diff --git a/piker/_daemon.py b/piker/_daemon.py
index 053d4864..ff7a129d 100644
--- a/piker/_daemon.py
+++ b/piker/_daemon.py
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ async def maybe_spawn_daemon(
     **kwargs,
 
 ) -> tractor.Portal:
-    """
+    '''
     If no ``service_name`` daemon-actor can be found,
     spawn one in a local subactor and return a portal to it.
 
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ async def maybe_spawn_daemon(
     This can be seen as a service starting api for remote-actor
     clients.
 
-    """
+    '''
     if loglevel:
         get_console_log(loglevel)
 
@@ -431,7 +431,9 @@ async def maybe_spawn_brokerd(
     **kwargs,
 
 ) -> tractor.Portal:
-    '''Helper to spawn a brokerd service.
+    '''
+    Helper to spawn a brokerd service *from* a client
+    who wishes to use the sub-actor-daemon.
 
     '''
     async with maybe_spawn_daemon(
diff --git a/piker/cli/__init__.py b/piker/cli/__init__.py
index 581c6d37..634c6175 100644
--- a/piker/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/cli/__init__.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def pikerd(loglevel, host, tl, pdb, tsdb):
             open_pikerd(
                 loglevel=loglevel,
                 debug_mode=pdb,
-            ) as services,
+            ),  # normally delivers a ``Services`` handle
             trio.open_nursery() as n,
         ):
             if tsdb:
diff --git a/piker/data/cli.py b/piker/data/cli.py
index 21416a80..3839fe65 100644
--- a/piker/data/cli.py
+++ b/piker/data/cli.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 """
 marketstore cli.
+
 """
 from typing import List
 from functools import partial