diff --git a/piker/_cacheables.py b/piker/_cacheables.py
index f9d42f0a..995efbd3 100644
--- a/piker/_cacheables.py
+++ b/piker/_cacheables.py
@@ -146,9 +146,8 @@ async def maybe_open_ctx(
 
     key: Hashable,
     mngr: AsyncContextManager[T],
-    loglevel: str,
 
-) -> T:
+) -> (bool, T):
     '''Maybe open a context manager if there is not already a cached
     version for the provided ``key``. Return the cached instance on
     a cache hit.
@@ -161,7 +160,7 @@ async def maybe_open_ctx(
         log.info(f'Reusing cached feed for {key}')
         try:
             cache.users += 1
-            yield feed
+            yield True, feed
         finally:
             cache.users -= 1
             if cache.users == 0:
@@ -170,7 +169,7 @@ async def maybe_open_ctx(
 
     try:
         with get_and_use() as feed:
-            yield feed
+            yield True, feed
     except KeyError:
         # lock feed acquisition around task racing  / ``trio``'s
         # scheduler protocol
@@ -193,7 +192,7 @@ async def maybe_open_ctx(
                 cache.ctxs[key] = value
                 cache.lock.release()
                 try:
-                    yield value
+                    yield True, value
                 finally:
                     # don't tear down the feed until there are zero
                     # users of it left.
diff --git a/piker/data/feed.py b/piker/data/feed.py
index ed24a095..c56c0720 100644
--- a/piker/data/feed.py
+++ b/piker/data/feed.py
@@ -31,11 +31,14 @@ from typing import (
 )
 
 import trio
+from trio.abc import ReceiveChannel
 from trio_typing import TaskStatus
 import tractor
+from tractor import _broadcast
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
 from ..brokers import get_brokermod
+from .._cacheables import maybe_open_ctx
 from ..log import get_logger, get_console_log
 from .._daemon import (
     maybe_spawn_brokerd,
@@ -345,10 +348,10 @@ class Feed:
     memory buffer orchestration.
     """
     name: str
-    stream: AsyncIterator[dict[str, Any]]
     shm: ShmArray
     mod: ModuleType
     first_quote: dict
+    stream: trio.abc.ReceiveChannel[dict[str, Any]]
 
     _brokerd_portal: tractor._portal.Portal
     _index_stream: Optional[AsyncIterator[int]] = None
@@ -362,7 +365,7 @@ class Feed:
     symbols: dict[str, Symbol] = field(default_factory=dict)
 
     async def receive(self) -> dict:
-        return await self.stream.__anext__()
+        return await self.stream.receive()
 
     @asynccontextmanager
     async def index_stream(
@@ -376,8 +379,10 @@ class Feed:
             # a lone broker-daemon per provider should be
             # created for all practical purposes
             async with self._brokerd_portal.open_stream_from(
+
                 iter_ohlc_periods,
                 delay_s=delay_s or self._max_sample_rate,
+
             ) as self._index_stream:
 
                 yield self._index_stream
@@ -395,7 +400,7 @@ def sym_to_shm_key(
 @asynccontextmanager
 async def install_brokerd_search(
 
-    portal: tractor._portal.Portal,
+    portal: tractor.Portal,
     brokermod: ModuleType,
 
 ) -> None:
@@ -434,34 +439,21 @@ async def open_feed(
     loglevel: Optional[str] = None,
 
     tick_throttle: Optional[float] = None,  # Hz
+    shielded_stream: bool = False,
 
-) -> AsyncIterator[dict[str, Any]]:
+) -> ReceiveChannel[dict[str, Any]]:
     '''
     Open a "data feed" which provides streamed real-time quotes.
 
     '''
     sym = symbols[0].lower()
 
-    # TODO: feed cache locking, right now this is causing
-    # issues when reconnecting to a long running emsd?
-    # global _searcher_cache
-
-    # async with _cache_lock:
-    #     feed = _searcher_cache.get((brokername, sym))
-
-    #     # if feed is not None and sym in feed.symbols:
-    #     if feed is not None:
-    #         yield feed
-    #         # short circuit
-    #         return
-
     try:
         mod = get_brokermod(brokername)
     except ImportError:
         mod = get_ingestormod(brokername)
 
     # no feed for broker exists so maybe spawn a data brokerd
-
     async with (
 
         maybe_spawn_brokerd(
@@ -480,21 +472,25 @@ async def open_feed(
 
         ) as (ctx, (init_msg, first_quote)),
 
-        ctx.open_stream() as stream,
-    ):
+        ctx.open_stream(shield=shielded_stream) as stream,
 
+    ):
         # we can only read from shm
         shm = attach_shm_array(
             token=init_msg[sym]['shm_token'],
             readonly=True,
         )
 
+        bstream = _broadcast.broadcast_receiver(
+            stream,
+            2**10,
+        )
         feed = Feed(
             name=brokername,
-            stream=stream,
             shm=shm,
             mod=mod,
             first_quote=first_quote,
+            stream=bstream, #brx_stream,
             _brokerd_portal=portal,
         )
         ohlc_sample_rates = []
@@ -526,7 +522,43 @@ async def open_feed(
         feed._max_sample_rate = max(ohlc_sample_rates)
 
         try:
-            yield feed
+            yield feed, bstream
         finally:
             # drop the infinite stream connection
             await ctx.cancel()
+
+
+@asynccontextmanager
+async def maybe_open_feed(
+
+    brokername: str,
+    symbols: Sequence[str],
+    loglevel: Optional[str] = None,
+
+    tick_throttle: Optional[float] = None,  # Hz
+    shielded_stream: bool = False,
+
+) -> ReceiveChannel[dict[str, Any]]:
+    '''Maybe open a data to a ``brokerd`` daemon only if there is no
+    local one for the broker-symbol pair, if one is cached use it wrapped
+    in a tractor broadcast receiver.
+
+    '''
+    sym = symbols[0].lower()
+
+    async with maybe_open_ctx(
+        key=(brokername, sym),
+        mngr=open_feed(
+            brokername,
+            [sym],
+            loglevel=loglevel,
+        ),
+    ) as (cache_hit, (feed, stream)):
+
+        if cache_hit:
+            # add a new broadcast subscription for the quote stream
+            # if this feed is likely already in use
+            async with stream.subscribe() as bstream:
+                yield feed, bstream
+        else:
+            yield feed, stream