diff --git a/examples/debugging/restore_builtin_breakpoint.py b/examples/debugging/restore_builtin_breakpoint.py
index b591b0f7..1d045a6b 100644
--- a/examples/debugging/restore_builtin_breakpoint.py
+++ b/examples/debugging/restore_builtin_breakpoint.py
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import sys
 import trio
 import tractor
 
+# ensure mod-path is correct!
+from tractor.devx.debug import (
+    _sync_pause_from_builtin as _sync_pause_from_builtin,
+)
+
 
 async def main() -> None:
 
@@ -13,6 +18,7 @@ async def main() -> None:
 
     async with tractor.open_nursery(
         debug_mode=True,
+        loglevel='devx',
     ) as an:
         assert an
         assert (
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a0491598..44ed7d68 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ dev = [
   "stackscope>=0.2.2,<0.3",
   # ^ requires this?
   "typing-extensions>=4.14.1",
-
   "pyperclip>=1.9.0",
   "prompt-toolkit>=3.0.50",
   "xonsh>=0.19.2",
diff --git a/tractor/devx/_stackscope.py b/tractor/devx/_stackscope.py
index ccc46534..b64be324 100644
--- a/tractor/devx/_stackscope.py
+++ b/tractor/devx/_stackscope.py
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ def enable_stack_on_sig(
     try:
         import stackscope
     except ImportError:
-        log.warning(
+        log.error(
             '`stackscope` not installed for use in debug mode!'
         )
         return None
@@ -255,8 +255,8 @@ def enable_stack_on_sig(
         dump_tree_on_sig,
     )
     log.devx(
-        'Enabling trace-trees on `SIGUSR1` '
-        'since `stackscope` is installed @ \n'
+        f'Enabling trace-trees on `SIGUSR1` '
+        f'since `stackscope` is installed @ \n'
         f'{stackscope!r}\n\n'
         f'With `SIGUSR1` handler\n'
         f'|_{dump_tree_on_sig}\n'