diff --git a/piker/service/_ahab.py b/piker/service/_ahab.py
index 38d4a9e7..7c3133e1 100644
--- a/piker/service/_ahab.py
+++ b/piker/service/_ahab.py
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 '''
-Supervisor for docker with included specific-image service helpers.
+Supervisor for ``docker`` with included async and SC wrapping
+to ensure a cancellable container lifetime system.
 
 '''
 from collections import ChainMap
@@ -349,8 +350,8 @@ async def open_ahabd(
         (
             dcntr,
             cntr_config,
-            start_lambda,
-            stop_lambda,
+            start_pred,
+            stop_pred,
         ) = ep_func(client)
         cntr = Container(dcntr)
 
@@ -375,48 +376,58 @@ async def open_ahabd(
                 # when read using:
                 # ``json.loads(entry for entry in DockerContainer.logs())``
                 'log_msg_key': 'msg',
+
+
+                # startup sync func, like `Nursery.started()`
+                'started_afunc': None,
             },
         )
 
-        with trio.move_on_after(conf['startup_timeout']) as cs:
-            async with trio.open_nursery() as tn:
-                tn.start_soon(
-                    partial(
-                        cntr.process_logs_until,
-                        log_msg_key=conf['log_msg_key'],
-                        patt_matcher=start_lambda,
-                        checkpoint_period=conf['startup_query_period'],
-                    )
-                )
-
-                # poll for container startup or timeout
-                while not cs.cancel_called:
-                    if dcntr in client.containers.list():
-                        break
-
-                    await trio.sleep(conf['startup_query_period'])
-
-                # sync with remote caller actor-task but allow log
-                # processing to continue running in bg.
-                await ctx.started((
-                    cntr.cntr.id,
-                    os.getpid(),
-                    cntr_config,
-                ))
-
         try:
-            # XXX: if we timeout on finding the "startup msg" we expect then
-            # we want to FOR SURE raise an error upwards!
-            if cs.cancelled_caught:
-                # if dcntr not in client.containers.list():
-                for entry in cntr.seen_so_far:
-                    log.info(entry)
+            with trio.move_on_after(conf['startup_timeout']) as cs:
+                async with trio.open_nursery() as tn:
+                    tn.start_soon(
+                        partial(
+                            cntr.process_logs_until,
+                            log_msg_key=conf['log_msg_key'],
+                            patt_matcher=start_pred,
+                            checkpoint_period=conf['startup_query_period'],
+                        )
+                    )
 
-                raise DockerNotStarted(
-                    f'Failed to start container: {cntr.cuid}\n'
-                    f'due to startup_timeout={conf["startup_timeout"]}s\n\n'
-                    "prolly you should check your container's logs for deats.."
-                )
+                    # optional blocking routine
+                    started = conf['started_afunc']
+                    if started:
+                        await started()
+
+                    # poll for container startup or timeout
+                    while not cs.cancel_called:
+                        if dcntr in client.containers.list():
+                            break
+
+                        await trio.sleep(conf['startup_query_period'])
+
+                    # sync with remote caller actor-task but allow log
+                    # processing to continue running in bg.
+                    await ctx.started((
+                        cntr.cntr.id,
+                        os.getpid(),
+                        cntr_config,
+                    ))
+
+                # XXX: if we timeout on finding the "startup msg" we
+                # expect then we want to FOR SURE raise an error
+                # upwards!
+                if cs.cancelled_caught:
+                    # if dcntr not in client.containers.list():
+                    for entry in cntr.seen_so_far:
+                        log.info(entry)
+
+                    raise DockerNotStarted(
+                        f'Failed to start container: {cntr.cuid}\n'
+                        f'due to timeout={conf["startup_timeout"]}s\n\n'
+                        "check ur container's logs!"
+                    )
 
             # TODO: we might eventually want a proxy-style msg-prot here
             # to allow remote control of containers without needing
@@ -430,17 +441,18 @@ async def open_ahabd(
             # on ctl-c from user.. ideally we can avoid a cancel getting
             # consumed and not propagating whilst still doing teardown
             # logging..
-            # with trio.CancelScope(shield=True):
-            await cntr.cancel(
-                log_msg_key=conf['log_msg_key'],
-                stop_predicate=stop_lambda,
-            )
+            with trio.CancelScope(shield=True):
+                await cntr.cancel(
+                    log_msg_key=conf['log_msg_key'],
+                    stop_predicate=stop_pred,
+                )
 
 
 async def start_ahab(
     service_name: str,
     endpoint: Callable[docker.DockerClient, DockerContainer],
     loglevel: str | None = 'cancel',
+    drop_root_perms: bool = True,
 
     task_status: TaskStatus[
         tuple[
@@ -477,7 +489,10 @@ async def start_ahab(
 
             # de-escalate root perms to the original user
             # after the docker supervisor actor is spawned.
-            if config._parent_user:
+            if (
+                drop_root_perms
+                and config._parent_user
+            ):
                 import pwd
                 os.setuid(
                     pwd.getpwnam(