diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index a0b815dc..ca175a05 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -6,21 +6,22 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import sys
 import subprocess
 import os
-import random
 import signal
 import platform
 import time
 
 import pytest
-import tractor
 from tractor._testing import (
     examples_dir as examples_dir,
     tractor_test as tractor_test,
     expect_ctxc as expect_ctxc,
 )
 
-# TODO: include wtv plugin(s) we build in `._testing.pytest`?
-pytest_plugins = ['pytester']
+pytest_plugins: list[str] = [
+    'pytester',
+    'tractor._testing.pytest',
+]
+
 
 # Sending signal.SIGINT on subprocess fails on windows. Use CTRL_* alternatives
 if platform.system() == 'Windows':
@@ -48,6 +49,9 @@ no_windows = pytest.mark.skipif(
 def pytest_addoption(
     parser: pytest.Parser,
 ):
+    # ?TODO? should this be exposed from our `._testing.pytest`
+    # plugin or should we make it more explicit with `--tl` for
+    # tractor logging like we do in other client projects?
     parser.addoption(
         "--ll",
         action="store",
@@ -55,54 +59,10 @@ def pytest_addoption(
         default='ERROR', help="logging level to set when testing"
     )
 
-    parser.addoption(
-        "--spawn-backend",
-        action="store",
-        dest='spawn_backend',
-        default='trio',
-        help="Processing spawning backend to use for test run",
-    )
-
-    parser.addoption(
-        "--tpdb",
-        "--debug-mode",
-        action="store_true",
-        dest='tractor_debug_mode',
-        # default=False,
-        help=(
-            'Enable a flag that can be used by tests to to set the '
-            '`debug_mode: bool` for engaging the internal '
-            'multi-proc debugger sys.'
-        ),
-    )
-
-    # provide which IPC transport protocols opting-in test suites
-    # should accumulatively run against.
-    parser.addoption(
-        "--tpt-proto",
-        nargs='+',  # accumulate-multiple-args
-        action="store",
-        dest='tpt_protos',
-        default=['tcp'],
-        help="Transport protocol to use under the `tractor.ipc.Channel`",
-    )
-
-
-def pytest_configure(config):
-    backend = config.option.spawn_backend
-    tractor._spawn.try_set_start_method(backend)
-
-
-@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
-def debug_mode(request) -> bool:
-    debug_mode: bool = request.config.option.tractor_debug_mode
-    # if debug_mode:
-    #     breakpoint()
-    return debug_mode
-
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session', autouse=True)
 def loglevel(request):
+    import tractor
     orig = tractor.log._default_loglevel
     level = tractor.log._default_loglevel = request.config.option.loglevel
     tractor.log.get_console_log(level)
@@ -110,49 +70,6 @@ def loglevel(request):
     tractor.log._default_loglevel = orig
 
 
-@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
-def spawn_backend(request) -> str:
-    return request.config.option.spawn_backend
-
-
-@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
-def tpt_protos(request) -> list[str]:
-
-    # allow quoting on CLI
-    proto_keys: list[str] = [
-        proto_key.replace('"', '').replace("'", "")
-        for proto_key in request.config.option.tpt_protos
-    ]
-
-    # ?TODO, eventually support multiple protos per test-sesh?
-    if len(proto_keys) > 1:
-        pytest.fail(
-            'We only support one `--tpt-proto <key>` atm!\n'
-        )
-
-    # XXX ensure we support the protocol by name via lookup!
-    for proto_key in proto_keys:
-        addr_type = tractor._addr._address_types[proto_key]
-        assert addr_type.proto_key == proto_key
-
-    yield proto_keys
-
-
-@pytest.fixture(
-    scope='session',
-    autouse=True,
-)
-def tpt_proto(
-    tpt_protos: list[str],
-) -> str:
-    proto_key: str = tpt_protos[0]
-    from tractor import _state
-    if _state._def_tpt_proto != proto_key:
-        _state._def_tpt_proto = proto_key
-    # breakpoint()
-    yield proto_key
-
-
 _ci_env: bool = os.environ.get('CI', False)
 
 
@@ -165,80 +82,6 @@ def ci_env() -> bool:
     return _ci_env
 
 
-# TODO: also move this to `._testing` for now?
-# -[ ] possibly generalize and re-use for multi-tree spawning
-#    along with the new stuff for multi-addrs?
-#
-# choose random port at import time
-_rando_port: str = random.randint(1000, 9999)
-
-
-@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
-def reg_addr(
-    tpt_proto: str,
-) -> tuple[str, int|str]:
-
-    # globally override the runtime to the per-test-session-dynamic
-    # addr so that all tests never conflict with any other actor
-    # tree using the default.
-    from tractor import (
-        _addr,
-    )
-    addr_type = _addr._address_types[tpt_proto]
-    def_reg_addr: tuple[str, int] = _addr._default_lo_addrs[tpt_proto]
-
-    testrun_reg_addr: tuple[str, int]
-    match tpt_proto:
-        case 'tcp':
-            testrun_reg_addr = (
-                addr_type.def_bindspace,
-                _rando_port,
-            )
-
-        # NOTE, file-name uniqueness (no-collisions) will be based on
-        # the runtime-directory and root (pytest-proc's) pid.
-        case 'uds':
-            testrun_reg_addr = addr_type.get_random().unwrap()
-
-    assert def_reg_addr != testrun_reg_addr
-    return testrun_reg_addr
-
-
-def pytest_generate_tests(metafunc):
-    spawn_backend: str = metafunc.config.option.spawn_backend
-
-    if not spawn_backend:
-        # XXX some weird windows bug with `pytest`?
-        spawn_backend = 'trio'
-
-    # TODO: maybe just use the literal `._spawn.SpawnMethodKey`?
-    assert spawn_backend in (
-        'mp_spawn',
-        'mp_forkserver',
-        'trio',
-    )
-
-    # NOTE: used-to-be-used-to dyanmically parametrize tests for when
-    # you just passed --spawn-backend=`mp` on the cli, but now we expect
-    # that cli input to be manually specified, BUT, maybe we'll do
-    # something like this again in the future?
-    if 'start_method' in metafunc.fixturenames:
-        metafunc.parametrize(
-            "start_method",
-            [spawn_backend],
-            scope='module',
-        )
-
-    # TODO, parametrize any `tpt_proto: str` declaring tests!
-    # proto_tpts: list[str] = metafunc.config.option.proto_tpts
-    # if 'tpt_proto' in metafunc.fixturenames:
-    #     metafunc.parametrize(
-    #         'tpt_proto',
-    #         proto_tpts,  # TODO, double check this list usage!
-    #         scope='module',
-    #     )
-
-
 def sig_prog(
     proc: subprocess.Popen,
     sig: int,
diff --git a/tractor/_testing/addr.py b/tractor/_testing/addr.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1b066336
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tractor/_testing/addr.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# tractor: structured concurrent "actors".
+# Copyright 2018-eternity Tyler Goodlet.
+
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+'''
+Random IPC addr generation for isolating
+the discovery space between test sessions.
+
+Might be eventually useful to expose as a util set from
+our `tractor.discovery` subsys?
+
+'''
+import random
+from typing import (
+    Type,
+)
+from tractor import (
+    _addr,
+)
+
+
+def get_rando_addr(
+    tpt_proto: str,
+    *,
+
+    # choose random port at import time
+    _rando_port: str = random.randint(1000, 9999)
+
+) -> tuple[str, str|int]:
+    '''
+    Used to globally override the runtime to the
+    per-test-session-dynamic addr so that all tests never conflict
+    with any other actor tree using the default.
+
+    '''
+    addr_type: Type[_addr.Addres] = _addr._address_types[tpt_proto]
+    def_reg_addr: tuple[str, int] = _addr._default_lo_addrs[tpt_proto]
+
+    # this is the "unwrapped" form expected to be passed to
+    # `.open_root_actor()` by test body.
+    testrun_reg_addr: tuple[str, int|str]
+    match tpt_proto:
+        case 'tcp':
+            testrun_reg_addr = (
+                addr_type.def_bindspace,
+                _rando_port,
+            )
+
+        # NOTE, file-name uniqueness (no-collisions) will be based on
+        # the runtime-directory and root (pytest-proc's) pid.
+        case 'uds':
+            testrun_reg_addr = addr_type.get_random().unwrap()
+
+    # XXX, as sanity it should never the same as the default for the
+    # host-singleton registry actor.
+    assert def_reg_addr != testrun_reg_addr
+
+    return testrun_reg_addr
diff --git a/tractor/_testing/pytest.py b/tractor/_testing/pytest.py
index 93eeaf72..1a2f63ab 100644
--- a/tractor/_testing/pytest.py
+++ b/tractor/_testing/pytest.py
@@ -26,29 +26,46 @@ from functools import (
 import inspect
 import platform
 
+import pytest
 import tractor
 import trio
 
 
 def tractor_test(fn):
     '''
-    Decorator for async test funcs to present them as "native"
-    looking sync funcs runnable by `pytest` using `trio.run()`.
+    Decorator for async test fns to decorator-wrap them as "native"
+    looking sync funcs runnable by `pytest` and auto invoked with
+    `trio.run()` (much like the `pytest-trio` plugin's approach).
 
-    Use:
+    Further the test fn body will be invoked AFTER booting the actor
+    runtime, i.e. from inside a `tractor.open_root_actor()` block AND
+    with various runtime and tooling parameters implicitly passed as
+    requested by by the test session's config; see immediately below.
 
-    @tractor_test
-    async def test_whatever():
-        await ...
+    Basic deco use:
+    ---------------
 
-    If fixtures:
+      @tractor_test
+      async def test_whatever():
+          await ...
 
-        - ``reg_addr`` (a socket addr tuple where arbiter is listening)
-        - ``loglevel`` (logging level passed to tractor internals)
-        - ``start_method`` (subprocess spawning backend)
 
-    are defined in the `pytest` fixture space they will be automatically
-    injected to tests declaring these funcargs.
+    Runtime config via special fixtures:
+    ------------------------------------
+    If any of the following fixture are requested by the wrapped test
+    fn (via normal func-args declaration),
+
+    - `reg_addr` (a socket addr tuple where arbiter is listening)
+    - `loglevel` (logging level passed to tractor internals)
+    - `start_method` (subprocess spawning backend)
+
+    (TODO support)
+    - `tpt_proto` (IPC transport protocol key)
+
+    they will be automatically injected to each test as normally
+    expected as well as passed to the initial
+    `tractor.open_root_actor()` funcargs.
+
     '''
     @wraps(fn)
     def wrapper(
@@ -111,3 +128,164 @@ def tractor_test(fn):
         return trio.run(main)
 
     return wrapper
+
+
+def pytest_addoption(
+    parser: pytest.Parser,
+):
+    # parser.addoption(
+    #     "--ll",
+    #     action="store",
+    #     dest='loglevel',
+    #     default='ERROR', help="logging level to set when testing"
+    # )
+
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--spawn-backend",
+        action="store",
+        dest='spawn_backend',
+        default='trio',
+        help="Processing spawning backend to use for test run",
+    )
+
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--tpdb",
+        "--debug-mode",
+        action="store_true",
+        dest='tractor_debug_mode',
+        # default=False,
+        help=(
+            'Enable a flag that can be used by tests to to set the '
+            '`debug_mode: bool` for engaging the internal '
+            'multi-proc debugger sys.'
+        ),
+    )
+
+    # provide which IPC transport protocols opting-in test suites
+    # should accumulatively run against.
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--tpt-proto",
+        nargs='+',  # accumulate-multiple-args
+        action="store",
+        dest='tpt_protos',
+        default=['tcp'],
+        help="Transport protocol to use under the `tractor.ipc.Channel`",
+    )
+
+
+def pytest_configure(config):
+    backend = config.option.spawn_backend
+    tractor._spawn.try_set_start_method(backend)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def debug_mode(request) -> bool:
+    '''
+    Flag state for whether `--tpdb` (for `tractor`-py-debugger)
+    was passed to the test run.
+
+    Normally tests should pass this directly to `.open_root_actor()`
+    to allow the user to opt into suite-wide crash handling.
+
+    '''
+    debug_mode: bool = request.config.option.tractor_debug_mode
+    return debug_mode
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def spawn_backend(request) -> str:
+    return request.config.option.spawn_backend
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def tpt_protos(request) -> list[str]:
+
+    # allow quoting on CLI
+    proto_keys: list[str] = [
+        proto_key.replace('"', '').replace("'", "")
+        for proto_key in request.config.option.tpt_protos
+    ]
+
+    # ?TODO, eventually support multiple protos per test-sesh?
+    if len(proto_keys) > 1:
+        pytest.fail(
+            'We only support one `--tpt-proto <key>` atm!\n'
+        )
+
+    # XXX ensure we support the protocol by name via lookup!
+    for proto_key in proto_keys:
+        addr_type = tractor._addr._address_types[proto_key]
+        assert addr_type.proto_key == proto_key
+
+    yield proto_keys
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(
+    scope='session',
+    autouse=True,
+)
+def tpt_proto(
+    tpt_protos: list[str],
+) -> str:
+    proto_key: str = tpt_protos[0]
+
+    from tractor import _state
+    if _state._def_tpt_proto != proto_key:
+        _state._def_tpt_proto = proto_key
+
+    yield proto_key
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def reg_addr(
+    tpt_proto: str,
+) -> tuple[str, int|str]:
+    '''
+    Deliver a test-sesh unique registry address such
+    that each run's (tests which use this fixture) will
+    have no conflicts/cross-talk when running simultaneously
+    nor will interfere with other live `tractor` apps active
+    on the same network-host (namespace).
+
+    '''
+    from tractor._testing.addr import get_rando_addr
+    return get_rando_addr(
+        tpt_proto=tpt_proto,
+    )
+
+
+def pytest_generate_tests(
+    metafunc: pytest.Metafunc,
+):
+    spawn_backend: str = metafunc.config.option.spawn_backend
+
+    if not spawn_backend:
+        # XXX some weird windows bug with `pytest`?
+        spawn_backend = 'trio'
+
+    # TODO: maybe just use the literal `._spawn.SpawnMethodKey`?
+    assert spawn_backend in (
+        'mp_spawn',
+        'mp_forkserver',
+        'trio',
+    )
+
+    # NOTE: used-to-be-used-to dyanmically parametrize tests for when
+    # you just passed --spawn-backend=`mp` on the cli, but now we expect
+    # that cli input to be manually specified, BUT, maybe we'll do
+    # something like this again in the future?
+    if 'start_method' in metafunc.fixturenames:
+        metafunc.parametrize(
+            "start_method",
+            [spawn_backend],
+            scope='module',
+        )
+
+    # TODO, parametrize any `tpt_proto: str` declaring tests!
+    # proto_tpts: list[str] = metafunc.config.option.proto_tpts
+    # if 'tpt_proto' in metafunc.fixturenames:
+    #     metafunc.parametrize(
+    #         'tpt_proto',
+    #         proto_tpts,  # TODO, double check this list usage!
+    #         scope='module',
+    #     )