diff --git a/piker/accounting/cli.py b/piker/accounting/cli.py
index a2104653..71ad9757 100644
--- a/piker/accounting/cli.py
+++ b/piker/accounting/cli.py
@@ -18,24 +18,137 @@
 CLI front end for trades ledger and position tracking management.
 
 '''
+from typing import (
+    Any,
+)
+
+import tractor
+import trio
 import typer
 
-from ._pos import open_pps
+from ..service import (
+    open_piker_runtime,
+)
+# from ._pos import open_pps
 
 
 ledger = typer.Typer()
 
 
+def broker_init(
+    brokername: str,
+    loglevel: str | None = None,
+
+    **start_actor_kwargs,
+
+) -> dict:
+    '''
+    Given an input broker name, load all named arguments
+    which can be passed to a daemon + context spawn for
+    the relevant `brokerd` service endpoint.
+
+    '''
+    # log.info(f'Spawning {brokername} broker daemon')
+    from ..brokers import get_brokermod
+    brokermod = get_brokermod(brokername)
+    modpath = brokermod.__name__
+
+    start_actor_kwargs['name'] = f'brokerd.{brokername}'
+    start_actor_kwargs.update(
+        getattr(
+            brokermod,
+            '_spawn_kwargs',
+            {},
+        )
+    )
+
+    # lookup actor-enabled modules declared by the backend offering the
+    # `brokerd` endpoint(s).
+    enabled = start_actor_kwargs['enable_modules'] = [modpath]
+    for submodname in getattr(
+        brokermod,
+        '__enable_modules__',
+        [],
+    ):
+        subpath = f'{modpath}.{submodname}'
+        enabled.append(subpath)
+
+    # non-blocking setup of brokerd service nursery
+    from ..data import _setup_persistent_brokerd
+
+    return (
+        start_actor_kwargs,  # to `ActorNursery.start_actor()`
+        _setup_persistent_brokerd,  # service task ep
+        getattr(  # trades endpoint
+            brokermod,
+            'trades_dialogue',
+            None,
+        ),
+    )
+
+
 @ledger.command()
 def sync(
     brokername: str,
     account: str,
+
+    loglevel: str = 'cancel',
 ):
-    with open_pps(
+
+    start_kwargs, _, trades_ep = broker_init(
         brokername,
-        account,
-    ) as table:
-        breakpoint()
+        loglevel=loglevel,
+    )
+
+    async def main():
+
+        async with (
+            open_piker_runtime(
+                name='ledger_cli',
+                loglevel=loglevel,
+            ) as (actor, sockaddr),
+
+            tractor.open_nursery() as an,
+        ):
+            portal = await an.start_actor(
+                loglevel=loglevel,
+                debug_mode=True,
+                **start_kwargs,
+            )
+
+            if (
+                brokername == 'paper'
+                or trades_ep is None
+            ):
+                # from . import _paper_engine as paper
+                # open_trades_endpoint = paper.open_paperboi(
+                #     fqme='.'.join([symbol, broker]),
+                #     loglevel=loglevel,
+                # )
+                RuntimeError('Paper mode not supported for sync!')
+            else:
+                # open live brokerd trades endpoint
+                open_trades_endpoint = portal.open_context(
+                    trades_ep,
+                    loglevel=loglevel,
+                )
+
+            positions: dict[str, Any]
+            accounts: list[str]
+            # brokerd_trades_stream: tractor.MsgStream
+            async with (
+                open_trades_endpoint as (
+                    brokerd_ctx,
+                    (positions, accounts,),
+                ),
+                # brokerd_ctx.open_stream() as brokerd_trades_stream,
+            ):
+                await tractor.breakpoint()
+                await brokerd_ctx.cancel()
+
+            await portal.cancel_actor()
+
+    trio.run(main)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":