diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib/api.py b/piker/brokers/ib/api.py
index 75a79dbe..7647d03e 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib/api.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib/api.py
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ class Client:
 
         # commodities
         elif exch == 'CMDTY':  # eg. XAUUSD.CMDTY
-            con_kwargs, bars_kwargs = _adhoc_symbol_map[symbol]
+            con_kwargs, bars_kwargs = _adhoc_symbol_map[symbol.upper()]
             con = Commodity(**con_kwargs)
             con.bars_kwargs = bars_kwargs
 
@@ -780,6 +780,7 @@ class Client:
         self,
         contract: Contract,
         timeout: float = 1,
+        raise_on_timeout: bool = False,
 
     ) -> Ticker:
         '''
@@ -798,10 +799,16 @@ class Client:
             if isnan(ticker.last):
 
                 # wait for a first update(Event)
-                tkr = await asyncio.wait_for(
-                    ready,
-                    timeout=timeout,
-                )
+                try:
+                    tkr = await asyncio.wait_for(
+                        ready,
+                        timeout=timeout,
+                    )
+                except TimeoutError:
+                    if raise_on_timeout:
+                        raise
+                    return tkr
+
                 if tkr:
                     break
                 else:
diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib/feed.py b/piker/brokers/ib/feed.py
index 72f51964..44e3af2a 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib/feed.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib/feed.py
@@ -843,7 +843,10 @@ async def stream_quotes(
         # TODO: we should instead spawn a task that waits on a feed to start
         # and let it wait indefinitely..instead of this hard coded stuff.
         with trio.move_on_after(1):
-            first_ticker = await proxy.get_quote(contract=con)
+            first_ticker = await proxy.get_quote(
+                contract=con,
+                raise_on_timeout=True,
+            )
 
         # it might be outside regular trading hours so see if we can at
         # least grab history.