diff --git a/piker/brokers/__init__.py b/piker/brokers/__init__.py
index 95eb6f08..a35e4aea 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/__init__.py
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ Broker clients, daemons and general back end machinery.
 from importlib import import_module
 from types import ModuleType
 
-# TODO: move to urllib3/requests once supported
-import asks
-asks.init('trio')
-
 __brokers__ = [
     'binance',
     'ib',
@@ -45,16 +41,20 @@ __brokers__ = [
 
 
 def get_brokermod(brokername: str) -> ModuleType:
-    """Return the imported broker module by name.
-    """
+    '''
+    Return the imported broker module by name.
+
+    '''
     module = import_module('.' + brokername, 'piker.brokers')
     # we only allow monkeying because it's for internal keying
-    module.name =  module.__name__.split('.')[-1]
+    module.name = module.__name__.split('.')[-1]
     return module
 
 
 def iter_brokermods():
-    """Iterate all built-in broker modules.
-    """
+    '''
+    Iterate all built-in broker modules.
+
+    '''
     for name in __brokers__:
         yield get_brokermod(name)
diff --git a/piker/brokers/data.py b/piker/brokers/data.py
index f0a8d367..5183d2c4 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/data.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/data.py
@@ -227,26 +227,28 @@ async def get_cached_feed(
 
 @tractor.stream
 async def start_quote_stream(
-    ctx: tractor.Context,  # marks this as a streaming func
+    stream: tractor.Context,  # marks this as a streaming func
     broker: str,
     symbols: List[Any],
     feed_type: str = 'stock',
     rate: int = 3,
 ) -> None:
-    """Handle per-broker quote stream subscriptions using a "lazy" pub-sub
+    '''
+    Handle per-broker quote stream subscriptions using a "lazy" pub-sub
     pattern.
 
     Spawns new quoter tasks for each broker backend on-demand.
     Since most brokers seems to support batch quote requests we
     limit to one task per process (for now).
-    """
+
+    '''
     # XXX: why do we need this again?
     get_console_log(tractor.current_actor().loglevel)
 
     # pull global vars from local actor
     symbols = list(symbols)
     log.info(
-        f"{ctx.chan.uid} subscribed to {broker} for symbols {symbols}")
+        f"{stream.chan.uid} subscribed to {broker} for symbols {symbols}")
     # another actor task may have already created it
     async with get_cached_feed(broker) as feed:
 
@@ -290,13 +292,13 @@ async def start_quote_stream(
             assert fquote['displayable']
             payload[sym] = fquote
 
-        await ctx.send_yield(payload)
+        await stream.send_yield(payload)
 
         await stream_poll_requests(
 
             # ``trionics.msgpub`` required kwargs
             task_name=feed_type,
-            ctx=ctx,
+            ctx=stream,
             topics=symbols,
             packetizer=feed.mod.packetizer,
 
@@ -319,9 +321,11 @@ async def call_client(
 
 
 class DataFeed:
-    """Data feed client for streaming symbol data from and making API client calls
-    to a (remote) ``brokerd`` daemon.
-    """
+    '''
+    Data feed client for streaming symbol data from and making API
+    client calls to a (remote) ``brokerd`` daemon.
+
+    '''
     _allowed = ('stock', 'option')
 
     def __init__(self, portal, brokermod):
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_client.py b/piker/clearing/_client.py
index f3b26cbe..0a40b548 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_client.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_client.py
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ async def relay_order_cmds_from_sync_code(
 async def open_ems(
     fqsn: str,
     mode: str = 'live',
+    loglevel: str = 'error',
 
 ) -> tuple[
     OrderBook,
@@ -244,6 +245,7 @@ async def open_ems(
                 _emsd_main,
                 fqsn=fqsn,
                 exec_mode=mode,
+                loglevel=loglevel,
 
             ) as (
                 ctx,
diff --git a/piker/data/feed.py b/piker/data/feed.py
index 7f628c49..906f4bb4 100644
--- a/piker/data/feed.py
+++ b/piker/data/feed.py
@@ -1498,10 +1498,10 @@ async def open_feed(
 
     fqsns: list[str],
 
-    loglevel: Optional[str] = None,
+    loglevel: str | None = None,
     backpressure: bool = True,
     start_stream: bool = True,
-    tick_throttle: Optional[float] = None,  # Hz
+    tick_throttle: float | None = None,  # Hz
 
 ) -> Feed:
     '''
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 2cfaad7a..75c8a92d 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager as acm
+from functools import partial
 import os
 
 import pytest
@@ -19,6 +20,11 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
                      help="Use a practice API account")
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def loglevel(request) -> str:
+    return request.config.option.loglevel
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session')
 def test_config():
     dirname = os.path.dirname
@@ -32,7 +38,10 @@ def test_config():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session', autouse=True)
-def confdir(request, test_config):
+def confdir(
+    request,
+    test_config: str,
+):
     '''
     If the `--confdir` flag is not passed use the
     broker config file found in that dir.
@@ -45,51 +54,6 @@ def confdir(request, test_config):
     return confdir
 
 
-# @pytest.fixture(scope='session', autouse=True)
-# def travis(confdir):
-#     is_travis = os.environ.get('TRAVIS', False)
-#     if is_travis:
-#         # this directory is cached, see .travis.yaml
-#         conf_file = config.get_broker_conf_path()
-#         refresh_token = os.environ['QT_REFRESH_TOKEN']
-
-#         def write_with_token(token):
-#             # XXX don't pass the dir path here since may be
-#             # written behind the scenes in the `confdir fixture`
-#             if not os.path.isfile(conf_file):
-#                 open(conf_file, 'w').close()
-#             conf, path = config.load()
-#             conf.setdefault('questrade', {}).update(
-#                 {'refresh_token': token,
-#                  'is_practice': 'True'}
-#             )
-#             config.write(conf, path)
-
-#         async def ensure_config():
-#             # try to refresh current token using cached brokers config
-#             # if it fails fail try using the refresh token provided by the
-#             # env var and if that fails stop the test run here.
-#             try:
-#                 async with questrade.get_client(ask_user=False):
-#                     pass
-#             except (
-#                 FileNotFoundError, ValueError,
-#                 questrade.BrokerError, questrade.QuestradeError,
-#                 trio.MultiError,
-#             ):
-#                 # 3 cases:
-#                 # - config doesn't have a ``refresh_token`` k/v
-#                 # - cache dir does not exist yet
-#                 # - current token is expired; take it form env var
-#                 write_with_token(refresh_token)
-
-#                 async with questrade.get_client(ask_user=False):
-#                     pass
-
-#         # XXX ``pytest_trio`` doesn't support scope or autouse
-#         trio.run(ensure_config)
-
-
 _ci_env: bool = os.environ.get('CI', False)
 
 
@@ -102,24 +66,10 @@ def ci_env() -> bool:
     return _ci_env
 
 
-@pytest.fixture
-def us_symbols():
-    return ['TSLA', 'AAPL', 'CGC', 'CRON']
-
-
-@pytest.fixture
-def tmx_symbols():
-    return ['APHA.TO', 'WEED.TO', 'ACB.TO']
-
-
-@pytest.fixture
-def cse_symbols():
-    return ['TRUL.CN', 'CWEB.CN', 'SNN.CN']
-
-
 @acm
 async def _open_test_pikerd(
     reg_addr: tuple[str, int] | None = None,
+    loglevel: str = 'warning',
     **kwargs,
 
 ) -> tuple[
@@ -140,10 +90,10 @@ async def _open_test_pikerd(
         port = random.randint(6e3, 7e3)
         reg_addr = ('127.0.0.1', port)
 
-    # try:
     async with (
         maybe_open_pikerd(
             registry_addr=reg_addr,
+            loglevel=loglevel,
             **kwargs,
         ) as service_manager,
     ):
@@ -165,9 +115,18 @@ async def _open_test_pikerd(
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def open_test_pikerd():
+def open_test_pikerd(
+    request,
+    loglevel: str,
+):
 
-    yield _open_test_pikerd
+    yield partial(
+        _open_test_pikerd,
+
+        # bind in level from fixture, which is itself set by
+        # `--ll <value>` cli flag.
+        loglevel=loglevel,
+    )
 
     # TODO: teardown checks such as,
     # - no leaked subprocs or shm buffers
diff --git a/tests/test_feeds.py b/tests/test_feeds.py
index 2b85301f..a79ca861 100644
--- a/tests/test_feeds.py
+++ b/tests/test_feeds.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ from piker.data._source import (
 def test_multi_fqsn_feed(
     open_test_pikerd: AsyncContextManager,
     fqsns: set[str],
+    loglevel: str,
     ci_env: bool
 ):
     '''
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ def test_multi_fqsn_feed(
             open_test_pikerd(),
             open_feed(
                 fqsns,
-                loglevel='info',
+                loglevel=loglevel,
 
                 # TODO: ensure throttle rate is applied
                 # limit to at least display's FPS
diff --git a/tests/test_questrade.py b/tests/test_questrade.py
index 733b2ba7..4614b4f9 100644
--- a/tests/test_questrade.py
+++ b/tests/test_questrade.py
@@ -111,6 +111,21 @@ def match_packet(symbols, quotes, feed_type='stock'):
     assert not quotes
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def us_symbols():
+    return ['TSLA', 'AAPL', 'CGC', 'CRON']
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def tmx_symbols():
+    return ['APHA.TO', 'WEED.TO', 'ACB.TO']
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def cse_symbols():
+    return ['TRUL.CN', 'CWEB.CN', 'SNN.CN']
+
+
 # @tractor_test
 async def test_concurrent_tokens_refresh(us_symbols, loglevel):
     """Verify that concurrent requests from mulitple tasks work alongside
@@ -258,8 +273,8 @@ async def stream_option_chain(feed, symbols):
 
     # latency arithmetic
     loops = 8
-    period = 1/3.   # 3 rps
-    timeout = float('inf') #loops / period
+    # period = 1/3.   # 3 rps
+    timeout = float('inf')  # loops / period
 
     try:
         # it'd sure be nice to have an asyncitertools here...
@@ -307,8 +322,8 @@ async def stream_stocks(feed, symbols):
         symbols, 'stock', rate=3, diff_cached=False)
     # latency arithmetic
     loops = 8
-    period = 1/3.   # 3 rps
-    timeout = loops / period
+    # period = 1/3.   # 3 rps
+    # timeout = loops / period
 
     try:
         # it'd sure be nice to have an asyncitertools here...
diff --git a/tests/test_services.py b/tests/test_services.py
index 936a426e..bdce6aa2 100644
--- a/tests/test_services.py
+++ b/tests/test_services.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import tractor
 
 from piker._daemon import (
     find_service,
-    check_for_service,
     Services,
 )
 from piker.data import (
@@ -75,7 +74,8 @@ async def ensure_service(
 
 
 def test_ensure_datafeed_actors(
-    open_test_pikerd: AsyncContextManager
+    open_test_pikerd: AsyncContextManager,
+    loglevel: str,
 
 ) -> None:
     '''
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def test_ensure_datafeed_actors(
             open_test_pikerd(),
             open_feed(
                 ['xbtusdt.kraken'],
-                loglevel='info',
+                loglevel=loglevel,
             ) as feed
         ):
             # halt rt quote streams since we aren't testing them
@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ def test_ensure_datafeed_actors(
 
 
 def test_ensure_ems_in_paper_actors(
-    open_test_pikerd: AsyncContextManager
+    open_test_pikerd: AsyncContextManager,
+    loglevel: str,
 
 ) -> None:
 
@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ def test_ensure_ems_in_paper_actors(
                 open_ems(
                     'xbtusdt.kraken',
                     mode='paper',
+                    loglevel=loglevel,
                 ) as (
                     book,
                     trades_stream,