diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 956a5bf..d8f58be 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -31,5 +31,5 @@ install:
     - pip install -U . -r requirements-test.txt --upgrade-strategy eager
 
 script:
-    - mypy tractor/  --ignore-missing-imports
+    - mypy tractor/ --ignore-missing-imports
     - pytest tests/ --no-print-logs
diff --git a/requirements-test.txt b/requirements-test.txt
index 447b18c..e9dae32 100644
--- a/requirements-test.txt
+++ b/requirements-test.txt
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ pytest
 pytest-trio
 pdbpp
 mypy
+trio_typing
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4f56472..cb44d1c 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ setup(
     ],
     install_requires=[
         'msgpack', 'trio>0.8', 'async_generator', 'colorlog', 'wrapt',
-        'trio_typing',
     ],
     tests_require=['pytest'],
     python_requires=">=3.7",
diff --git a/tractor/_actor.py b/tractor/_actor.py
index 6755b0b..22e2253 100644
--- a/tractor/_actor.py
+++ b/tractor/_actor.py
@@ -445,8 +445,8 @@ class Actor:
                     # spin up a task for the requested function
                     log.debug(f"Spawning task for {func}")
                     cs = await self._root_nursery.start(
-                        _invoke, self, cid, chan, func, kwargs,
-                        name=funcname
+                        partial(_invoke, self, cid, chan, func, kwargs),
+                        name=funcname,
                     )
                     # never allow cancelling cancel requests (results in
                     # deadlock and other weird behaviour)
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ class Actor:
             # TODO: might want to consider having a separate nursery
             # for the stream handler such that the server can be cancelled
             # whilst leaving existing channels up
-            listeners = await nursery.start(
+            listeners: List[trio.abc.Listener] = await nursery.start(
                 partial(
                     trio.serve_tcp,
                     self._stream_handler,
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ class Actor:
                 )
             )
             log.debug(
-                f"Started tcp server(s) on {[l.socket for l in listeners]}")
+                    f"Started tcp server(s) on {[l.socket for l in listeners]}")  # type: ignore
             self._listeners.extend(listeners)
             task_status.started()
 
diff --git a/tractor/_portal.py b/tractor/_portal.py
index bd49170..8f5899b 100644
--- a/tractor/_portal.py
+++ b/tractor/_portal.py
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ async def open_portal(
         if channel.uid is None:
             await actor._do_handshake(channel)
 
-        msg_loop_cs = await nursery.start(
+        msg_loop_cs: trio.CancelScope = await nursery.start(
             partial(
                 actor._process_messages,
                 channel,
diff --git a/tractor/_spawn.py b/tractor/_spawn.py
index a759946..f299b9d 100644
--- a/tractor/_spawn.py
+++ b/tractor/_spawn.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from ._state import current_actor
 from ._actor import Actor
 
 
-_ctx: mp.context.BaseContext = mp.get_context("spawn")
+_ctx: mp.context.BaseContext = mp.get_context("spawn")  # type: ignore
 
 
 def try_set_start_method(name: str) -> mp.context.BaseContext:
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def new_proc(
     else:
         fs_info = (None, None, None, None, None)
 
-    return _ctx.Process(
+    return _ctx.Process(  # type: ignore
         target=actor._fork_main,
         args=(
             bind_addr,