diff --git a/tractor/_discovery.py b/tractor/_discovery.py
index a332ab73..401f6fa7 100644
--- a/tractor/_discovery.py
+++ b/tractor/_discovery.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ log = get_logger(__name__)
 async def get_registry(
     addr: UnwrappedAddress|None = None,
 ) -> AsyncGenerator[
-    Portal | LocalPortal | None,
+    Portal|LocalPortal|None,
     None,
 ]:
     '''
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ async def query_actor(
     regaddr: UnwrappedAddress|None = None,
 
 ) -> AsyncGenerator[
-    UnwrappedAddress|None,
+    tuple[UnwrappedAddress|None, Portal|None],
     None,
 ]:
     '''
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ async def query_actor(
     actor: Actor = current_actor()
     if (
         name == 'registrar'
-        and actor.is_registrar
+        and
+        actor.is_registrar
     ):
         raise RuntimeError(
             'The current actor IS the registry!?'
@@ -172,7 +173,7 @@ async def query_actor(
 
     maybe_peers: list[Channel]|None = get_peer_by_name(name)
     if maybe_peers:
-        yield maybe_peers[0].raddr
+        yield maybe_peers[0].raddr, None
         return
 
     reg_portal: Portal
@@ -185,8 +186,7 @@ async def query_actor(
             'find_actor',
             name=name,
         )
-        yield addr
-
+        yield addr, reg_portal
 
 @acm
 async def maybe_open_portal(
@@ -196,15 +196,36 @@ async def maybe_open_portal(
     async with query_actor(
         name=name,
         regaddr=addr,
-    ) as addr:
-        pass
+    ) as (addr, reg_portal):
+        if not addr:
+            yield None
+            return
 
-    if addr:
-        async with _connect_chan(addr) as chan:
-            async with open_portal(chan) as portal:
-                yield portal
-    else:
-        yield None
+        try:
+            async with _connect_chan(addr) as chan:
+                async with open_portal(chan) as portal:
+                    yield portal
+
+        # most likely we were unable to connect the
+        # transport and there is likely a stale entry in
+        # the registry actor's table, thus we need to
+        # instruct it to clear that stale entry and then
+        # more silently (pretend there was no reason but
+        # to) indicate that the target actor can't be
+        # contacted at that addr.
+        except OSError:
+            # NOTE: ensure we delete the stale entry from the
+            # registar actor.
+            uid: tuple[str, str] = await reg_portal.run_from_ns(
+                'self',
+                'delete_sockaddr',
+                sockaddr=addr.unwrap(),
+            )
+            log.error(
+                f'Deleted stale registry entry !\n'
+                f'addr: {addr!r}\n'
+                f'uid: {uid!r}\n'
+            )
 
 
 @acm
@@ -272,7 +293,7 @@ async def find_actor(
         if not any(portals):
             if raise_on_none:
                 raise RuntimeError(
-                    f'No actor "{name}" found registered @ {registry_addrs}'
+                    f'No actor {name!r} found registered @ {registry_addrs!r}'
                 )
             yield None
             return
@@ -288,6 +309,7 @@ async def find_actor(
             yield portals
 
 
+
 @acm
 async def wait_for_actor(
     name: str,