diff --git a/tests/devx/test_debugger.py b/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
index cacab803..d3f9fa5d 100644
--- a/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
+++ b/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
@@ -1138,7 +1138,10 @@ def test_ctxep_pauses_n_maybe_ipc_breaks(
                 ['peer IPC channel closed abruptly?',
                  'another task closed this fd',
                  'Debug lock request was CANCELLED?',
-                 "TransportClosed: 'MsgpackUDSStream' was already closed locally ?",]
+                 "'MsgpackUDSStream' was already closed locally?",
+                 "TransportClosed: 'MsgpackUDSStream' was already closed 'by peer'?",
+                 # ?TODO^? match depending on `tpt_proto(s)`?
+                ]
 
                 # XXX races on whether these show/hit?
                  # 'Failed to REPl via `_pause()` You called `tractor.pause()` from an already cancelled scope!',
diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_transport.py b/tractor/ipc/_transport.py
index 93652a87..97ba3e5a 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_transport.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_transport.py
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ class MsgTransport(Protocol):
     #     ...
 
 
-
 class MsgpackTransport(MsgTransport):
 
     # TODO: better naming for this?
@@ -278,14 +277,18 @@ class MsgpackTransport(MsgTransport):
             except trio.ClosedResourceError as cre:
                 closure_err = cre
 
+                # await tractor.devx._trace.maybe_pause_bp()
+
                 raise TransportClosed(
                     message=(
-                        f'{tpt_name} was already closed locally ?\n'
+                        f'{tpt_name} was already closed locally?'
                     ),
                     src_exc=closure_err,
                     loglevel='error',
                     raise_on_report=(
-                        'another task closed this fd' in closure_err.args
+                        'another task closed this fd'
+                        in
+                        closure_err.args
                     ),
                 ) from closure_err
 
@@ -435,6 +438,11 @@ class MsgpackTransport(MsgTransport):
                 trans_err = _re
                 tpt_name: str = f'{type(self).__name__!r}'
 
+                trans_err_msg: str = trans_err.args[0]
+                by_whom: str = {
+                    'another task closed this fd': 'locally',
+                    'this socket was already closed': 'by peer',
+                }.get(trans_err_msg)
                 match trans_err:
 
                     # XXX, specifc to UDS transport and its,
@@ -446,13 +454,13 @@ class MsgpackTransport(MsgTransport):
                     case trio.BrokenResourceError() if (
                         '[Errno 32] Broken pipe'
                         in
-                        trans_err.args[0]
+                        trans_err_msg
                     ):
                         tpt_closed = TransportClosed.from_src_exc(
                             message=(
                                 f'{tpt_name} already closed by peer\n'
                             ),
-                            body=f'{self}\n',
+                            body=f'{self}',
                             src_exc=trans_err,
                             raise_on_report=True,
                             loglevel='transport',
@@ -462,19 +470,19 @@ class MsgpackTransport(MsgTransport):
                     # ??TODO??, what case in piker does this and HOW
                     # CAN WE RE-PRODUCE IT?!?!?
                     case trio.ClosedResourceError() if (
-                        'this socket was already closed'
-                        in
-                        trans_err.args[0]
+                        by_whom
                     ):
                         tpt_closed = TransportClosed.from_src_exc(
                             message=(
-                                f'{tpt_name} already closed by peer\n'
+                                f'{tpt_name} was already closed {by_whom!r}?\n'
                             ),
-                            body=f'{self}\n',
+                            body=f'{self}',
                             src_exc=trans_err,
                             raise_on_report=True,
                             loglevel='transport',
                         )
+
+                        # await tractor.devx._trace.maybe_pause_bp()
                         raise tpt_closed from trans_err
 
                     # unless the disconnect condition falls under "a