diff --git a/tractor/devx/_code.py b/tractor/devx/_code.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01d64cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tractor/devx/_code.py
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+# 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/>.
+
+'''
+Tools for code-object annotation, introspection and mutation
+as it pertains to improving the grok-ability of our runtime!
+
+'''
+from __future__ import annotations
+import inspect
+# import msgspec
+# from pprint import pformat
+from types import (
+    FrameType,
+    FunctionType,
+    MethodType,
+    # CodeType,
+)
+from typing import (
+    # Any,
+    Callable,
+    # TYPE_CHECKING,
+    Type,
+)
+
+from tractor.msg import (
+    pretty_struct,
+    NamespacePath,
+)
+
+
+# TODO: yeah, i don't love this and we should prolly just
+# write a decorator that actually keeps a stupid ref to the func
+# obj..
+def get_class_from_frame(fr: FrameType) -> (
+    FunctionType
+    |MethodType
+):
+    '''
+    Attempt to get the function (or method) reference
+    from a given `FrameType`.
+
+    Verbatim from an SO:
+    https://stackoverflow.com/a/2220759
+
+    '''
+    args, _, _, value_dict = inspect.getargvalues(fr)
+
+    # we check the first parameter for the frame function is
+    # named 'self'
+    if (
+        len(args)
+        and
+        # TODO: other cases for `@classmethod` etc..?)
+        args[0] == 'self'
+    ):
+        # in that case, 'self' will be referenced in value_dict
+        instance: object = value_dict.get('self')
+        if instance:
+          # return its class
+          return getattr(
+              instance,
+              '__class__',
+              None,
+          )
+
+    # return None otherwise
+    return None
+
+
+def func_ref_from_frame(
+    frame: FrameType,
+) -> Callable:
+    func_name: str = frame.f_code.co_name
+    try:
+        return frame.f_globals[func_name]
+    except KeyError:
+        cls: Type|None = get_class_from_frame(frame)
+        if cls:
+            return getattr(
+                cls,
+                func_name,
+            )
+
+
+# TODO: move all this into new `.devx._code`!
+# -[ ] prolly create a `@runtime_api` dec?
+# -[ ] ^- make it capture and/or accept buncha optional
+#     meta-data like a fancier version of `@pdbp.hideframe`.
+#
+class CallerInfo(pretty_struct.Struct):
+    rt_fi: inspect.FrameInfo
+    call_frame: FrameType
+
+    @property
+    def api_func_ref(self) -> Callable|None:
+        return func_ref_from_frame(self.rt_fi.frame)
+
+    @property
+    def api_nsp(self) -> NamespacePath|None:
+        func: FunctionType = self.api_func_ref
+        if func:
+            return NamespacePath.from_ref(func)
+
+        return '<unknown>'
+
+    @property
+    def caller_func_ref(self) -> Callable|None:
+        return func_ref_from_frame(self.call_frame)
+
+    @property
+    def caller_nsp(self) -> NamespacePath|None:
+        func: FunctionType = self.caller_func_ref
+        if func:
+            return NamespacePath.from_ref(func)
+
+        return '<unknown>'
+
+
+def find_caller_info(
+    dunder_var: str = '__runtimeframe__',
+    iframes:int = 1,
+    check_frame_depth: bool = True,
+
+) -> CallerInfo|None:
+    '''
+    Scan up the callstack for a frame with a `dunder_var: str` variable
+    and return the `iframes` frames above it.
+
+    By default we scan for a `__runtimeframe__` scope var which
+    denotes a `tractor` API above which (one frame up) is "user
+    app code" which "called into" the `tractor` method or func.
+
+    TODO: ex with `Portal.open_context()`
+
+    '''
+    # TODO: use this instead?
+    # https://docs.python.org/3/library/inspect.html#inspect.getouterframes
+    frames: list[inspect.FrameInfo] = inspect.stack()
+    for fi in frames:
+        assert (
+            fi.function
+            ==
+            fi.frame.f_code.co_name
+        )
+        this_frame: FrameType = fi.frame
+        dunder_val: int|None = this_frame.f_locals.get(dunder_var)
+        if dunder_val:
+            go_up_iframes: int = (
+                dunder_val  # could be 0 or `True` i guess?
+                or
+                iframes
+            )
+            rt_frame: FrameType = fi.frame
+            call_frame = rt_frame
+            for i in range(go_up_iframes):
+                call_frame = call_frame.f_back
+
+            return CallerInfo(
+                rt_fi=fi,
+                call_frame=call_frame,
+            )
+
+    return None