diff --git a/tractor/_broadcast.py b/tractor/_broadcast.py
index 907859c..e375ef2 100644
--- a/tractor/_broadcast.py
+++ b/tractor/_broadcast.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
         self._recv = receive_afunc or rx_chan.receive
         self._closed: bool = False
 
-    async def receive(self):
+    async def receive(self) -> ReceiveType:
 
         key = self.key
         state = self._state
@@ -169,9 +169,11 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
             event = trio.Event()
             state.recv_ready = key, event
 
+            # if we're cancelled here it should be
+            # fine to bail without affecting any other consumers
+            # right?
             try:
                 value = await self._recv()
-
                 # items with lower indices are "newer"
                 state.queue.appendleft(value)
 
@@ -193,21 +195,51 @@ class BroadcastReceiver(ReceiveChannel):
                 ):
                     state.subs[sub_key] += 1
 
+                # NOTE: this should ONLY be set if the above task was *NOT*
+                # cancelled on the `._recv()` call otherwise sibling
+                # consumers will be awoken with a sequence of -1
+                event.set()
+
                 return value
 
             finally:
-                # reset receiver waiter task event for next blocking condition
-                event.set()
+                # Reset receiver waiter task event for next blocking condition.
+                # this MUST be reset even if the above ``.recv()`` call
+                # was cancelled to avoid the next consumer from blocking on
+                # an event that won't be set!
                 state.recv_ready = None
 
         # This task is all caught up and ready to receive the latest
         # value, so queue sched it on the internal event.
         else:
+            seq = state.subs[key]
+            assert seq == -1  # sanity
             _, ev = state.recv_ready
             await ev.wait()
+
             seq = state.subs[key]
+            assert seq > -1, f'Invalid sequence {seq}!?'
+
+            value = state.queue[seq]
             state.subs[key] -= 1
-            return state.queue[seq]
+            return value
+
+            # NOTE: if we ever would like the behaviour where if the
+            # first task to recv on the underlying is cancelled but it
+            # still DOES trigger the ``.recv_ready``, event we'll likely need
+            # this logic:
+
+            # if seq > -1:
+            #     # stuff from above..
+            # elif seq == -1:
+            #     # XXX: In the case where the first task to allocate the
+            #     # ``.recv_ready`` event is cancelled we will be woken with
+            #     # a non-incremented sequence number and thus will read the
+            #     # oldest value if we use that. Instead we need to detect if
+            #     # we have not been incremented and then receive again.
+            #     return await self.receive()
+            # else:
+            #     raise ValueError(f'Invalid sequence {seq}!?')
 
     @asynccontextmanager
     async def subscribe(