diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index ad0f1e6..56fbc73 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -343,99 +343,99 @@ and print the results to your screen:
 
 .. code:: python
 
-    import time
-    import trio
-    import tractor
+   import time
+   import trio
+   import tractor
 
 
-    # this is the first 2 actors, streamer_1 and streamer_2
-    async def stream_data(seed):
-        for i in range(seed):
-            yield i
-            await trio.sleep(0)  # trigger scheduler
+   # this is the first 2 actors, streamer_1 and streamer_2
+   async def stream_data(seed):
+       for i in range(seed):
+           yield i
+           await trio.sleep(0)  # trigger scheduler
 
 
-    # this is the third actor; the aggregator
-    async def aggregate(seed):
-        """Ensure that the two streams we receive match but only stream
-        a single set of values to the parent.
-        """
-        async with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
-            portals = []
-            for i in range(1, 3):
-                # fork point
-                portal = await nursery.start_actor(
-                    name=f'streamer_{i}',
-                    rpc_module_paths=[__name__],
-                )
+   # this is the third actor; the aggregator
+   async def aggregate(seed):
+       """Ensure that the two streams we receive match but only stream
+       a single set of values to the parent.
+       """
+       async with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
+           portals = []
+           for i in range(1, 3):
+               # fork point
+               portal = await nursery.start_actor(
+                   name=f'streamer_{i}',
+                   rpc_module_paths=[__name__],
+               )
 
-                portals.append(portal)
+               portals.append(portal)
 
-            q = trio.Queue(500)
+           send_chan, recv_chan = trio.open_memory_channel(500)
 
-            async def push_to_q(portal):
-                async for value in await portal.run(
-                    __name__, 'stream_data', seed=seed
-                ):
-                    # leverage trio's built-in backpressure
-                    await q.put(value)
+           async def push_to_q(portal):
+               async for value in await portal.run(
+                   __name__, 'stream_data', seed=seed
+               ):
+                   # leverage trio's built-in backpressure
+                   await send_chan.send(value)
 
-                await q.put(None)
-                print(f"FINISHED ITERATING {portal.channel.uid}")
+               await send_chan.send(None)
+               print(f"FINISHED ITERATING {portal.channel.uid}")
 
-            # spawn 2 trio tasks to collect streams and push to a local queue
-            async with trio.open_nursery() as n:
-                for portal in portals:
-                    n.start_soon(push_to_q, portal)
+           # spawn 2 trio tasks to collect streams and push to a local queue
+           async with trio.open_nursery() as n:
+               for portal in portals:
+                   n.start_soon(push_to_q, portal)
 
-                unique_vals = set()
-                async for value in q:
-                    if value not in unique_vals:
-                        unique_vals.add(value)
-                        # yield upwards to the spawning parent actor
-                        yield value
+               unique_vals = set()
+               async for value in recv_chan:
+                   if value not in unique_vals:
+                       unique_vals.add(value)
+                       # yield upwards to the spawning parent actor
+                       yield value
 
-                        if value is None:
-                            break
+                       if value is None:
+                           break
 
-                    assert value in unique_vals
+                   assert value in unique_vals
 
-                print("FINISHED ITERATING in aggregator")
+               print("FINISHED ITERATING in aggregator")
 
-            await nursery.cancel()
-            print("WAITING on `ActorNursery` to finish")
-        print("AGGREGATOR COMPLETE!")
+           await nursery.cancel()
+           print("WAITING on `ActorNursery` to finish")
+       print("AGGREGATOR COMPLETE!")
 
 
-    # this is the main actor and *arbiter*
-    async def main():
-        # a nursery which spawns "actors"
-        async with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
+   # this is the main actor and *arbiter*
+   async def main():
+       # a nursery which spawns "actors"
+       async with tractor.open_nursery() as nursery:
 
-            seed = int(1e3)
-            import time
-            pre_start = time.time()
+           seed = int(1e3)
+           import time
+           pre_start = time.time()
 
-            portal = await nursery.run_in_actor(
-                'aggregator',
-                aggregate,
-                seed=seed,
-            )
+           portal = await nursery.run_in_actor(
+               'aggregator',
+               aggregate,
+               seed=seed,
+           )
 
-            start = time.time()
-            # the portal call returns exactly what you'd expect
-            # as if the remote "aggregate" function was called locally
-            result_stream = []
-            async for value in await portal.result():
-                result_stream.append(value)
+           start = time.time()
+           # the portal call returns exactly what you'd expect
+           # as if the remote "aggregate" function was called locally
+           result_stream = []
+           async for value in await portal.result():
+               result_stream.append(value)
 
-            print(f"STREAM TIME = {time.time() - start}")
-            print(f"STREAM + SPAWN TIME = {time.time() - pre_start}")
-            assert result_stream == list(range(seed)) + [None]
-            return result_stream
+           print(f"STREAM TIME = {time.time() - start}")
+           print(f"STREAM + SPAWN TIME = {time.time() - pre_start}")
+           assert result_stream == list(range(seed)) + [None]
+           return result_stream
 
 
-    final_stream = tractor.run(main, arbiter_addr=('127.0.0.1', 1616))
+   final_stream = tractor.run(main, arbiter_addr=('127.0.0.1', 1616))
 
 
 Here there's four actors running in separate processes (using all the
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 885d992..70725a7 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ setup(
     install_requires=[
         'msgpack', 'trio>0.8', 'async_generator', 'colorlog', 'wrapt'],
     tests_require=['pytest'],
-    python_requires=">=3.6",
+    python_requires=">=3.7",
     keywords=[
         "async", "concurrency", "actor model", "distributed",
         'trio', 'multiprocessing'
diff --git a/tests/test_multi_program.py b/tests/test_multi_program.py
index 53413b7..299a698 100644
--- a/tests/test_multi_program.py
+++ b/tests/test_multi_program.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ async def test_cancel_remote_arbiter(daemon, arb_addr):
             pass
 
 
-async def test_register_duplicate_name(daemon, arb_addr):
+def test_register_duplicate_name(daemon, arb_addr):
 
     async def main():
         assert not tractor.current_actor().is_arbiter
@@ -85,4 +85,4 @@ async def test_register_duplicate_name(daemon, arb_addr):
 
     # run it manually since we want to start **after**
     # the other "daemon" program
-    tractor.run(main, arb_addr=arbiter_addr)
+    tractor.run(main, arbiter_addr=arb_addr)
diff --git a/tests/test_pubsub.py b/tests/test_pubsub.py
index f0c4beb..745e5ec 100644
--- a/tests/test_pubsub.py
+++ b/tests/test_pubsub.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ from itertools import cycle
 import pytest
 import trio
 import tractor
-from async_generator import aclosing
 from tractor.testing import tractor_test
 
 
@@ -30,10 +29,10 @@ def is_even(i):
 
 
 @tractor.msg.pub
-async def pubber(get_topics):
+async def pubber(get_topics, seed=10):
     ss = tractor.current_actor().statespace
 
-    for i in cycle(range(10)):
+    for i in cycle(range(seed)):
 
         # ensure topic subscriptions are as expected
         ss['get_topics'] = get_topics
@@ -42,7 +41,11 @@ async def pubber(get_topics):
         await trio.sleep(0.1)
 
 
-async def subs(which, pub_actor_name):
+async def subs(
+    which, pub_actor_name, seed=10,
+    portal=None,
+    task_status=trio.TASK_STATUS_IGNORED,
+):
     if len(which) == 1:
         if which[0] == 'even':
             pred = is_even
@@ -54,11 +57,43 @@ async def subs(which, pub_actor_name):
             return isinstance(i, int)
 
     async with tractor.find_actor(pub_actor_name) as portal:
-        agen = await portal.run(__name__, 'pubber', topics=which)
-        async with aclosing(agen) as agen:
-            async for pkt in agen:
+        stream = await portal.run(
+            __name__, 'pubber',
+            topics=which,
+            seed=seed,
+        )
+        task_status.started(stream)
+        times = 10
+        count = 0
+        await stream.__anext__()
+        async for pkt in stream:
+            for topic, value in pkt.items():
+                assert pred(value)
+            count += 1
+            if count >= times:
+                break
+
+        await stream.aclose()
+
+        stream = await portal.run(
+            __name__, 'pubber',
+            topics=['odd'],
+            seed=seed,
+        )
+
+        await stream.__anext__()
+        count = 0
+        # async with aclosing(stream) as stream:
+        try:
+            async for pkt in stream:
                 for topic, value in pkt.items():
-                    assert pred(value)
+                    pass
+                    # assert pred(value)
+                count += 1
+                if count >= times:
+                    break
+        finally:
+            await stream.aclose()
 
 
 @tractor.msg.pub(tasks=['one', 'two'])
@@ -76,7 +111,7 @@ async def multilock_pubber(get_topics):
         (multilock_pubber, {'ctx': None, 'topics': ['topic1']}, TypeError),
         # should work
         (multilock_pubber,
-         {'ctx': None, 'topics': ['topic1'], 'task_name': 'one'},
+         {'ctx': None, 'topics': ['doggy'], 'task_name': 'one'},
          None),
     ],
 )
@@ -91,7 +126,12 @@ async def test_required_args(callwith_expecterror):
         async with tractor.open_nursery() as n:
             # await func(**kwargs)
             portal = await n.run_in_actor(
-                'sub', multilock_pubber, **kwargs)
+                'pubber', multilock_pubber, **kwargs)
+
+            async with tractor.wait_for_actor('pubber'):
+                pass
+
+            await trio.sleep(0.5)
 
             async for val in await portal.result():
                 assert val == {'doggy': 10}
@@ -101,7 +141,7 @@ async def test_required_args(callwith_expecterror):
     'pub_actor',
     ['streamer', 'arbiter']
 )
-def test_pubsub_multi_actor_subs(
+def test_multi_actor_subs_arbiter_pub(
     loglevel,
     arb_addr,
     pub_actor,
@@ -115,7 +155,7 @@ def test_pubsub_multi_actor_subs(
 
             name = 'arbiter'
 
-            if pub_actor is 'streamer':
+            if pub_actor == 'streamer':
                 # start the publisher as a daemon
                 master_portal = await n.start_actor(
                     'streamer',
@@ -131,7 +171,7 @@ def test_pubsub_multi_actor_subs(
                 # block until 2nd actor is initialized
                 pass
 
-            if pub_actor is 'arbiter':
+            if pub_actor == 'arbiter':
                 # wait for publisher task to be spawned in a local RPC task
                 while not ss.get('get_topics'):
                     await trio.sleep(0.1)
@@ -144,7 +184,7 @@ def test_pubsub_multi_actor_subs(
                 # block until 2nd actor is initialized
                 pass
 
-            if pub_actor is 'arbiter':
+            if pub_actor == 'arbiter':
                 start = time.time()
                 while 'odd' not in get_topics():
                     await trio.sleep(0.1)
@@ -166,13 +206,13 @@ def test_pubsub_multi_actor_subs(
             await even_portal.cancel_actor()
             await trio.sleep(0.5)
 
-            if pub_actor is 'arbiter':
+            if pub_actor == 'arbiter':
                 assert 'even' not in get_topics()
 
             await odd_portal.cancel_actor()
             await trio.sleep(1)
 
-            if pub_actor is 'arbiter':
+            if pub_actor == 'arbiter':
                 while get_topics():
                     await trio.sleep(0.1)
                     if time.time() - start > 1:
@@ -185,3 +225,44 @@ def test_pubsub_multi_actor_subs(
         arbiter_addr=arb_addr,
         rpc_module_paths=[__name__],
     )
+
+
+def test_single_subactor_pub_multitask_subs(
+    loglevel,
+    arb_addr,
+):
+    async def main():
+
+        async with tractor.open_nursery() as n:
+
+            portal = await n.start_actor(
+                'streamer',
+                rpc_module_paths=[__name__],
+            )
+            async with tractor.wait_for_actor('streamer'):
+                # block until 2nd actor is initialized
+                pass
+
+            async with trio.open_nursery() as tn:
+                agen = await tn.start(subs, ['even'], 'streamer')
+
+                await trio.sleep(0.1)
+                tn.start_soon(subs, ['even'], 'streamer')
+
+                # XXX this will trigger the python bug:
+                # https://bugs.python.org/issue32526
+                # if using async generators to wrap tractor channels
+                await agen.aclose()
+
+                await trio.sleep(0.1)
+                tn.start_soon(subs, ['even'], 'streamer')
+                await trio.sleep(0.1)
+                tn.start_soon(subs, ['even'], 'streamer')
+
+            await portal.cancel_actor()
+
+    tractor.run(
+        main,
+        arbiter_addr=arb_addr,
+        rpc_module_paths=[__name__],
+    )
diff --git a/tests/test_streaming.py b/tests/test_streaming.py
index e25a000..2cddd41 100644
--- a/tests/test_streaming.py
+++ b/tests/test_streaming.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ async def stream_seq(sequence):
         await trio.sleep(0.1)
 
     # block indefinitely waiting to be cancelled by ``aclose()`` call
-    with trio.open_cancel_scope() as cs:
+    with trio.CancelScope() as cs:
         await trio.sleep(float('inf'))
         assert 0
     assert cs.cancelled_caught
@@ -91,25 +91,25 @@ async def aggregate(seed):
 
             portals.append(portal)
 
-        q = trio.Queue(500)
+        send_chan, recv_chan = trio.open_memory_channel(500)
 
-        async def push_to_q(portal):
+        async def push_to_chan(portal):
             async for value in await portal.run(
                 __name__, 'stream_data', seed=seed
             ):
                 # leverage trio's built-in backpressure
-                await q.put(value)
+                await send_chan.send(value)
 
-            await q.put(None)
+            await send_chan.send(None)
             print(f"FINISHED ITERATING {portal.channel.uid}")
 
         # spawn 2 trio tasks to collect streams and push to a local queue
         async with trio.open_nursery() as n:
             for portal in portals:
-                n.start_soon(push_to_q, portal)
+                n.start_soon(push_to_chan, portal)
 
             unique_vals = set()
-            async for value in q:
+            async for value in recv_chan:
                 if value not in unique_vals:
                     unique_vals.add(value)
                     # yield upwards to the spawning parent actor
diff --git a/tractor/_actor.py b/tractor/_actor.py
index ceee16b..7a5e72e 100644
--- a/tractor/_actor.py
+++ b/tractor/_actor.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ async def _invoke(
             not is_async_gen_partial
         ):
             await chan.send({'functype': 'function', 'cid': cid})
-            with trio.open_cancel_scope() as cs:
+            with trio.CancelScope() as cs:
                 task_status.started(cs)
                 await chan.send({'return': func(**kwargs), 'cid': cid})
         else:
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ async def _invoke(
                 # have to properly handle the closing (aclosing)
                 # of the async gen in order to be sure the cancel
                 # is propagated!
-                with trio.open_cancel_scope() as cs:
+                with trio.CancelScope() as cs:
                     task_status.started(cs)
                     async with aclosing(coro) as agen:
                         async for item in agen:
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ async def _invoke(
                     # back values like an async-generator would but must
                     # manualy construct the response dict-packet-responses as
                     # above
-                    with trio.open_cancel_scope() as cs:
+                    with trio.CancelScope() as cs:
                         task_status.started(cs)
                         await coro
                     if not cs.cancelled_caught:
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ async def _invoke(
                         await chan.send({'stop': True, 'cid': cid})
                 else:
                     await chan.send({'functype': 'asyncfunction', 'cid': cid})
-                    with trio.open_cancel_scope() as cs:
+                    with trio.CancelScope() as cs:
                         task_status.started(cs)
                         await chan.send({'return': await coro, 'cid': cid})
     except Exception as err:
@@ -199,7 +199,9 @@ class Actor:
             Tuple[trio._core._run.CancelScope, typing.Callable, trio.Event]
         ] = {}
         # map {uids -> {callids -> waiter queues}}
-        self._actors2calls: Dict[Tuple[str, str], Dict[str, trio.Queue]] = {}
+        self._cids2qs: Dict[
+            Tuple[Tuple[str, str], str],
+            trio.abc.SendChannel[Any]] = {}
         self._listeners: List[trio.abc.Listener] = []
         self._parent_chan: Optional[Channel] = None
         self._forkserver_info: Optional[Tuple[Any, Any, Any, Any, Any]] = None
@@ -299,37 +301,62 @@ class Actor:
                     log.exception(
                         f"Channel for {chan.uid} was already zonked..")
 
-    async def _push_result(self, actorid, cid: str, msg: dict) -> None:
+    async def _push_result(
+        self,
+        chan: Channel,
+        msg: Dict[str, Any],
+    ) -> None:
         """Push an RPC result to the local consumer's queue.
         """
+        actorid = chan.uid
         assert actorid, f"`actorid` can't be {actorid}"
-        q = self.get_waitq(actorid, cid)
-        log.debug(f"Delivering {msg} from {actorid} to caller {cid}")
-        # maintain backpressure
-        await q.put(msg)
+        cid = msg['cid']
+        send_chan = self._cids2qs[(actorid, cid)]
+        assert send_chan.cid == cid
+        if 'stop' in msg:
+            log.debug(f"{send_chan} was terminated at remote end")
+            return await send_chan.aclose()
+        try:
+            log.debug(f"Delivering {msg} from {actorid} to caller {cid}")
+            # maintain backpressure
+            await send_chan.send(msg)
+        except trio.BrokenResourceError:
+            # XXX: local consumer has closed their side
+            # so cancel the far end streaming task
+            log.warning(f"{send_chan} consumer is already closed")
 
-    def get_waitq(
+    def get_memchans(
         self,
         actorid: Tuple[str, str],
         cid: str
-    ) -> trio.Queue:
+    ) -> trio.abc.ReceiveChannel:
         log.debug(f"Getting result queue for {actorid} cid {cid}")
-        cids2qs = self._actors2calls.setdefault(actorid, {})
-        return cids2qs.setdefault(cid, trio.Queue(1000))
+        try:
+            recv_chan = self._cids2qs[(actorid, cid)]
+        except KeyError:
+            send_chan, recv_chan = trio.open_memory_channel(1000)
+            send_chan.cid = cid
+            self._cids2qs[(actorid, cid)] = send_chan
+
+        return recv_chan
 
     async def send_cmd(
-        self, chan: Channel, ns: str, func: str, kwargs: dict
-    ) -> Tuple[str, trio.Queue]:
+        self,
+        chan: Channel,
+        ns: str,
+        func: str,
+        kwargs: dict
+    ) -> Tuple[str, trio.abc.ReceiveChannel]:
         """Send a ``'cmd'`` message to a remote actor and return a
         caller id and a ``trio.Queue`` that can be used to wait for
         responses delivered by the local message processing loop.
         """
         cid = str(uuid.uuid1())
         assert chan.uid
-        q = self.get_waitq(chan.uid, cid)
+        recv_chan = self.get_memchans(chan.uid, cid)
         log.debug(f"Sending cmd to {chan.uid}: {ns}.{func}({kwargs})")
         await chan.send({'cmd': (ns, func, kwargs, self.uid, cid)})
-        return cid, q
+        return cid, recv_chan
 
     async def _process_messages(
         self, chan: Channel,
@@ -350,7 +377,7 @@ class Actor:
             # loop running despite the current task having been
             # cancelled (eg. `open_portal()` may call this method from
             # a locally spawned task)
-            with trio.open_cancel_scope(shield=shield) as cs:
+            with trio.CancelScope(shield=shield) as cs:
                 task_status.started(cs)
                 async for msg in chan:
                     if msg is None:  # loop terminate sentinel
@@ -364,11 +391,10 @@ class Actor:
                                 f" {chan} from {chan.uid}")
                         break
 
-                    log.debug(f"Received msg {msg} from {chan.uid}")
-                    cid = msg.get('cid')
-                    if cid:
+                    log.trace(f"Received msg {msg} from {chan.uid}")  # type: ignore
+                    if msg.get('cid'):
                         # deliver response to local caller/waiter
-                        await self._push_result(chan.uid, cid, msg)
+                        await self._push_result(chan, msg)
                         log.debug(
                             f"Waiting on next msg for {chan} from {chan.uid}")
                         continue
@@ -643,9 +669,14 @@ class Actor:
         # streaming IPC but it should be called
         # to cancel any remotely spawned task
         chan = ctx.chan
-        # the ``dict.get()`` ensures the requested task to be cancelled
-        # was indeed spawned by a request from this channel
-        scope, func, is_complete = self._rpc_tasks[(ctx.chan, cid)]
+        try:
+            # this ctx based lookup ensures the requested task to
+            # be cancelled was indeed spawned by a request from this channel
+            scope, func, is_complete = self._rpc_tasks[(ctx.chan, cid)]
+        except KeyError:
+            log.warning(f"{cid} has already completed/terminated?")
+            return
+
         log.debug(
             f"Cancelling task:\ncid: {cid}\nfunc: {func}\n"
             f"peer: {chan.uid}\n")
diff --git a/tractor/_portal.py b/tractor/_portal.py
index 2683d88..160db19 100644
--- a/tractor/_portal.py
+++ b/tractor/_portal.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from functools import partial
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 
 import trio
-from async_generator import asynccontextmanager, aclosing
+from async_generator import asynccontextmanager
 
 from ._state import current_actor
 from ._ipc import Channel
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ async def maybe_open_nursery(nursery: trio._core._run.Nursery = None):
 async def _do_handshake(
     actor: 'Actor',  # type: ignore
     chan: Channel
-)-> Any:
+) -> Any:
     await chan.send(actor.uid)
     uid: Tuple[str, str] = await chan.recv()
 
@@ -48,6 +48,91 @@ async def _do_handshake(
     return uid
 
 
+class StreamReceiveChannel(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel):
+    """A wrapper around a ``trio._channel.MemoryReceiveChannel`` with
+    special behaviour for signalling stream termination across an
+    inter-actor ``Channel``. This is the type returned to a local task
+    which invoked a remote streaming function using `Portal.run()`.
+
+    Termination rules:
+    - if the local task signals stop iteration a cancel signal is
+      relayed to the remote task indicating to stop streaming
+    - if the remote task signals the end of a stream, raise a
+      ``StopAsyncIteration`` to terminate the local ``async for``
+
+    """
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        cid: str,
+        rx_chan: trio.abc.ReceiveChannel,
+        portal: 'Portal',
+    ) -> None:
+        self._cid = cid
+        self._rx_chan = rx_chan
+        self._portal = portal
+
+    # delegate directly to underlying mem channel
+    def receive_nowait(self):
+        return self._rx_chan.receive_nowait()
+
+    async def receive(self):
+        try:
+            msg = await self._rx_chan.receive()
+            return msg['yield']
+        except trio.ClosedResourceError:
+            # when the send is closed we assume the stream has
+            # terminated and signal this local iterator to stop
+            await self.aclose()
+            raise StopAsyncIteration
+        except trio.Cancelled:
+            # relay cancels to the remote task
+            await self.aclose()
+            raise
+        except KeyError:
+            # internal error should never get here
+            assert msg.get('cid'), (
+                "Received internal error at portal?")
+            raise unpack_error(msg, self._portal.channel)
+
+    async def aclose(self):
+        """Cancel associate remote actor task on close
+        as well as the local memory channel.
+        """
+        if self._rx_chan._closed:
+            log.warning(f"{self} is already closed")
+            return
+        cid = self._cid
+        with trio.move_on_after(0.5) as cs:
+            cs.shield = True
+            log.warning(
+                f"Cancelling stream {cid} to "
+                f"{self._portal.channel.uid}")
+            # TODO: yeah.. it'd be nice if this was just an
+            # async func on the far end. Gotta figure out a
+            # better way then implicitly feeding the ctx
+            # to declaring functions; likely a decorator
+            # system.
+            rchan = await self._portal.run(
+                'self', 'cancel_task', cid=cid)
+            async for _ in rchan:
+                pass
+
+        if cs.cancelled_caught:
+            # XXX: there's no way to know if the remote task was indeed
+            # cancelled in the case where the connection is broken or
+            # some other network error occurred.
+            if not self._portal.channel.connected():
+                log.warning(
+                    "May have failed to cancel remote task "
+                    f"{cid} for {self._portal.channel.uid}")
+
+        with trio.CancelScope(shield=True):
+            await self._rx_chan.aclose()
+
+    def clone(self):
+        return self
+
+
 class Portal:
     """A 'portal' to a(n) (remote) ``Actor``.
 
@@ -67,17 +152,14 @@ class Portal:
         self._expect_result: Optional[
             Tuple[str, Any, str, Dict[str, Any]]
         ] = None
-        self._agens: Set[typing.AsyncGenerator] = set()
-
-    async def aclose(self) -> None:
-        log.debug(f"Closing {self}")
-        # XXX: won't work until https://github.com/python-trio/trio/pull/460
-        # gets in!
-        await self.channel.aclose()
+        self._streams: Set[StreamReceiveChannel] = set()
 
     async def _submit(
-        self, ns: str, func: str, **kwargs
-    ) -> Tuple[str, trio.Queue, str, Dict[str, Any]]:
+        self,
+        ns: str,
+        func: str,
+        kwargs,
+    ) -> Tuple[str, trio.abc.ReceiveChannel, str, Dict[str, Any]]:
         """Submit a function to be scheduled and run by actor, return the
         associated caller id, response queue, response type str,
         first message packet as a tuple.
@@ -85,11 +167,13 @@ class Portal:
         This is an async call.
         """
         # ship a function call request to the remote actor
-        cid, q = await current_actor().send_cmd(self.channel, ns, func, kwargs)
+        cid, recv_chan = await current_actor().send_cmd(
+            self.channel, ns, func, kwargs)
 
         # wait on first response msg and handle (this should be
         # in an immediate response)
-        first_msg = await q.get()
+
+        first_msg = await recv_chan.receive()
         functype = first_msg.get('functype')
 
         if functype == 'function' or functype == 'asyncfunction':
@@ -101,12 +185,12 @@ class Portal:
         else:
             raise ValueError(f"{first_msg} is an invalid response packet?")
 
-        return cid, q, resp_type, first_msg
+        return cid, recv_chan, resp_type, first_msg
 
     async def _submit_for_result(self, ns: str, func: str, **kwargs) -> None:
         assert self._expect_result is None, \
                 "A pending main result has already been submitted"
-        self._expect_result = await self._submit(ns, func, **kwargs)
+        self._expect_result = await self._submit(ns, func, kwargs)
 
     async def run(self, ns: str, func: str, **kwargs) -> Any:
         """Submit a remote function to be scheduled and run by actor,
@@ -116,62 +200,26 @@ class Portal:
         remote rpc task or a local async generator instance.
         """
         return await self._return_from_resptype(
-            *(await self._submit(ns, func, **kwargs))
+            *(await self._submit(ns, func, kwargs))
         )
 
     async def _return_from_resptype(
-        self, cid: str, q: trio.Queue, resptype: str, first_msg: dict
+        self,
+        cid: str,
+        recv_chan: trio.abc.ReceiveChannel,
+        resptype: str,
+        first_msg: dict
     ) -> Any:
         # TODO: not this needs some serious work and thinking about how
         # to make async-generators the fundamental IPC API over channels!
         # (think `yield from`, `gen.send()`, and functional reactive stuff)
-
         if resptype == 'yield':  # stream response
-
-            async def yield_from_q():
-                try:
-                    async for msg in q:
-                        try:
-                            yield msg['yield']
-                        except KeyError:
-                            if 'stop' in msg:
-                                break  # far end async gen terminated
-                            else:
-                                # internal error should never get here
-                                assert msg.get('cid'), (
-                                    "Received internal error at portal?")
-                                raise unpack_error(msg, self.channel)
-
-                except (GeneratorExit, trio.Cancelled):
-                    log.warning(
-                        f"Cancelling async gen call {cid} to "
-                        f"{self.channel.uid}")
-                    with trio.move_on_after(0.5) as cs:
-                        cs.shield = True
-                        # TODO: yeah.. it'd be nice if this was just an
-                        # async func on the far end. Gotta figure out a
-                        # better way then implicitly feeding the ctx
-                        # to declaring functions; likely a decorator
-                        # sytsem.
-                        agen = await self.run('self', 'cancel_task', cid=cid)
-                        async with aclosing(agen) as agen:
-                            async for _ in agen:
-                                pass
-                    if cs.cancelled_caught:
-                        if not self.channel.connected():
-                            log.warning(
-                                "May have failed to cancel remote task "
-                                f"{cid} for {self.channel.uid}")
-                    raise
-
-            # TODO: use AsyncExitStack to aclose() all agens
-            # on teardown
-            agen = yield_from_q()
-            self._agens.add(agen)
-            return agen
+            rchan = StreamReceiveChannel(cid, recv_chan, self)
+            self._streams.add(rchan)
+            return rchan
 
         elif resptype == 'return':  # single response
-            msg = await q.get()
+            msg = await recv_chan.receive()
             try:
                 return msg['return']
             except KeyError:
@@ -217,13 +265,17 @@ class Portal:
     async def _cancel_streams(self):
         # terminate all locally running async generator
         # IPC calls
-        if self._agens:
+        if self._streams:
             log.warning(
                 f"Cancelling all streams with {self.channel.uid}")
-            for agen in self._agens:
-                await agen.aclose()
+            for stream in self._streams.copy():
+                await stream.aclose()
 
-    async def close(self) -> None:
+    async def aclose(self) -> None:
+        log.debug(f"Closing {self}")
+        # TODO: once we move to implementing our own `ReceiveChannel`
+        # (including remote task cancellation inside its `.aclose()`)
+        # we'll need to .aclose all those channels here
         await self._cancel_streams()
 
     async def cancel_actor(self) -> bool:
@@ -308,7 +360,7 @@ async def open_portal(
         try:
             yield portal
         finally:
-            await portal.close()
+            await portal.aclose()
 
             if was_connected:
                 # cancel remote channel-msg loop
diff --git a/tractor/_state.py b/tractor/_state.py
index 704fae7..2606ff3 100644
--- a/tractor/_state.py
+++ b/tractor/_state.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """
 Per process state
 """
+import multiprocessing as mp
 from typing import Optional
 
 
@@ -13,3 +14,9 @@ def current_actor() -> 'Actor':  # type: ignore
     if not _current_actor:
         raise RuntimeError("No actor instance has been defined yet?")
     return _current_actor
+
+
+def is_main_process():
+    """Bool determining if this actor is running in the top-most process.
+    """
+    return mp.current_process().name == 'MainProcess'
diff --git a/tractor/_trionics.py b/tractor/_trionics.py
index 44f8dcd..dd18158 100644
--- a/tractor/_trionics.py
+++ b/tractor/_trionics.py
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
 
             Should only be called for actors spawned with `run_in_actor()`.
             """
-            with trio.open_cancel_scope() as cs:
+            with trio.CancelScope() as cs:
                 task_status.started(cs)
                 # if this call errors we store the exception for later
                 # in ``errors`` which will be reraised inside
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
                 # a cancel signal shows up slightly after in which case
                 # the `else:` block here might not complete?
                 # For now, shield both.
-                with trio.open_cancel_scope(shield=True):
+                with trio.CancelScope(shield=True):
                     if etype in (trio.Cancelled, KeyboardInterrupt):
                         log.warning(
                             f"Nursery for {current_actor().uid} was "
@@ -353,11 +353,5 @@ async def open_nursery() -> typing.AsyncGenerator[ActorNursery, None]:
         raise RuntimeError("No actor instance has been defined yet?")
 
     # TODO: figure out supervisors from erlang
-    async with ActorNursery(current_actor()) as nursery:
+    async with ActorNursery(actor) as nursery:
         yield nursery
-
-
-def is_main_process():
-    """Bool determining if this actor is running in the top-most process.
-    """
-    return mp.current_process().name == 'MainProcess'
diff --git a/tractor/msg.py b/tractor/msg.py
index ebed198..73e39d5 100644
--- a/tractor/msg.py
+++ b/tractor/msg.py
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ async def fan_out_to_ctxs(
                 for ctx in topics2ctxs.get(topic, set()):
                     ctx_payloads.setdefault(ctx, {}).update(packet),
 
+            if not ctx_payloads:
+                log.debug(f"Unconsumed values:\n{published}")
+
             # deliver to each subscriber (fan out)
             if ctx_payloads:
                 for ctx, payload in ctx_payloads.items():
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ async def fan_out_to_ctxs(
                         await ctx.send_yield(payload)
                     except (
                         # That's right, anything you can think of...
-                        trio.ClosedStreamError, ConnectionResetError,
+                        trio.ClosedResourceError, ConnectionResetError,
                         ConnectionRefusedError,
                     ):
                         log.warning(f"{ctx.chan} went down?")