diff --git a/tractor/_spawn.py b/tractor/_spawn.py
index 3857f36..d42a63a 100644
--- a/tractor/_spawn.py
+++ b/tractor/_spawn.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Machinery for actor process spawning using multiple backends.
 import sys
 import multiprocessing as mp
 import platform
-from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Union, Callable
 
 import trio
 from trio_typing import TaskStatus
@@ -179,10 +179,38 @@ async def do_hard_kill(
         # XXX: should pretty much never get here unless we have
         # to move the bits from ``proc.__aexit__()`` out and
         # into here.
-        log.critical(f"HARD KILLING {proc}")
+        log.critical(f"#ZOMBIE_LORD_IS_HERE: {proc}")
         proc.kill()
 
 
+async def soft_wait(
+
+    proc: Union[mp.Process, trio.Process],
+    wait_func: Callable[
+        Union[mp.Process, trio.Process],
+        None,
+    ],
+    portal: Portal,
+
+) -> None:
+    # Wait for proc termination but **dont' yet** call
+    # ``trio.Process.__aexit__()`` (it tears down stdio
+    # which will kill any waiting remote pdb trace).
+    # This is a "soft" (cancellable) join/reap.
+    try:
+        # await proc.wait()
+        await wait_func(proc)
+    except trio.Cancelled:
+        # if cancelled during a soft wait, cancel the child
+        # actor before entering the hard reap sequence
+        # below. This means we try to do a graceful teardown
+        # via sending a cancel message before getting out
+        # zombie killing tools.
+        with trio.CancelScope(shield=True):
+            await portal.cancel_actor()
+        raise
+
+
 async def new_proc(
 
     name: str,
@@ -199,11 +227,14 @@ async def new_proc(
     task_status: TaskStatus[Portal] = trio.TASK_STATUS_IGNORED
 
 ) -> None:
-    """
-    Create a new ``multiprocessing.Process`` using the
-    spawn method as configured using ``try_set_start_method()``.
+    '''
+    Create a new ``Process`` using a "spawn method" as (configured using
+    ``try_set_start_method()``).
 
-    """
+    This routine should be started in a actor runtime task and the logic
+    here is to be considered the core supervision strategy.
+
+    '''
     # mark the new actor with the global spawn method
     subactor._spawn_method = _spawn_method
     uid = subactor.uid
@@ -298,21 +329,14 @@ async def new_proc(
                         errors
                     )
 
-                # Wait for proc termination but **dont' yet** call
-                # ``trio.Process.__aexit__()`` (it tears down stdio
-                # which will kill any waiting remote pdb trace).
-                # This is a "soft" (cancellable) join/reap.
-                try:
-                    await proc.wait()
-                except trio.Cancelled:
-                    # if cancelled during a soft wait, cancel the child
-                    # actor before entering the hard reap sequence
-                    # below. This means we try to do a graceful teardown
-                    # via sending a cancel message before getting out
-                    # zombie killing tools.
-                    with trio.CancelScope(shield=True):
-                        await portal.cancel_actor()
-                    raise
+                # This is a "soft" (cancellable) join/reap which
+                # will remote cancel the actor on a ``trio.Cancelled``
+                # condition.
+                await soft_wait(
+                    proc,
+                    trio.Process.wait,
+                    portal
+                )
 
                 # cancel result waiter that may have been spawned in
                 # tandem if not done already
@@ -346,7 +370,7 @@ async def new_proc(
 
                     log.debug(f"Joined {proc}")
             else:
-                log.warning(f'Nursery cancelled before sub-proc started')
+                log.warning('Nursery cancelled before sub-proc started')
 
             if not cancelled_during_spawn:
                 # pop child entry to indicate we no longer managing this
@@ -361,6 +385,7 @@ async def new_proc(
             actor_nursery=actor_nursery,
             subactor=subactor,
             errors=errors,
+
             # passed through to actor main
             bind_addr=bind_addr,
             parent_addr=parent_addr,
@@ -479,7 +504,14 @@ async def mp_new_proc(
                     errors
                 )
 
-            await proc_waiter(proc)
+            # This is a "soft" (cancellable) join/reap which
+            # will remote cancel the actor on a ``trio.Cancelled``
+            # condition.
+            await soft_wait(
+                proc,
+                proc_waiter,
+                portal
+            )
 
             # cancel result waiter that may have been spawned in
             # tandem if not done already