_msg` from above it raises
+                    # it from `None`.
                     src_err = valerr
+                    # if is_started_send_side:
+                    #     src_err = None
+
 
                 # XXX some other decoder specific failure?
                 # except TypeError as src_error:
@@ -379,6 +420,7 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
         # NOTE: generally speaking only for handling `Stop`-msgs that
         # arrive during a call to `drain_to_final_msg()` above!
         passthrough_non_pld_msgs: bool = True,
+        hide_tb: bool = True,
         **kwargs,
 
     ) -> tuple[MsgType, PayloadT]:
@@ -387,6 +429,7 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
         the pair of refs.
 
         '''
+        __tracebackhide__: bool = hide_tb
         msg: MsgType = await ipc._rx_chan.receive()
 
         if passthrough_non_pld_msgs:
@@ -401,6 +444,7 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
             msg,
             ipc=ipc,
             expect_msg=expect_msg,
+            hide_tb=hide_tb,
             **kwargs,
         )
         return msg, pld
@@ -414,7 +458,7 @@ def limit_plds(
 ) -> MsgDec:
     '''
     Apply a `MsgCodec` that will natively decode the SC-msg set's
-    `Msg.pld: Union[Type[Struct]]` payload fields using
+    `PayloadMsg.pld: Union[Type[Struct]]` payload fields using
     tagged-unions of `msgspec.Struct`s from the `payload_types`
     for all IPC contexts in use by the current `trio.Task`.
 
@@ -691,3 +735,11 @@ async def drain_to_final_msg(
         result_msg,
         pre_result_drained,
     )
+
+
+# TODO: factor logic from `.Context.started()` for send-side
+# validate raising!
+def validate_payload_msg(
+    msg: Started|Yield|Return,
+) -> MsgTypeError|None:
+    ...