diff --git a/piker/clearing/_ems.py b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
index ae54615b..473a9e95 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_ems.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ async def open_brokerd_trades_dialogue(
             ):
                 # XXX: really we only want one stream per `emsd` actor
                 # to relay global `brokerd` order events unless we're
-                # doing to expect each backend to relay only orders
+                # going to expect each backend to relay only orders
                 # affiliated with a particular ``trades_dialogue()``
                 # session (seems annoying for implementers). So, here
                 # we cache the relay task and instead of running multiple
@@ -612,9 +612,10 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
 
     brokerd_msg: dict[str, Any]
     async for brokerd_msg in brokerd_trades_stream:
+        fmsg = pformat(brokerd_msg)
         log.info(
             f'Received broker trade event:\n'
-            f'{pformat(brokerd_msg)}'
+            f'{fmsg}'
         )
         match brokerd_msg:
 
@@ -666,7 +667,11 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
                 # cancelled by the ems controlling client before we
                 # received this ack, in which case we relay that cancel
                 # signal **asap** to the backend broker
-                status_msg = book._active[oid]
+                status_msg = book._active.get(oid)
+                if not status_msg:
+                    log.warning(f'Rx Ack for closed/unknown order?: {oid}')
+                    continue
+
                 req = status_msg.req
                 if req and req.action == 'cancel':
                     # assign newly providerd broker backend request id
@@ -692,7 +697,7 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
             } if status_msg := book._active.get(oid):
 
                 msg = BrokerdError(**brokerd_msg)
-                log.error(pformat(msg))  # XXX make one when it's blank?
+                log.error(fmsg)  # XXX make one when it's blank?
 
                 # TODO: figure out how this will interact with EMS clients
                 # for ex. on an error do we react with a dark orders
@@ -726,8 +731,19 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
                 # TODO: maybe pack this into a composite type that
                 # contains both the IPC stream as well the
                 # msg-chain/dialog.
-                ems_client_order_stream = router.dialogues[oid]
-                status_msg = book._active[oid]
+                ems_client_order_stream = router.dialogues.get(oid)
+                status_msg = book._active.get(oid)
+
+                if (
+                    not ems_client_order_stream
+                    or not status_msg
+                ):
+                    log.warning(
+                        'Received status for unknown dialog {oid}:\n'
+                        '{fmsg}'
+                    )
+                    continue
+
                 status_msg.resp = status
 
                 # retrieve existing live flow
@@ -762,12 +778,19 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
                 'name': 'fill',
                 'reqid': reqid,  # brokerd generated order-request id
                 # 'symbol': sym,  # paper engine doesn't have this, nbd?
-            } if (
-                oid := book._ems2brokerd_ids.inverse.get(reqid)
-            ):
+            }:
+                oid = book._ems2brokerd_ids.inverse.get(reqid)
+                if not oid:
+                    # TODO: maybe we could optionally check for an
+                    # ``.oid`` in the msg since we're planning to
+                    # maybe-kinda offer that via using ``Status``
+                    # in the longer run anyway?
+                    log.warning(f'Unkown fill for {fmsg}')
+                    continue
+
                 # proxy through the "fill" result(s)
                 msg = BrokerdFill(**brokerd_msg)
-                log.info(f'Fill for {oid} cleared with:\n{pformat(msg)}')
+                log.info(f'Fill for {oid} cleared with:\n{fmsg}')
 
                 ems_client_order_stream = router.dialogues[oid]
 
@@ -796,7 +819,7 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
                     # registered from a previous order/status load?
                     log.error(
                         f'Unknown/transient status msg:\n'
-                        f'{pformat(brokerd_msg)}\n'
+                        f'{fmsg}\n'
                         'Unable to relay message to client side!?'
                     )
 
@@ -841,7 +864,7 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
                 'name': 'status',
                 'status': 'error',
             }:
-                log.error(f'Broker error:\n{pformat(brokerd_msg)}')
+                log.error(f'Broker error:\n{fmsg}')
                 # XXX: we presume the brokerd cancels its own order
 
             # TOO FAST ``BrokerdStatus`` that arrives
@@ -862,7 +885,7 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
                     status_msg = book._active[oid]
                     msg += (
                         f'last status msg: {pformat(status_msg)}\n\n'
-                        f'this msg:{pformat(brokerd_msg)}\n'
+                        f'this msg:{fmsg}\n'
                     )
 
                 log.warning(msg)