diff --git a/tractor/_broadcast.py b/tractor/_broadcast.py
index 7d56430..bba8021 100644
--- a/tractor/_broadcast.py
+++ b/tractor/_broadcast.py
@@ -4,13 +4,15 @@ https://tokio-rs.github.io/tokio/doc/tokio/sync/broadcast/index.html
 
 '''
 from __future__ import annotations
+from abc import abstractmethod
 from collections import deque
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from functools import partial
 from itertools import cycle
 from operator import ne
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Optional, Callable, Awaitable, Any, AsyncIterator, Protocol
+from typing import Generic, TypeVar
 
 import trio
 from trio._core._run import Task
@@ -19,6 +21,49 @@ from trio.lowlevel import current_task
 import tractor
 
 
+# A regular invariant generic type
+T = TypeVar("T")
+
+# The type of object produced by a ReceiveChannel (covariant because
+# ReceiveChannel[Derived] can be passed to someone expecting
+# ReceiveChannel[Base])
+ReceiveType = TypeVar("ReceiveType", covariant=True)
+
+
+class CloneableReceiveChannel(
+    Protocol,
+    Generic[ReceiveType],
+):
+    @abstractmethod
+    def clone(self) -> CloneableReceiveChannel[ReceiveType]:
+        '''Clone this receiver usually by making a copy.'''
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    async def receive(self) -> ReceiveType:
+        '''Same as in ``trio``.'''
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def __aiter__(self) -> AsyncIterator[ReceiveType]:
+        ...
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    async def __anext__(self) -> ReceiveType:
+        ...
+
+    # ``trio.abc.AsyncResource`` methods
+    @abstractmethod
+    async def aclose(self):
+        ...
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    async def __aenter__(self) -> CloneableReceiveChannel[ReceiveType]:
+        ...
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    async def __aexit__(self, *args) -> None:
+        ...
+
+
 class Lagged(trio.TooSlowError):
     '''Subscribed consumer task was too slow'''
 
@@ -33,7 +78,7 @@ class BroadcastState:
     # map of underlying clones to receiver wrappers
     # which must be provided as a singleton per broadcaster
     # clone-subscription set.
-    subs: dict[trio.ReceiveChannel, BroadcastReceiver]
+    subs: dict[CloneableReceiveChannel, int]
 
     # broadcast event to wakeup all sleeping consumer tasks
     # on a newly produced value from the sender.
@@ -51,8 +96,9 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
     def __init__(
         self,
 
-        rx_chan: ReceiveChannel,
+        rx_chan: CloneableReceiveChannel,
         state: BroadcastState,
+        receive_afunc: Optional[Callable[[], Awaitable[Any]]] = None,
 
     ) -> None:
 
@@ -62,6 +108,7 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
 
         # underlying for this receiver
         self._rx = rx_chan
+        self._recv = receive_afunc or rx_chan.receive
 
     async def receive(self):
 
@@ -113,7 +160,7 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
         if state.sender_ready is None:
 
             event = state.sender_ready = trio.Event()
-            value = await self._rx.receive()
+            value = await self._recv()
 
             # items with lower indices are "newer"
             state.queue.appendleft(value)
@@ -152,7 +199,7 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
     @asynccontextmanager
     async def subscribe(
         self,
-    ) -> BroadcastReceiver:
+    ) -> AsyncIterator[BroadcastReceiver]:
         '''Subscribe for values from this broadcast receiver.
 
         Returns a new ``BroadCastReceiver`` which is registered for and
@@ -160,6 +207,8 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
         provided at creation.
 
         '''
+        # if we didn't want to enforce "clone-ability" how would
+        # we key arbitrary subscriptions? Use a token system?
         clone = self._rx.clone()
         state = self._state
         br = BroadcastReceiver(
@@ -190,13 +239,14 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
         # up to the last received that still reside in the queue.
         # Is this what we want?
         await self._rx.aclose()
-        self._subs.pop(self._rx)
+        self._state.subs.pop(self._rx)
 
 
 def broadcast_receiver(
 
-    recv_chan: ReceiveChannel,
+    recv_chan: CloneableReceiveChannel,
     max_buffer_size: int,
+    **kwargs,
 
 ) -> BroadcastReceiver:
 
@@ -206,6 +256,7 @@ def broadcast_receiver(
             queue=deque(maxlen=max_buffer_size),
             subs={},
         ),
+        **kwargs,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/tractor/_streaming.py b/tractor/_streaming.py
index 6e08272..2956451 100644
--- a/tractor/_streaming.py
+++ b/tractor/_streaming.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import (
     Any, Iterator, Optional, Callable,
     AsyncGenerator, Dict,
+    AsyncIterator, Awaitable
 )
 
 import warnings
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ class ReceiveMsgStream(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel):
     def __init__(
         self,
         ctx: 'Context',  # typing: ignore # noqa
-        rx_chan: trio.abc.ReceiveChannel,
+        rx_chan: trio.MemoryReceiveChannel,
     ) -> None:
         self._ctx = ctx
         self._rx_chan = rx_chan
@@ -246,7 +247,7 @@ class ReceiveMsgStream(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel):
     async def subscribe(
         self,
 
-    ) -> BroadcastReceiver:
+    ) -> AsyncIterator[BroadcastReceiver]:
         '''Allocate and return a ``BroadcastReceiver`` which delegates
         to this message stream.
 
@@ -259,21 +260,24 @@ class ReceiveMsgStream(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel):
         receiver wrapper.
 
         '''
+        # NOTE: This operation is indempotent and non-reversible, so be
+        # sure you can deal with any (theoretical) overhead of the the
+        # allocated ``BroadcastReceiver`` before calling this method for
+        # the first time.
         if self._broadcaster is None:
             self._broadcaster = broadcast_receiver(
                 self,
-                self._rx_chan._state.max_buffer_size,
+                self._rx_chan._state.max_buffer_size,  # type: ignore
             )
-            # override the original stream instance's receive to
-            # delegate to the broadcaster receive such that
-            # new subscribers will be copied received values
-            # XXX: this operation is indempotent and non-reversible,
-            # so be sure you can deal with any (theoretical) overhead
-            # of the the ``BroadcastReceiver`` before calling
-            # this method for the first time.
 
-            # XXX: why does this work without a recursion issue?!
-            self.receive = self._broadcaster.receive
+            # NOTE: we override the original stream instance's receive
+            # method to now delegate to the broadcaster's ``.receive()``
+            # such that new subscribers will be copied received values
+            # and this stream doesn't have to expect it's original
+            # consumer(s) to get a new broadcast rx handle.
+            self.receive = self._broadcaster.receive  # type: ignore
+            # seems there's no graceful way to type this with ``mypy``?
+            # https://github.com/python/mypy/issues/708
 
         async with self._broadcaster.subscribe() as bstream:
             # a ``MsgStream`` clone is allocated for the