diff --git a/tests/test_runtime.py b/tests/test_runtime.py
index 55553dd9..782af81e 100644
--- a/tests/test_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/test_runtime.py
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ def unlink_file():
 async def crash_and_clean_tmpdir(
     tmp_file_path: str,
     error: bool = True,
+    rent_cancel: bool = True,
+
+    # XXX unused, but do we really need to test these cases?
+    self_cancel: bool = False,
 ):
     global _file_path
     _file_path = tmp_file_path
@@ -32,43 +36,75 @@ async def crash_and_clean_tmpdir(
     assert os.path.isfile(tmp_file_path)
     await trio.sleep(0.1)
     if error:
+        print('erroring in subactor!')
         assert 0
-    else:
+
+    elif self_cancel:
+        print('SELF-cancelling subactor!')
         actor.cancel_soon()
 
+    elif rent_cancel:
+        await trio.sleep_forever()
+
+    print('subactor exiting task!')
+
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     'error_in_child',
     [True, False],
+    ids='error_in_child={}'.format,
 )
 @tractor_test
 async def test_lifetime_stack_wipes_tmpfile(
     tmp_path,
     error_in_child: bool,
+    loglevel: str,
+    # log: tractor.log.StackLevelAdapter,
+    # ^TODO, once landed via macos support!
 ):
     child_tmp_file = tmp_path / "child.txt"
     child_tmp_file.touch()
     assert child_tmp_file.exists()
     path = str(child_tmp_file)
 
+    # NOTE, this is expected to cancel the sub
+    # in the `error_in_child=False` case!
+    timeout: float = (
+        1.6 if error_in_child
+        else 1
+    )
     try:
-        with trio.move_on_after(0.5):
-            async with tractor.open_nursery() as n:
-                    await (  # inlined portal
-                        await n.run_in_actor(
-                            crash_and_clean_tmpdir,
-                            tmp_file_path=path,
-                            error=error_in_child,
-                        )
-                    ).result()
-
+        with trio.move_on_after(timeout) as cs:
+            async with tractor.open_nursery(
+                loglevel=loglevel,
+            ) as an:
+                await (  # inlined `tractor.Portal`
+                    await an.run_in_actor(
+                        crash_and_clean_tmpdir,
+                        tmp_file_path=path,
+                        error=error_in_child,
+                    )
+                ).result()
     except (
         tractor.RemoteActorError,
-        # tractor.BaseExceptionGroup,
         BaseExceptionGroup,
-    ):
-        pass
+    ) as _exc:
+        exc = _exc
+        from tractor.log import get_console_log
+        log = get_console_log(
+            level=loglevel,
+            name=__name__,
+        )
+        log.exception(
+            f'Subactor failed as expected with {type(exc)!r}\n'
+        )
 
     # tmp file should have been wiped by
     # teardown stack.
     assert not child_tmp_file.exists()
+
+    if error_in_child:
+        assert not cs.cancel_called
+    else:
+        # expect timeout in some cases?
+        assert cs.cancel_called