diff --git a/piker/data/__init__.py b/piker/data/__init__.py
index 3ef85c96..5459b4ba 100644
--- a/piker/data/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/data/__init__.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ We provide tsdb integrations for retrieving
 and storing data from your brokers as well as
 sharing your feeds with other fellow pikers.
 """
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from importlib import import_module
 from types import ModuleType
@@ -13,24 +14,28 @@ from typing import (
     Sequence, AsyncIterator, Optional
 )
 
-import trio
 import tractor
 
 from ..brokers import get_brokermod
 from ..log import get_logger, get_console_log
 from ._normalize import iterticks
 from ._sharedmem import (
-    maybe_open_shared_array, attach_shared_array, open_shared_array,
+    maybe_open_shm_array,
+    attach_shm_array,
+    open_shm_array,
+    SharedArray,
+    get_shm_token,
 )
 from ._buffer import incr_buffer
 
 
 __all__ = [
- 'maybe_open_shared_array',
- 'attach_shared_array',
- 'open_shared_array',
- 'iterticks',
- 'incr_buffer',
+    'iterticks',
+    'maybe_open_shm_array',
+    'attach_shm_array',
+    'open_shm_array',
+    'get_shm_token',
+    'incr_buffer',
 ]
 
 
@@ -99,6 +104,46 @@ async def maybe_spawn_brokerd(
                     await nursery.cancel()
 
 
+@dataclass
+class Feed:
+    """A data feed for client-side interaction with far-process
+    real-time data sources.
+
+    This is an thin abstraction on top of ``tractor``'s portals for
+    interacting with IPC streams and conducting automatic
+    memory buffer orchestration.
+    """
+    name: str
+    stream: AsyncIterator[Dict[str, Any]]
+    shm: SharedArray
+    _broker_portal: tractor._portal.Portal
+    _index_stream: Optional[AsyncIterator[Dict[str, Any]]] = None
+
+    async def receive(self) -> dict:
+        return await self.stream.__anext__()
+
+    async def index_stream(self) -> AsyncIterator[int]:
+        if not self._index_stream:
+            # XXX: this should be singleton on a host,
+            # a lone broker-daemon per provider should be
+            # created for all practical purposes
+            self._index_stream = await self._broker_portal.run(
+                'piker.data',
+                'incr_buffer',
+                shm_token=self.shm.token,
+                topics=['index'],
+            )
+
+        return self._index_stream
+
+
+def sym_to_shm_key(
+    broker: str,
+    symbol: str,
+) -> str:
+    return f'{broker}.{symbol}'
+
+
 @asynccontextmanager
 async def open_feed(
     name: str,
@@ -115,40 +160,38 @@ async def open_feed(
     if loglevel is None:
         loglevel = tractor.current_actor().loglevel
 
-    with maybe_open_shared_array(
-        name=f'{name}.{symbols[0]}.buf',
-        readonly=True,  # we expect the sub-actor to write
-    ) as shmarr:
-        async with maybe_spawn_brokerd(
-            mod.name,
-            loglevel=loglevel,
-        ) as portal:
-            stream = await portal.run(
-                mod.__name__,
-                'stream_quotes',
-                symbols=symbols,
-                shared_array_token=shmarr.token,
-                topics=symbols,
-            )
-            # Feed is required to deliver an initial quote asap.
-            # TODO: should we timeout and raise a more explicit error?
-            # with trio.fail_after(5):
-            with trio.fail_after(float('inf')):
-                # Retreive initial quote for each symbol
-                # such that consumer code can know the data layout
-                first_quote, child_shmarr_token = await stream.__anext__()
-                log.info(f"Received first quote {first_quote}")
+    # attempt to allocate (or attach to) shm array for this
+    # broker/symbol
+    shm, opened = maybe_open_shm_array(
+        key=sym_to_shm_key(name, symbols[0]),
 
-            if child_shmarr_token is not None:
-                # we are the buffer writer task
-                increment_stream = await portal.run(
-                    'piker.data',
-                    'incr_buffer',
-                    shm_token=child_shmarr_token,
-                )
+        # we expect the sub-actor to write
+        readonly=True,
+    )
 
-                assert child_shmarr_token == shmarr.token
-            else:
-                increment_stream = None
+    async with maybe_spawn_brokerd(
+        mod.name,
+        loglevel=loglevel,
+    ) as portal:
+        stream = await portal.run(
+            mod.__name__,
+            'stream_quotes',
+            symbols=symbols,
+            shm_token=shm.token,
 
-            yield (first_quote, stream, increment_stream, shmarr)
+            # compat with eventual ``tractor.msg.pub``
+            topics=symbols,
+        )
+        shm_token, is_writer = await stream.receive()
+        shm_token['dtype_descr'] = list(shm_token['dtype_descr'])
+        assert shm_token == shm.token  # sanity
+
+        if is_writer:
+            log.info("Started shared mem bar writer")
+
+        yield Feed(
+            name=name,
+            stream=stream,
+            shm=shm,
+            _broker_portal=portal,
+        )