diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib.py b/piker/brokers/ib.py
index aa07f9ef..2679e988 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ from ib_insync.wrapper import RequestError
 from ib_insync.contract import Contract, ContractDetails
 from ib_insync.order import Order
 from ib_insync.ticker import Ticker
+from ib_insync.objects import Position
 import ib_insync as ibis
 from ib_insync.wrapper import Wrapper
 from ib_insync.client import Client as ib_Client
@@ -449,9 +450,8 @@ class Client:
         size: int,
 
         # XXX: by default 0 tells ``ib_insync`` methods that there is no
-        # existing order so ask the client to create a new one (which 
-        # it seems to do by allocating an int counter - collision
-        # prone..)
+        # existing order so ask the client to create a new one (which it
+        # seems to do by allocating an int counter - collision prone..)
         brid: int = None,
     ) -> int:
         """Place an order and return integer request id provided by client.
@@ -507,17 +507,21 @@ class Client:
         """
         self.inline_errors(to_trio)
 
-        def push_tradesies(eventkit_obj, trade, fill=None):
+        def push_tradesies(eventkit_obj, obj, fill=None):
             """Push events to trio task.
 
             """
             if fill is not None:
                 # execution details event
-                item = ('fill', (trade, fill))
-            else:
-                item = ('status', trade)
+                item = ('fill', (obj, fill))
 
-            log.info(f'{eventkit_obj}: {item}')
+            elif eventkit_obj.name() == 'positionEvent':
+                item = ('position', obj)
+
+            else:
+                item = ('status', obj)
+
+            log.info(f'eventkit event -> {eventkit_obj}: {item}')
 
             try:
                 to_trio.send_nowait(item)
@@ -529,6 +533,7 @@ class Client:
         for ev_name in [
             'orderStatusEvent',  # all order updates
             'execDetailsEvent',  # all "fill" updates
+            'positionEvent',  # avg price updates per symbol per account
 
             # 'commissionReportEvent',
             # XXX: ugh, it is a separate event from IB and it's
@@ -537,7 +542,6 @@ class Client:
 
             # XXX: not sure yet if we need these
             # 'updatePortfolioEvent',
-            # 'positionEvent',
 
             # XXX: these all seem to be weird ib_insync intrernal
             # events that we probably don't care that much about
@@ -584,6 +588,15 @@ class Client:
 
         self.ib.errorEvent.connect(push_err)
 
+    async def positions(
+        self,
+        account: str = '',
+    ) -> List[Position]:
+        """
+        Retrieve position info for ``account``.
+        """
+        return self.ib.positions(account=account)
+
 
 # default config ports
 _tws_port: int = 7497
@@ -1155,6 +1168,18 @@ async def stream_and_write(
         ticker.ticks = []
 
 
+def pack_position(pos: Position) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    con = pos.contract
+    return {
+        'broker': 'ib',
+        'account': pos.account,
+        'symbol': con.symbol,
+        'currency': con.currency,
+        'size': float(pos.position),
+        'avg_price': float(pos.avgCost) / float(con.multiplier or 1.0),
+    }
+
+
 @tractor.msg.pub(
     send_on_connect={'local_trades': 'start'}
 )
@@ -1163,14 +1188,18 @@ async def stream_trades(
     get_topics: Callable = None,
 ) -> AsyncIterator[Dict[str, Any]]:
 
-    global _trades_stream_is_live
-
     # XXX: required to propagate ``tractor`` loglevel to piker logging
     get_console_log(loglevel or tractor.current_actor().loglevel)
 
     stream = await _trio_run_client_method(
         method='recv_trade_updates',
     )
+
+    # deliver positions to subscriber before anything else
+    positions = await _trio_run_client_method(method='positions')
+    for pos in positions:
+        yield {'local_trades': ('position', pack_position(pos))}
+
     action_map = {'BOT': 'buy', 'SLD': 'sell'}
 
     async for event_name, item in stream:
@@ -1230,12 +1259,19 @@ async def stream_trades(
             # don't forward, it's pointless..
             continue
 
-        if msg['reqid'] < -1:
+        elif event_name == 'position':
+            msg = pack_position(item)
+
+        if msg.get('reqid', 0) < -1:
             # it's a trade event generated by TWS usage.
             log.warning(f"TWS triggered trade:\n{pformat(msg)}")
 
             msg['reqid'] = 'tws-' + str(-1 * msg['reqid'])
 
+            # mark msg as from "external system"
+            # TODO: probably something better then this..
+            msg['external'] = True
+
             yield {'remote_trades': (event_name, msg)}
             continue