diff --git a/tractor/_debug.py b/tractor/_debug.py
index 7aac4eb..8b066e4 100644
--- a/tractor/_debug.py
+++ b/tractor/_debug.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Multi-core debugging for da peeps!
 
 """
+from __future__ import annotations
 import bdb
 import sys
 from functools import partial
@@ -27,12 +28,14 @@ from ._exceptions import is_multi_cancelled
 try:
     # wtf: only exported when installed in dev mode?
     import pdbpp
+
 except ImportError:
     # pdbpp is installed in regular mode...it monkey patches stuff
     import pdb
     assert pdb.xpm, "pdbpp is not installed?"  # type: ignore
     pdbpp = pdb
 
+
 log = get_logger(__name__)
 
 
@@ -92,6 +95,23 @@ class PdbwTeardown(pdbpp.Pdb):
             _pdb_release_hook()
 
 
+def _mk_pdb() -> PdbwTeardown:
+
+    # XXX: setting these flags on the pdb instance are absolutely
+    # critical to having ctrl-c work in the ``trio`` standard way!  The
+    # stdlib's pdb supports entering the current sync frame on a SIGINT,
+    # with ``trio`` we pretty much never want this and if we did we can
+    # handle it in the ``tractor`` task runtime.
+    # global pdb
+
+    pdb = PdbwTeardown()
+    pdb.nosigint = True
+    pdb.allow_kbdint = True
+    opts = (allow_kbdint, nosigint) = pdb.allow_kbdint, pdb.nosigint
+    print(f'`pdbp` was configured with {opts}')
+    return pdb
+
+
 # TODO: will be needed whenever we get to true remote debugging.
 # XXX see https://github.com/goodboy/tractor/issues/130
 
@@ -461,21 +481,6 @@ async def _breakpoint(
     debug_func(actor)
 
 
-def _mk_pdb() -> PdbwTeardown:
-
-    # XXX: setting these flags on the pdb instance are absolutely
-    # critical to having ctrl-c work in the ``trio`` standard way!  The
-    # stdlib's pdb supports entering the current sync frame on a SIGINT,
-    # with ``trio`` we pretty much never want this and if we did we can
-    # handle it in the ``tractor`` task runtime.
-
-    pdb = PdbwTeardown()
-    pdb.allow_kbdint = True
-    pdb.nosigint = True
-
-    return pdb
-
-
 def _set_trace(actor=None):
     pdb = _mk_pdb()