diff --git a/piker/ui/_chart.py b/piker/ui/_chart.py
index 64646da3..c79c001c 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_chart.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_chart.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ High level Qt chart widgets.
 
 """
 import time
-from collections import OrderedDict
 from contextlib import AsyncExitStack
 from typing import Tuple, Dict, Any, Optional, Callable
 from types import ModuleType
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ class ChartSpace(QtGui.QWidget):
         self.vbox.addLayout(self.toolbar_layout)
         # self.vbox.addLayout(self.hbox)
 
-        self._chart_cache = OrderedDict()
+        self._chart_cache = {}
         self.linkedcharts: 'LinkedSplitCharts' = None
         self.symbol_label: Optional[QtGui.QLabel] = None
 
@@ -115,10 +114,12 @@ class ChartSpace(QtGui.QWidget):
         self,
         symbol_key: str,  # of form <fqsn>.<providername>
         linked_charts: 'LinkedSplitCharts',  # type: ignore
+
     ) -> None:
-        self._chart_cache[symbol_key] = linked_charts
-        # re-sort list in LIFO order
-        self._chart_cache.move_to_end(symbol_key, last=False)
+        # re-sort org cache symbol list in LIFO order
+        cache = self._chart_cache
+        cache.pop(symbol_key, None)
+        cache[symbol_key] = linked_charts
 
     def get_chart_symbol(
         self,
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ class ChartSpace(QtGui.QWidget):
             # XXX: pretty sure we don't need this
             # remove any existing plots?
             # XXX: ahh we might want to support cache unloading..
-            # self.vbox.removeWidget(self.linkedcharts)
+            self.vbox.removeWidget(self.linkedcharts)
 
         # switching to a new viewable chart
         if linkedcharts is None or reset:
@@ -193,9 +194,10 @@ class ChartSpace(QtGui.QWidget):
                 loglevel,
             )
 
-            self.vbox.addWidget(linkedcharts)
 
-        self.set_chart_symbol(fqsn, linkedcharts)
+            self.set_chart_symbol(fqsn, linkedcharts)
+
+        self.vbox.addWidget(linkedcharts)
 
         # chart is already in memory so just focus it
         if self.linkedcharts:
diff --git a/piker/ui/_search.py b/piker/ui/_search.py
index 27b3e360..1949cbd2 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_search.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_search.py
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ class SearchWidget(QtGui.QWidget):
 
         if self.view.model().rowCount(QModelIndex()) == 0:
             # fill cache list if nothing existing
-            self.view.set_results({'cache': list(self.chart_app._chart_cache)})
+            self.view.set_results({'cache': list(reversed(self.chart_app._chart_cache))})
 
         self.bar.focus()
 
@@ -625,15 +625,24 @@ async def handle_keyboard_input(
 
                 log.info(f'Requesting symbol: {symbol}.{provider}')
 
-                # app = search.chart_app
-                search.chart_app.load_symbol(
+                chart = search.chart_app
+                chart.load_symbol(
                     provider,
                     symbol,
                     'info',
                 )
+
+                # fully qualified symbol name (SNS i guess is what we're making?)
+                fqsn = '.'.join([symbol, provider]).lower()
+
+                # Re-order the symbol cache on the chart to display in
+                # LIFO order. this is normally only done internally by
+                # the chart on new symbols being loaded into memory
+                chart.set_chart_symbol(fqsn, chart.linkedcharts)
+
                 search.bar.clear()
                 view.set_results({
-                    'cache': list(search.chart_app._chart_cache)
+                    'cache': list(reversed(chart._chart_cache))
                 })
 
                 _search_enabled = False
@@ -644,7 +653,7 @@ async def handle_keyboard_input(
             elif not ctl and not bar.text():
                 # if nothing in search text show the cache
                 view.set_results({
-                    'cache': list(search.chart_app._chart_cache)
+                    'cache': list(reversed(chart._chart_cache))
                 })
                 continue
 
@@ -662,8 +671,8 @@ async def handle_keyboard_input(
                 search.bar.unfocus()
 
                 # kill the search and focus back on main chart
-                if search.chart_app:
-                    search.chart_app.linkedcharts.focus()
+                if chart:
+                    chart.linkedcharts.focus()
 
                 continue
 
@@ -711,7 +720,7 @@ async def handle_keyboard_input(
 
                         if value is not None:
                             provider, symbol = value
-                            search.chart_app.load_symbol(
+                            chart.load_symbol(
                                 provider,
                                 symbol,
                                 'info',