diff --git a/piker/brokers/_daemon.py b/piker/brokers/_daemon.py
index 8a81b1d6..34cbfca4 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/_daemon.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/_daemon.py
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ async def _setup_persistent_brokerd(
     the broker backend as needed.
 
     '''
+    # NOTE: we only need to setup logging once (and only) here
+    # since all hosted daemon tasks will reference this same
+    # log instance's (actor local) state and thus don't require
+    # any further (level) configuration on their own B)
     log = _util.get_console_log(
         loglevel or tractor.current_actor().loglevel,
         name=f'{_util.subsys}.{brokername}',
diff --git a/piker/brokers/deribit/__init__.py b/piker/brokers/deribit/__init__.py
index f5c48b58..4c0c1850 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/deribit/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/deribit/__init__.py
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ Deribit backend.
 
 from piker.log import get_logger
 
-log = get_logger(__name__)
-
 from .api import (
     get_client,
 )
@@ -30,13 +28,15 @@ from .feed import (
     open_history_client,
     open_symbol_search,
     stream_quotes,
-    backfill_bars
+    # backfill_bars,
 )
 # from .broker import (
-    # trades_dialogue,
+    # open_trade_dialog,
     # norm_trade_records,
 # )
 
+log = get_logger(__name__)
+
 __all__ = [
     'get_client',
 #    'trades_dialogue',
diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib/broker.py b/piker/brokers/ib/broker.py
index 73477c0a..a5c68c36 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib/broker.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib/broker.py
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ from piker.accounting import (
     open_pps,
     PpTable,
 )
-from .._util import get_console_log
 from piker.clearing._messages import (
     Order,
     Status,
@@ -217,7 +216,7 @@ async def recv_trade_updates(
     client.inline_errors(to_trio)
 
     # sync with trio task
-    to_trio.send_nowait(None)
+    to_trio.send_nowait(client.ib)
 
     def push_tradesies(
         eventkit_obj,
@@ -513,8 +512,9 @@ async def open_trade_event_stream(
     async with tractor.to_asyncio.open_channel_from(
         recv_trade_updates,
         client=client,
-    ) as (first, trade_event_stream):
+    ) as (ibclient, trade_event_stream):
 
+        assert ibclient is client.ib
         task_status.started(trade_event_stream)
         await trio.sleep_forever()
 
@@ -523,13 +523,10 @@ async def open_trade_event_stream(
 async def trades_dialogue(
 
     ctx: tractor.Context,
-    loglevel: str = None,
+    # loglevel: str = None,
 
 ) -> AsyncIterator[dict[str, Any]]:
 
-    # XXX: required to propagate ``tractor`` loglevel to piker logging
-    get_console_log(loglevel or tractor.current_actor().loglevel)
-
     accounts_def = config.load_accounts(['ib'])
 
     global _client_cache
diff --git a/piker/brokers/kraken/broker.py b/piker/brokers/kraken/broker.py
index 96ab77ae..fc2eff62 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/kraken/broker.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/kraken/broker.py
@@ -422,7 +422,6 @@ def trades2pps(
 @tractor.context
 async def trades_dialogue(
     ctx: tractor.Context,
-    loglevel: str = None,
 
 ) -> AsyncIterator[dict[str, Any]]:
 
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_ems.py b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
index 7abd4a61..ffd5882b 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_ems.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
@@ -373,8 +373,8 @@ async def open_brokerd_dialog(
     # TODO: ideally choose only one of these ep names..
     trades_endpoint: Callable
     for ep_name in [
-        'trades_dialogue',
-        'open_trade_dialog',
+        'trades_dialogue',  # legacy
+        'open_trade_dialog',  # probably final name?
     ]:
         trades_endpoint = getattr(
             brokermod,
@@ -390,7 +390,6 @@ async def open_brokerd_dialog(
         # open live brokerd trades endpoint
         open_trades_endpoint = portal.open_context(
             trades_endpoint,
-            loglevel=loglevel,
         )
 
     else:
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_paper_engine.py b/piker/clearing/_paper_engine.py
index fd998e97..4220bf63 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_paper_engine.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_paper_engine.py
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ _sells: defaultdict[
 
 
 @tractor.context
-async def trades_dialogue(
+async def open_trade_dialog(
 
     ctx: tractor.Context,
     broker: str,
@@ -695,21 +695,21 @@ async def open_paperboi(
 
     async with (
         tractor.find_actor(service_name) as portal,
-        tractor.open_nursery() as tn,
+        tractor.open_nursery() as an,
     ):
         # NOTE: only spawn if no paperboi already is up since we likely
         # don't need more then one actor for simulated order clearing
         # per broker-backend.
         if portal is None:
             log.info('Starting new paper-engine actor')
-            portal = await tn.start_actor(
+            portal = await an.start_actor(
                 service_name,
                 enable_modules=[__name__]
             )
             we_spawned = True
 
         async with portal.open_context(
-            trades_dialogue,
+            open_trade_dialog,
             broker=broker,
             fqme=fqme,
             loglevel=loglevel,