diff --git a/piker/clearing/__init__.py b/piker/clearing/__init__.py
index c4fc2647..06a9212e 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/__init__.py
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@
 Market machinery for order executions, book, management.
 
 """
+from ._client import open_ems
+
+
+__all__ = [
+    'open_ems',
+]
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_client.py b/piker/clearing/_client.py
index 03fb62d3..f3b26cbe 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_client.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_client.py
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@
 Orders and execution client API.
 
 """
+from __future__ import annotations
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager as acm
 from pprint import pformat
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 import trio
 import tractor
@@ -27,11 +29,16 @@ from tractor.trionics import broadcast_receiver
 
 from ..log import get_logger
 from ..data.types import Struct
-from ._ems import _emsd_main
 from .._daemon import maybe_open_emsd
 from ._messages import Order, Cancel
 from ..brokers import get_brokermod
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from ._messages import (
+        BrokerdPosition,
+        Status,
+    )
+
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -167,12 +174,19 @@ async def relay_order_cmds_from_sync_code(
 @acm
 async def open_ems(
     fqsn: str,
+    mode: str = 'live',
 
-) -> (
+) -> tuple[
     OrderBook,
     tractor.MsgStream,
-    dict,
-):
+    dict[
+        # brokername, acctid
+        tuple[str, str],
+        list[BrokerdPosition],
+    ],
+    list[str],
+    dict[str, Status],
+]:
     '''
     Spawn an EMS daemon and begin sending orders and receiving
     alerts.
@@ -213,14 +227,16 @@ async def open_ems(
     from ..data._source import unpack_fqsn
     broker, symbol, suffix = unpack_fqsn(fqsn)
 
-    mode: str = 'live'
-
     async with maybe_open_emsd(broker) as portal:
 
         mod = get_brokermod(broker)
-        if not getattr(mod, 'trades_dialogue', None):
+        if (
+            not getattr(mod, 'trades_dialogue', None)
+            or mode == 'paper'
+        ):
             mode = 'paper'
 
+        from ._ems import _emsd_main
         async with (
             # connect to emsd
             portal.open_context(
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_ems.py b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
index 8d6ba868..ba33e584 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_ems.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ class Router(Struct):
 
             # load the paper trading engine
             exec_mode = 'paper'
-            log.warning(f'Entering paper trading mode for {broker}')
+            log.info(f'{broker}: Entering `paper` trading mode')
 
             # load the paper trading engine as a subactor of this emsd
             # actor to simulate the real IPC load it'll have when also
@@ -1367,7 +1367,15 @@ async def _emsd_main(
     exec_mode: str,  # ('paper', 'live')
     loglevel: str = 'info',
 
-) -> None:
+) -> tuple[
+    dict[
+        # brokername, acctid
+        tuple[str, str],
+        list[BrokerdPosition],
+    ],
+    list[str],
+    dict[str, Status],
+]:
     '''
     EMS (sub)actor entrypoint providing the execution management
     (micro)service which conducts broker order clearing control on