diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib.py b/piker/brokers/ib.py
index e94fd561..cecc8be0 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib.py
@@ -282,7 +282,6 @@ class Client:
         pattern: str,
         # how many contracts to search "up to"
         upto: int = 3,
-        asdicts: bool = True,
     ) -> Dict[str, ContractDetails]:
         """Search for stocks matching provided ``str`` pattern.
 
@@ -304,11 +303,17 @@ class Client:
             # XXX: if there is more then one entry in the details list
             details = {}
             for details_set in results:
+
                 # then the contract is so called "ambiguous".
                 for d in details_set:
                     con = d.contract
                     unique_sym = f'{con.symbol}.{con.primaryExchange}'
-                    details[unique_sym] = asdict(d) if asdicts else d
+
+                    as_dict = asdict(d)
+                    # nested dataclass we probably don't need and that won't IPC serialize
+                    as_dict.pop('secIdList')
+
+                    details[unique_sym] = as_dict
 
                     if len(details) == upto:
                         return details
@@ -1086,6 +1091,9 @@ async def stream_quotes(
     syminfo = asdict(details)
     syminfo.update(syminfo['contract'])
 
+    # nested dataclass we probably don't need and that won't IPC serialize
+    syminfo.pop('secIdList')
+
     # TODO: more consistent field translation
     atype = syminfo['asset_type'] = asset_type_map[syminfo['secType']]
 
diff --git a/piker/data/_sharedmem.py b/piker/data/_sharedmem.py
index b4e6de86..aa2a5320 100644
--- a/piker/data/_sharedmem.py
+++ b/piker/data/_sharedmem.py
@@ -97,8 +97,7 @@ class _Token:
 
     def __post_init__(self):
         # np.array requires a list for dtype
-        self.dtype_descr = np.dtype(
-            list(self.dtype_descr)).descr
+        self.dtype_descr = np.dtype(list(map(tuple, self.dtype_descr))).descr
 
     def as_msg(self):
         return asdict(self)
diff --git a/piker/data/feed.py b/piker/data/feed.py
index 0f856627..4a41500d 100644
--- a/piker/data/feed.py
+++ b/piker/data/feed.py
@@ -514,7 +514,10 @@ async def open_feed(
 
                 # cast shm dtype to list... can't member why we need this
                 shm_token = data['shm_token']
-                shm_token['dtype_descr'] = list(shm_token['dtype_descr'])
+
+                # XXX: msgspec won't relay through the tuples XD
+                shm_token['dtype_descr'] = list(map(tuple, shm_token['dtype_descr']))
+
                 assert shm_token == shm.token  # sanity
 
             feed._max_sample_rate = max(ohlc_sample_rates)