diff --git a/examples/advanced_faults/ipc_failure_during_stream.py b/examples/advanced_faults/ipc_failure_during_stream.py
index 60b28c3..950d5a6 100644
--- a/examples/advanced_faults/ipc_failure_during_stream.py
+++ b/examples/advanced_faults/ipc_failure_during_stream.py
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ async def recv_and_spawn_net_killers(
     await ctx.started()
     async with (
         ctx.open_stream() as stream,
-        trio.open_nursery() as n,
+        trio.open_nursery(
+            strict_exception_groups=False,
+        ) as tn,
     ):
         async for i in stream:
             print(f'child echoing {i}')
@@ -77,11 +79,11 @@ async def recv_and_spawn_net_killers(
                 i >= break_ipc_after
             ):
                 broke_ipc = True
-                n.start_soon(
+                tn.start_soon(
                     iter_ipc_stream,
                     stream,
                 )
-                n.start_soon(
+                tn.start_soon(
                     partial(
                         break_ipc_then_error,
                         stream=stream,
diff --git a/examples/debugging/multi_daemon_subactors.py b/examples/debugging/multi_daemon_subactors.py
index 7844cce..844a228 100644
--- a/examples/debugging/multi_daemon_subactors.py
+++ b/examples/debugging/multi_daemon_subactors.py
@@ -21,11 +21,13 @@ async def name_error():
 
 
 async def main():
-    """Test breakpoint in a streaming actor.
-    """
+    '''
+    Test breakpoint in a streaming actor.
+
+    '''
     async with tractor.open_nursery(
         debug_mode=True,
-        # loglevel='cancel',
+        loglevel='cancel',
         # loglevel='devx',
     ) as n:
 
diff --git a/examples/debugging/multi_subactor_root_errors.py b/examples/debugging/multi_subactor_root_errors.py
index 640f222..31bb7dd 100644
--- a/examples/debugging/multi_subactor_root_errors.py
+++ b/examples/debugging/multi_subactor_root_errors.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ async def main():
     """
     async with tractor.open_nursery(
         debug_mode=True,
-        # loglevel='cancel',
+        loglevel='devx',
     ) as n:
 
         # spawn both actors
diff --git a/examples/full_fledged_streaming_service.py b/examples/full_fledged_streaming_service.py
index be4c372..d859f64 100644
--- a/examples/full_fledged_streaming_service.py
+++ b/examples/full_fledged_streaming_service.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ async def main() -> list[int]:
     an: ActorNursery
     async with tractor.open_nursery(
         loglevel='cancel',
-        debug_mode=True,
+        # debug_mode=True,
     ) as an:
 
         seed = int(1e3)
diff --git a/tests/devx/test_debugger.py b/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
index 8b723c6..171e983 100644
--- a/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
+++ b/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
@@ -309,10 +309,13 @@ def test_subactor_breakpoint(
     child.expect(EOF)
 
     assert in_prompt_msg(
-        child,
-        ['RemoteActorError:',
+        child, [
+        'MessagingError:',
+        'RemoteActorError:',
          "('breakpoint_forever'",
-         'bdb.BdbQuit',]
+         'bdb.BdbQuit',
+        ],
+        pause_on_false=True,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_advanced_faults.py b/tests/test_advanced_faults.py
index a4d1779..85bac93 100644
--- a/tests/test_advanced_faults.py
+++ b/tests/test_advanced_faults.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ Sketchy network blackoutz, ugly byzantine gens, puedes eschuchar la
 cancelacion?..
 
 '''
-import itertools
 from functools import partial
 from types import ModuleType
 
@@ -230,13 +229,10 @@ def test_ipc_channel_break_during_stream(
     # get raw instance from pytest wrapper
     value = excinfo.value
     if isinstance(value, ExceptionGroup):
-        value = next(
-            itertools.dropwhile(
-                lambda exc: not isinstance(exc, expect_final_exc),
-                value.exceptions,
-            )
-        )
-        assert value
+        excs = value.exceptions
+        assert len(excs) == 1
+        final_exc = excs[0]
+        assert isinstance(final_exc, expect_final_exc)
 
 
 @tractor.context
diff --git a/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py b/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
index 3134b9c..64f2416 100644
--- a/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
+++ b/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
@@ -307,7 +307,15 @@ async def inf_streamer(
 
     async with (
         ctx.open_stream() as stream,
-        trio.open_nursery() as tn,
+
+        # XXX TODO, INTERESTING CASE!!
+        # - if we don't collapse the eg then the embedded
+        # `trio.EndOfChannel` doesn't propagate directly to the above
+        # .open_stream() parent, resulting in it also raising instead
+        # of gracefully absorbing as normal.. so how to handle?
+        trio.open_nursery(
+            strict_exception_groups=False,
+        ) as tn,
     ):
         async def close_stream_on_sentinel():
             async for msg in stream:
diff --git a/tests/test_cancellation.py b/tests/test_cancellation.py
index 6da9d63..2d43ee2 100644
--- a/tests/test_cancellation.py
+++ b/tests/test_cancellation.py
@@ -519,7 +519,9 @@ def test_cancel_via_SIGINT_other_task(
     async def main():
         # should never timeout since SIGINT should cancel the current program
         with trio.fail_after(timeout):
-            async with trio.open_nursery() as n:
+            async with trio.open_nursery(
+                strict_exception_groups=False,
+            ) as n:
                 await n.start(spawn_and_sleep_forever)
                 if 'mp' in spawn_backend:
                     time.sleep(0.1)
@@ -612,6 +614,12 @@ def test_fast_graceful_cancel_when_spawn_task_in_soft_proc_wait_for_daemon(
                     nurse.start_soon(delayed_kbi)
 
                     await p.run(do_nuthin)
+
+        # need to explicitly re-raise the lone kbi..now
+        except* KeyboardInterrupt as kbi_eg:
+            assert (len(excs := kbi_eg.exceptions) == 1)
+            raise excs[0]
+
         finally:
             duration = time.time() - start
             if duration > timeout:
diff --git a/tests/test_caps_based_msging.py b/tests/test_caps_based_msging.py
index 6064c2c..ba2bb10 100644
--- a/tests/test_caps_based_msging.py
+++ b/tests/test_caps_based_msging.py
@@ -874,13 +874,13 @@ def chk_pld_type(
     return roundtrip
 
 
-def test_limit_msgspec():
-
+def test_limit_msgspec(
+    debug_mode: bool,
+):
     async def main():
         async with tractor.open_root_actor(
-            debug_mode=True
+            debug_mode=debug_mode,
         ):
-
             # ensure we can round-trip a boxing `PayloadMsg`
             assert chk_pld_type(
                 payload_spec=Any,
diff --git a/tests/test_child_manages_service_nursery.py b/tests/test_child_manages_service_nursery.py
index 956fccd..540e9b2 100644
--- a/tests/test_child_manages_service_nursery.py
+++ b/tests/test_child_manages_service_nursery.py
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ async def trio_main(
 
     # stash a "service nursery" as "actor local" (aka a Python global)
     global _nursery
-    n = _nursery
-    assert n
+    tn = _nursery
+    assert tn
 
     async def consume_stream():
         async with wrapper_mngr() as stream:
@@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ async def trio_main(
                 print(msg)
 
     # run 2 tasks to ensure broadcaster chan use
-    n.start_soon(consume_stream)
-    n.start_soon(consume_stream)
+    tn.start_soon(consume_stream)
+    tn.start_soon(consume_stream)
 
-    n.start_soon(trio_sleep_and_err)
+    tn.start_soon(trio_sleep_and_err)
 
     await trio.sleep_forever()
 
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ async def open_actor_local_nursery(
     global _nursery
     async with trio.open_nursery(
         strict_exception_groups=False,
-    ) as n:
-        _nursery = n
+    ) as tn:
+        _nursery = tn
         await ctx.started()
         await trio.sleep(10)
         # await trio.sleep(1)
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ async def open_actor_local_nursery(
         # never yields back.. aka a scenario where the
         # ``tractor.context`` task IS NOT in the service n's cancel
         # scope.
-        n.cancel_scope.cancel()
+        tn.cancel_scope.cancel()
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ def test_actor_managed_trio_nursery_task_error_cancels_aio(
         async with tractor.open_nursery() as n:
             p = await n.start_actor(
                 'nursery_mngr',
-                infect_asyncio=asyncio_mode,
+                infect_asyncio=asyncio_mode,  # TODO, is this enabling debug mode?
                 enable_modules=[__name__],
             )
             async with (
diff --git a/tests/test_discovery.py b/tests/test_discovery.py
index 508fdbe..8d014ce 100644
--- a/tests/test_discovery.py
+++ b/tests/test_discovery.py
@@ -181,7 +181,9 @@ async def spawn_and_check_registry(
 
             try:
                 async with tractor.open_nursery() as n:
-                    async with trio.open_nursery() as trion:
+                    async with trio.open_nursery(
+                        strict_exception_groups=False,
+                    ) as trion:
 
                         portals = {}
                         for i in range(3):
diff --git a/tests/test_trioisms.py b/tests/test_trioisms.py
index fad99f1..449ddcc 100644
--- a/tests/test_trioisms.py
+++ b/tests/test_trioisms.py
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ def test_stashed_child_nursery(use_start_soon):
 def test_acm_embedded_nursery_propagates_enter_err(
     canc_from_finally: bool,
     unmask_from_canc: bool,
+    debug_mode: bool,
 ):
     '''
     Demo how a masking `trio.Cancelled` could be handled by unmasking from the
@@ -174,7 +175,9 @@ def test_acm_embedded_nursery_propagates_enter_err(
                     await trio.lowlevel.checkpoint()
 
     async def _main():
-        with tractor.devx.open_crash_handler() as bxerr:
+        with tractor.devx.maybe_open_crash_handler(
+            pdb=debug_mode,
+        ) as bxerr:
             assert not bxerr.value
 
             async with (