diff --git a/piker/brokers/core.py b/piker/brokers/core.py
index 6d62d14a..90b9420c 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/core.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/core.py
@@ -306,15 +306,11 @@ async def start_quoter(
                 get_quotes = await brokermod.quoter(client, tickers)
                 clients[broker] = (
                     brokermod, client, client_cntxmng, get_quotes)
-                tickers2qs = broker2tickersubs.setdefault(
-                    broker, {}.fromkeys(tickers, {queue, }))
+                tickers2qs = broker2tickersubs.setdefault(broker, {})
             else:
                 log.info(f"Subscribing with existing `{broker}` daemon")
                 brokermod, client, _, get_quotes = clients[broker]
                 tickers2qs = broker2tickersubs[broker]
-                # update map from each symbol to requesting client's queue
-                for ticker in tickers:
-                    tickers2qs.setdefault(ticker, set()).add(queue)
 
             # beginning of section to be trimmed out with #37
             #################################################
@@ -324,13 +320,13 @@ async def start_quoter(
             # since the new client needs to know what symbols are accepted
             log.warn(f"Retrieving smoke quote for {queue.peer}")
             quotes = await get_quotes(tickers)
-            # pop any tickers that aren't returned in the first quote
-            tickers = set(tickers) - set(quotes)
-            for ticker in tickers:
+            # report any tickers that aren't returned in the first quote
+            invalid_tickers = set(tickers) - set(quotes)
+            for symbol in invalid_tickers:
+                tickers.remove(symbol)
                 log.warn(
-                    f"Symbol `{ticker}` not found by broker `{brokermod.name}`"
+                    f"Symbol `{symbol}` not found by broker `{brokermod.name}`"
                 )
-                tickers2qs.pop(ticker, None)
 
             # pop any tickers that return "empty" quotes
             payload = {}
@@ -339,16 +335,26 @@ async def start_quoter(
                     log.warn(
                         f"Symbol `{symbol}` not found by broker"
                         f" `{brokermod.name}`")
-                    tickers2qs.pop(symbol, None)
+                    tickers.remove(symbol)
                     continue
                 payload[symbol] = quote
 
-            # push initial quotes response for client initialization
-            await queue.put(payload)
-
             # end of section to be trimmed out with #37
             ###########################################
 
+            # first respond with symbol data for all tickers (allows
+            # clients to receive broker specific setup info)
+            sd = await client.symbol_data(tickers)
+            assert sd, "No symbol data could be found?"
+            await queue.put(sd)
+
+            # update map from each symbol to requesting client's queue
+            for ticker in tickers:
+                tickers2qs.setdefault(ticker, set()).add(queue)
+
+            # push initial quotes response for client initialization
+            await queue.put(payload)
+
             if broker not in dtasks:  # no quoter task yet
                 # task should begin on the next checkpoint/iteration
                 log.info(f"Spawning quoter task for {brokermod.name}")
@@ -376,7 +382,7 @@ async def start_quoter(
             await cntxmng.__aexit__(None, None, None)
 
 
-async def _daemon_main() -> None:
+async def _daemon_main(host) -> None:
     """Entry point for the broker daemon which waits for connections
     before spawning micro-services.
     """
@@ -393,7 +399,7 @@ async def _daemon_main() -> None:
                     start_quoter, broker2tickersubs, clients,
                     dtasks, nursery
                 ),
-                1616, host='127.0.0.1'
+                1616, host=host,
             )
         )
         log.debug(f"Spawned {listeners}")
diff --git a/piker/brokers/questrade.py b/piker/brokers/questrade.py
index 3f0ebbd7..feea6396 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/questrade.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/questrade.py
@@ -414,7 +414,8 @@ def format_quote(
         # convert values to a displayble format using available formatting func
         if isinstance(new_key, tuple):
             new_key, func = new_key
-            display_value = func(value)
+            display_value = func(value) if value else value
+
 
         new[new_key] = value
         displayable[new_key] = display_value
diff --git a/piker/brokers/robinhood.py b/piker/brokers/robinhood.py
index 5a220251..bd70c108 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/robinhood.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/robinhood.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from async_generator import asynccontextmanager
 import asks
 
 from ..log import get_logger
-from ._util import resproc
+from ._util import resproc, BrokerError
 from ..calc import percent_change
 
 asks.init('trio')
@@ -51,10 +51,12 @@ class Client:
     async def quote(self, symbols: [str]):
         """Retrieve quotes for a list of ``symbols``.
         """
-        return self._zip_in_order(
-            symbols,
-            (await self.api.quotes(','.join(symbols)))['results']
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = await self.api.quotes(','.join(symbols))
+        except BrokerError:
+            resp = {'results': [None] * len(symbols)}
+
+        return self._zip_in_order(symbols, resp['results'])
 
     async def symbol_data(self, symbols: [str]):
         """Retrieve symbol data via the ``fundmentals`` endpoint.
diff --git a/piker/calc.py b/piker/calc.py
index 0ed811fc..c4847696 100644
--- a/piker/calc.py
+++ b/piker/calc.py
@@ -27,4 +27,6 @@ def percent_change(init, new):
     """Calcuate the percentage change of some ``new`` value
     from some initial value, ``init``.
     """
+    if not (init and new):
+        return 0
     return (new - init) / init * 100.
diff --git a/piker/cli.py b/piker/cli.py
index cb637f71..0ae1f5ce 100644
--- a/piker/cli.py
+++ b/piker/cli.py
@@ -23,23 +23,17 @@ _watchlists_data_path = os.path.join(_config_dir, 'watchlists.json')
 
 
 def run(main, loglevel='info'):
-    log = get_console_log(loglevel)
-
-    # main sandwich
-    try:
-        return trio.run(main)
-    except Exception as err:
-        log.exception(err)
-    finally:
-        log.debug("Exiting piker")
+    get_console_log(loglevel)
+    return trio.run(main)
 
 
 @click.command()
 @click.option('--loglevel', '-l', default='warning', help='Logging level')
-def pikerd(loglevel):
+@click.option('--host', '-h', default='127.0.0.1', help='Host address to bind')
+def pikerd(loglevel, host):
     """Spawn the piker daemon.
     """
-    run(_daemon_main, loglevel)
+    run(partial(_daemon_main, host), loglevel)
 
 
 @click.group()
@@ -102,9 +96,9 @@ def quote(loglevel, broker, tickers, df_output):
         log.error(f"No quotes could be found for {tickers}?")
         return
 
-    cols = next(filter(bool, quotes.values())).copy()
-    cols.pop('symbol')
     if df_output:
+        cols = next(filter(bool, quotes.values())).copy()
+        cols.pop('symbol')
         df = pd.DataFrame(
             (quote or {} for quote in quotes.values()),
             index=quotes.keys(),
@@ -120,8 +114,10 @@ def quote(loglevel, broker, tickers, df_output):
               help='Broker backend to use')
 @click.option('--loglevel', '-l', default='warning', help='Logging level')
 @click.option('--rate', '-r', default=5, help='Logging level')
+@click.option('--dhost', '-dh', default='127.0.0.1',
+              help='Daemon host address to connect to')
 @click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=True)
-def watch(loglevel, broker, rate, name):
+def watch(loglevel, broker, rate, name, dhost):
     """Spawn a real-time watchlist.
     """
     from .ui.watchlist import _async_main
@@ -131,17 +127,20 @@ def watch(loglevel, broker, rate, name):
     watchlists = wl.merge_watchlist(watchlist_from_file, wl._builtins)
     tickers = watchlists[name]
 
-    async def main(timeout=1):
+    async def launch_client(sleep=0.5, tries=10):
 
         async def subscribe(client):
             # initial request for symbols price streams
             await client.send((brokermod.name, tickers))
 
-        client = Client(('127.0.0.1', 1616), subscribe)
-        try:
-            await client.connect()
-        except OSError as oserr:
-            await trio.sleep(0.5)
+        client = Client((dhost, 1616), subscribe)
+        for _ in range(tries):  # try for 5 seconds
+            try:
+                await client.connect()
+                break
+            except OSError as oserr:
+                await trio.sleep(sleep)
+        else:
             # will raise indicating child proc should be spawned
             await client.connect()
 
@@ -155,18 +154,18 @@ def watch(loglevel, broker, rate, name):
         await client.aclose()
 
     try:
-        trio.run(main)
+        trio.run(partial(launch_client, tries=1))
     except OSError as oserr:
         log.warn("No broker daemon could be found")
         log.warn(oserr)
         log.warning("Spawning local broker-daemon...")
         child = Process(
             target=run,
-            args=(_daemon_main, loglevel),
+            args=(partial(_daemon_main, dhost), loglevel),
             daemon=True,
         )
         child.start()
-        trio.run(main, 5)
+        trio.run(launch_client, 5)
         child.join()
 
 
diff --git a/piker/ui/watchlist.py b/piker/ui/watchlist.py
index a0944ffb..b94cc9fb 100644
--- a/piker/ui/watchlist.py
+++ b/piker/ui/watchlist.py
@@ -387,10 +387,9 @@ async def _async_main(name, client, tickers, brokermod, rate):
 
     This is started with cli command `piker watch`.
     '''
-    # get initial symbol data
-    async with brokermod.get_client() as bclient:
-        # get long term data including last days close price
-        sd = await bclient.symbol_data(tickers)
+    # get initial symbol data (long term data including last days close price)
+    # TODO: need something better this this toy protocol
+    sd = await client.recv()
 
     async with trio.open_nursery() as nursery:
         # get first quotes response