diff --git a/tests/test_tractor.py b/tests/test_tractor.py
index 5662c0a..6abb70f 100644
--- a/tests/test_tractor.py
+++ b/tests/test_tractor.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Actor model API testing
 """
 import time
+from functools import partial
 
 import pytest
 import trio
@@ -22,21 +23,70 @@ async def test_no_arbitter():
     done by the ``pytest-trio`` plugin.)
     """
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
-        with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
+        with tractor.open_nursery():
             pass
 
 
-def test_local_actor_async_gen():
+def test_local_actor_async_func():
     """Verify a simple async function in-process.
     """
-    async def print_loop(actor):
+    nums = []
+
+    async def print_loop():
+        # arbiter is started in-proc if dne
+        assert tractor.current_actor().is_arbiter
+
         for i in range(10):
+            nums.append(i)
             await trio.sleep(0.1)
 
     start = time.time()
     tractor.run(print_loop)
+
     # ensure the sleeps were actually awaited
     assert time.time() - start >= 1
+    assert nums == list(range(10))
+
+
+# NOTE: this func must be defined at module level in order for the
+# interal pickling infra of the forkserver to work
+async def spawn(is_arbiter):
+    # name = 'doggy-service'
+    statespace = {'doggy': 10, 'kitty': 4}
+    namespaces = ['piker.brokers.core']
+
+    await trio.sleep(0.1)
+    actor = tractor.current_actor()
+    assert actor.is_arbiter == is_arbiter
+
+    # arbiter should always have an empty statespace as it's redundant
+    sp_shouldbe = statespace if not is_arbiter else {}
+    assert actor.statespace == sp_shouldbe
+
+    if actor.is_arbiter:
+        async with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
+            # forks here
+            portal = await nursery.start_actor(
+                'sub-actor',
+                main=partial(spawn, False),
+                statespace=statespace,
+                rpc_module_paths=namespaces,
+            )
+            assert len(nursery._children) == 1
+            assert not portal._event.is_set()
+            assert portal._uid in tractor.current_actor()._peers
+    else:
+        return 10
+
+
+def test_local_arbiter_subactor_global_state():
+    statespace = {'doggy': 10, 'kitty': 4}
+    tractor.run(
+        spawn,
+        True,
+        name='arbiter',
+        statespace=statespace,
+    )
 
 
 @pytest.mark.trio
@@ -44,13 +94,13 @@ async def test_rx_price_quotes_from_brokerd(us_symbols):
     """Verify we can spawn a daemon actor and retrieve streamed price data.
     """
     async with tractor.find_actor('brokerd') as portals:
-        async with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
+        if not portals:
             # only one per host address, spawns an actor if None
-            if not portals:
+            async with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
                 # no brokerd actor found
                 portal = await nursery.start_actor(
                     'brokerd',
-                    ['piker.brokers.core'],
+                    rpc_module_paths=['piker.brokers.core'],
                     statespace={
                         'brokers2tickersubs': {},
                         'clients': {},
@@ -59,28 +109,31 @@ async def test_rx_price_quotes_from_brokerd(us_symbols):
                     main=None,  # don't start a main func - use rpc
                 )
 
-            # gotta expose in a broker agnostic way...
-            # retrieve initial symbol data
-            # sd = await portal.run(
-            #     'piker.brokers.core', 'symbol_data', symbols=us_symbols)
-            # assert list(sd.keys()) == us_symbols
+                # gotta expose in a broker agnostic way...
+                # retrieve initial symbol data
+                # sd = await portal.run(
+                #     'piker.brokers.core', 'symbol_data', symbols=us_symbols)
+                # assert list(sd.keys()) == us_symbols
 
-            gen = await portal.run(
-                'piker.brokers.core',
-                '_test_price_stream',
-                broker='robinhood',
-                symbols=us_symbols,
-            )
-            # it'd sure be nice to have an asyncitertools here...
-            async for quotes in gen:
-                assert quotes
-                for key in quotes:
-                    assert key in us_symbols
-                break
-                # terminate far-end async-gen
-                # await gen.asend(None)
-                # break
+                gen = await portal.run(
+                    'piker.brokers.core',
+                    '_test_price_stream',
+                    broker='robinhood',
+                    symbols=us_symbols,
+                )
+                # it'd sure be nice to have an asyncitertools here...
+                async for quotes in gen:
+                    assert quotes
+                    for key in quotes:
+                        assert key in us_symbols
+                    break
+                    # terminate far-end async-gen
+                    # await gen.asend(None)
+                    # break
 
-        # arbitter is cancelled here due to `find_actors()` internals
-        # (which internally uses `get_arbiter` which kills the root
-        # nursery on __exit__)
+                # stop all spawned subactors
+                await nursery.cancel()
+
+    # arbitter is cancelled here due to `find_actors()` internals
+    # (which internally uses `get_arbiter` which kills its channel
+    # server scope on exit)