diff --git a/piker/data/feed.py b/piker/data/feed.py
index c7041135..c2fbbd5e 100644
--- a/piker/data/feed.py
+++ b/piker/data/feed.py
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ async def start_backfill(
                 # do a decently sized backfill and load it into storage.
                 periods = {
                     1: {'days': 6},
-                    60: {'years': 10},
+                    60: {'years': 6},
                 }
 
             kwargs = periods[step_size_s]
@@ -348,36 +348,45 @@ async def start_backfill(
         # last retrieved start dt to the next request as
         # it's end dt.
         starts: set[datetime] = set()
-
         while start_dt > last_tsdb_dt:
-
-            print(f"QUERY end_dt={start_dt}")
             try:
                 log.info(
                     f'Requesting {step_size_s}s frame ending in {start_dt}'
                 )
-                array, start_dt, end_dt = await hist(
+                array, next_start_dt, end_dt = await hist(
                     timeframe,
                     end_dt=start_dt,
                 )
+
+                if next_start_dt in starts:
+                    start_dt = min(starts)
+                    print("SKIPPING DUPLICATE FRAME @ {next_start_dt}")
+                    continue
+
+                # only update new start point if new
+                start_dt = next_start_dt
+                starts.add(start_dt)
+
                 assert array['time'][0] == start_dt.timestamp()
 
             except NoData:
+                # XXX: unhandled history gap (shouldn't happen?)
                 log.warning(
                     f'NO DATA for {frame_size_s}s frame @ {start_dt} ?!?'
                 )
-                return None  # discard signal
+                await tractor.breakpoint()
 
-            except DataUnavailable as duerr:
-                # broker is being a bish and we can't pull
-                # any more..
-                log.warning('backend halted on data deliver !?!?')
+            except DataUnavailable:  # as duerr:
+                # broker is being a bish and we can't pull any more..
+                log.warning(
+                    f'NO-MORE-DATA: backend {mod.name} halted history!?'
+                )
 
                 # ugh, what's a better way?
                 # TODO: fwiw, we probably want a way to signal a throttle
                 # condition (eg. with ib) so that we can halt the
                 # request loop until the condition is resolved?
-                return duerr
+                return
 
             diff = end_dt - start_dt
             frame_time_diff_s = diff.seconds
@@ -394,22 +403,6 @@ async def start_backfill(
                     f'{diff} ~= {frame_time_diff_s} seconds'
                 )
 
-            array, _start_dt, end_dt = await hist(
-                timeframe,
-                end_dt=start_dt,
-            )
-
-            if (
-                _start_dt in starts
-            ):
-                print("SKIPPING DUPLICATE FRAME @ {_start_dt}")
-                start_dt = min(starts)
-                continue
-
-            # only update new start point if new
-            start_dt = _start_dt
-            starts.add(start_dt)
-
             to_push = diff_history(
                 array,
                 start_dt,