diff --git a/tests/discovery/test_multi_program.py b/tests/discovery/test_multi_program.py
index 7b294a15..1030de6e 100644
--- a/tests/discovery/test_multi_program.py
+++ b/tests/discovery/test_multi_program.py
@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ def test_register_duplicate_name(
                         '`wait_for_actor` returned'
                     )
                     assert (
-                        (portal.channel.aid.name, portal.channel.aid.uuid)
+                        portal.channel.aid.uid
                         in (
-                            (p2.channel.aid.name, p2.channel.aid.uuid),
-                            (p1.channel.aid.name, p1.channel.aid.uuid),
+                            p2.channel.aid.uid,
+                            p1.channel.aid.uid,
                         )
                     )
 
@@ -249,11 +249,11 @@ def test_dup_name_cancel_cascade_escalates_to_hard_kill(
                 # have last-wins semantics under same-name).
                 async with tractor.wait_for_actor('doggy') as portal:
                     expected_uids = {
-                        (p.channel.aid.name, p.channel.aid.uuid)
+                        p.channel.aid.uid
                         for p in portals
                     }
                     assert (
-                        (portal.channel.aid.name, portal.channel.aid.uuid)
+                        portal.channel.aid.uid
                         in expected_uids
                     )
 
diff --git a/tests/msg/test_ext_types_msgspec.py b/tests/msg/test_ext_types_msgspec.py
index 2f1f8231..f22e0f18 100644
--- a/tests/msg/test_ext_types_msgspec.py
+++ b/tests/msg/test_ext_types_msgspec.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def enc_nsp(obj: Any) -> Any:
     )
     uid: tuple[str, str]|None = (
         None if not actor
-        else (actor.aid.name, actor.aid.uuid)
+        else actor.aid.uid
     )
     print(f'{uid} ENC HOOK')
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def dec_nsp(
     )
     uid: tuple[str, str]|None = (
         None if not actor
-        else (actor.aid.name, actor.aid.uuid)
+        else actor.aid.uid
     )
     print(
         f'{uid}\n'
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ async def send_back_values(
 
     '''
     _aid = tractor.current_actor().aid
-    uid: tuple = (_aid.name, _aid.uuid)
+    uid: tuple = _aid.uid
 
     # init state in sub-actor should be default
     chk_codec_applied(
diff --git a/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py b/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
index aac4e32a..c04bf130 100644
--- a/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
+++ b/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ async def subscribe(
             new_subs = set(new_subs)
             remove = new_subs - _registry.keys()
 
-            print(f'setting sub to {new_subs} for {(ctx.chan.aid.name, ctx.chan.aid.uuid)}')
+            print(f'setting sub to {new_subs} for {ctx.chan.aid.uid}')
 
             # remove old subs
             for sub in remove:
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ async def consumer(
 ) -> None:
 
     _aid = tractor.current_actor().aid
-    uid = (_aid.name, _aid.uuid)
+    uid = _aid.uid
 
     async with tractor.wait_for_actor('publisher') as portal:
         async with portal.open_context(subscribe) as (ctx, first):
diff --git a/tests/test_context_stream_semantics.py b/tests/test_context_stream_semantics.py
index 3eedd64f..8ef85426 100644
--- a/tests/test_context_stream_semantics.py
+++ b/tests/test_context_stream_semantics.py
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ def test_parent_cancels(
         ctx: Context,
     ) -> None:
         actor: Actor = current_actor()
-        uid: tuple = (actor.aid.name, actor.aid.uuid)
+        uid: tuple = actor.aid.uid
         _ctxc: ContextCancelled|None = None
 
         if (
@@ -712,9 +712,9 @@ async def test_parent_exits_ctx_after_child_enters_stream(
                 assert (
                     ctxc.canceller
                     ==
-                    (current_actor().aid.name, current_actor().aid.uuid)
+                    current_actor().aid.uid
                     ==
-                    (root.aid.name, root.aid.uuid)
+                    root.aid.uid
                 )
 
                 # channel should still be up
@@ -1219,7 +1219,7 @@ def test_maybe_allow_overruns_stream(
 
                 if cancel_ctx:
                     assert isinstance(res, ContextCancelled)
-                    assert tuple(res.canceller) == (current_actor().aid.name, current_actor().aid.uuid)
+                    assert tuple(res.canceller) == current_actor().aid.uid
 
                 else:
                     print(f'RX ROOT SIDE RESULT {res}')
diff --git a/tests/test_infected_asyncio.py b/tests/test_infected_asyncio.py
index 5bf12bb3..bdb1b852 100644
--- a/tests/test_infected_asyncio.py
+++ b/tests/test_infected_asyncio.py
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ async def manage_file(
     '''
 
     tmp_path: Path = Path(tmp_path_str)
-    tmp_file: Path = tmp_path / f'{" ".join((ctx._actor.aid.name, ctx._actor.aid.uuid))}.file'
+    tmp_file: Path = tmp_path / f'{" ".join(ctx._actor.aid.uid)}.file'
 
     # create a the tmp file and tell the parent where it's at
     assert not tmp_file.is_file()
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ def test_sigint_closes_lifetime_stack(
                             ):
                                 await ctx.wait_for_result()
                         except tractor.ContextCancelled as ctxc:
-                            assert ctxc.canceller == (ctx.chan.aid.name, ctx.chan.aid.uuid)
+                            assert ctxc.canceller == ctx.chan.aid.uid
                             raise
 
                         except trio.TooSlowError:
@@ -1300,7 +1300,7 @@ async def caching_ep(
             },
 
             # lock around current actor task access
-            key=(tractor.current_actor().aid.name, tractor.current_actor().aid.uuid),
+            key=tractor.current_actor().aid.uid,
 
         ) as (cache_hit, (clients, chan)),
     ):
diff --git a/tests/test_spawning.py b/tests/test_spawning.py
index 0e1bacfc..b6128b96 100644
--- a/tests/test_spawning.py
+++ b/tests/test_spawning.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ async def spawn(
 
             assert len(an._children) == 1
             assert (
-                (portal.channel.aid.name, portal.channel.aid.uuid)
+                portal.channel.aid.uid
                 in
                 tractor.current_actor().ipc_server._peers
             )
diff --git a/tractor/_exceptions.py b/tractor/_exceptions.py
index a4007bff..ab3043c5 100644
--- a/tractor/_exceptions.py
+++ b/tractor/_exceptions.py
@@ -1223,7 +1223,7 @@ def pack_error(
         str,
         str | tuple[str, str]
     ] = {}
-    our_uid: tuple = (current_actor().aid.name, current_actor().aid.uuid)
+    our_uid: tuple[str, str] = current_actor().aid.uid
 
     if (
         isinstance(exc, RemoteActorError)
diff --git a/tractor/_streaming.py b/tractor/_streaming.py
index 01db098f..adc77dcd 100644
--- a/tractor/_streaming.py
+++ b/tractor/_streaming.py
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ class MsgStream(trio.abc.Channel):
             # it can't traverse the transport.
             log.warning(
                 f'Stream was already destroyed?\n'
-                f'actor: {(ctx.chan.aid.name, ctx.chan.aid.uuid)}\n'
+                f'actor: {ctx.chan.aid.uid}\n'
                 f'ctx id: {ctx.cid}'
             )
             drained.append(re)
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ async def open_stream_from_ctx(
                 except KeyError:
                     log.warning(
                         f'Stream was already destroyed?\n'
-                        f'actor: {(ctx.chan.aid.name, ctx.chan.aid.uuid)}\n'
+                        f'actor: {ctx.chan.aid.uid}\n'
                         f'ctx id: {ctx.cid}'
                     )
 
diff --git a/tractor/devx/debug/_sync.py b/tractor/devx/debug/_sync.py
index 7847495d..9e1a6395 100644
--- a/tractor/devx/debug/_sync.py
+++ b/tractor/devx/debug/_sync.py
@@ -92,11 +92,11 @@ async def maybe_wait_for_debugger(
         # tearing down.
         ctx_in_debug: Context|None = Lock.ctx_in_debug
         in_debug: tuple[str, str]|None = (
-            (ctx_in_debug.chan.aid.name, ctx_in_debug.chan.aid.uuid)
+            ctx_in_debug.chan.aid.uid
             if ctx_in_debug
             else None
         )
-        if in_debug == (current_actor().aid.name, current_actor().aid.uuid):
+        if in_debug == current_actor().aid.uid:
             log.debug(
                 msg
                 +
diff --git a/tractor/experimental/_pubsub.py b/tractor/experimental/_pubsub.py
index 08760200..c9bf13d6 100644
--- a/tractor/experimental/_pubsub.py
+++ b/tractor/experimental/_pubsub.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ def modify_subs(
 
     Effectively a symbol subscription api.
     """
-    log.info(f"{(ctx.chan.aid.name, ctx.chan.aid.uuid)} changed subscription to {topics}")
+    log.info(f"{ctx.chan.aid.uid} changed subscription to {topics}")
 
     # update map from each symbol to requesting client's chan
     for topic in topics:
diff --git a/tractor/msg/_ops.py b/tractor/msg/_ops.py
index c341f092..a134306f 100644
--- a/tractor/msg/_ops.py
+++ b/tractor/msg/_ops.py
@@ -345,9 +345,9 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
                         exc=mte,
                         cid=msg.cid,
                         src_uid=(
-                            (ipc.chan.aid.name, ipc.chan.aid.uuid)
+                            ipc.chan.aid.uid
                             if not is_started_send_side
-                            else (ipc._actor.aid.name, ipc._actor.aid.uuid)
+                            else ipc._actor.aid.uid
                         ),
                     )
                     mte._ipc_msg = err_msg
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ async def drain_to_final_msg(
                         'Cancelling `MsgStream` drain since '
                         f'{reason}\n'
                         f'\n'
-                        f'<= {(ctx.chan.aid.name, ctx.chan.aid.uuid)}\n'
+                        f'<= {ctx.chan.aid.uid}\n'
                         f'  |_{ctx._nsf}()\n'
                         f'\n'
                         f'=> {ctx._task}\n'
@@ -726,7 +726,7 @@ async def drain_to_final_msg(
                 else:
                     report: str = (
                         'Ignoring "yield" msg during `ctx.result()` drain..\n'
-                        f'<= {(ctx.chan.aid.name, ctx.chan.aid.uuid)}\n'
+                        f'<= {ctx.chan.aid.uid}\n'
                         f'  |_{ctx._nsf}()\n\n'
                         f'=> {ctx._task}\n'
                         f'  |_{ctx._stream}\n\n'