diff --git a/piker/brokers/api.py b/piker/_cacheables.py
similarity index 95%
rename from piker/brokers/api.py
rename to piker/_cacheables.py
index c1e11a01..c1113431 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/api.py
+++ b/piker/_cacheables.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 """
-Actor-aware broker agnostic interface.
+Cacheing apis and toolz.
 
 """
 from typing import Dict
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ from contextlib import asynccontextmanager, AsyncExitStack
 
 import trio
 
-from . import get_brokermod
-from ..log import get_logger
+from .brokers import get_brokermod
+from .log import get_logger
 
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
diff --git a/piker/brokers/binance.py b/piker/brokers/binance.py
index e8309cdb..59fb3ea4 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/binance.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/binance.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from pydantic.dataclasses import dataclass
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 import wsproto
 
-from .api import open_cached_client
+from .._cacheables import open_cached_client
 from ._util import resproc, SymbolNotFound
 from ..log import get_logger, get_console_log
 from ..data import ShmArray
diff --git a/piker/brokers/core.py b/piker/brokers/core.py
index 59621b63..b16f46fe 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/core.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/core.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import trio
 from ..log import get_logger
 from . import get_brokermod
 from .._daemon import maybe_spawn_brokerd
-from .api import open_cached_client
+from .._cacheables import open_cached_client
 
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib.py b/piker/brokers/ib.py
index f604fc93..45b93416 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib.py
@@ -1358,6 +1358,9 @@ async def trades_dialogue(
         # start order request handler **before** local trades event loop
         n.start_soon(handle_order_requests, ems_stream)
 
+        # TODO: for some reason we can receive a ``None`` here when the
+        # ib-gw goes down? Not sure exactly how that's happening looking
+        # at the eventkit code above but we should probably handle it...
         async for event_name, item in ib_trade_events_stream:
 
             # XXX: begin normalization of nonsense ib_insync internal
@@ -1469,9 +1472,8 @@ async def trades_dialogue(
 @tractor.context
 async def open_symbol_search(
     ctx: tractor.Context,
-) -> None:
-    # async with open_cached_client('ib') as client:
 
+) -> None:
     # load all symbols locally for fast search
     await ctx.started({})
 
diff --git a/piker/brokers/kraken.py b/piker/brokers/kraken.py
index 6d41ab10..cfce2d5a 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/kraken.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/kraken.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ from pydantic.dataclasses import dataclass
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 import wsproto
 
-from .api import open_cached_client
+from .._cacheables import open_cached_client
 from ._util import resproc, SymbolNotFound, BrokerError
 from ..log import get_logger, get_console_log
 from ..data import ShmArray
diff --git a/piker/brokers/questrade.py b/piker/brokers/questrade.py
index 3f09587c..7109f15e 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/questrade.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/questrade.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import wrapt
 import asks
 
 from ..calc import humanize, percent_change
+from .._cacheables import open_cached_client
 from . import config
 from ._util import resproc, BrokerError, SymbolNotFound
 from ..log import get_logger, colorize_json, get_console_log
@@ -1197,7 +1198,7 @@ async def stream_quotes(
     # XXX: required to propagate ``tractor`` loglevel to piker logging
     get_console_log(loglevel)
 
-    async with api.open_cached_client('questrade') as client:
+    async with open_cached_client('questrade') as client:
         if feed_type == 'stock':
             formatter = format_stock_quote
             get_quotes = await stock_quoter(client, symbols)