diff --git a/piker/tractor.py b/piker/tractor.py
index 1a048633..7ead6045 100644
--- a/piker/tractor.py
+++ b/piker/tractor.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ from async_generator import asynccontextmanager
 from .ipc import Channel
 from .log import get_console_log, get_logger
 
-
 ctx = mp.get_context("forkserver")
 log = get_logger('tractor')
 
@@ -279,12 +278,14 @@ class Actor:
                 )
         log.debug(f"Exiting msg loop for {chan}")
 
-    def _fork_main(self, accept_addr, parent_addr=None):
+    def _fork_main(self, accept_addr, parent_addr=None, loglevel=None):
         # after fork routine which invokes a fresh ``trio.run``
         log.info(
             f"Started new {ctx.current_process()} for actor {self.uid}")
         global _current_actor
         _current_actor = self
+        if loglevel:
+            get_console_log(loglevel)
         log.debug(f"parent_addr is {parent_addr}")
         trio.run(
             partial(self._async_main, accept_addr, parent_addr=parent_addr))
@@ -421,7 +422,7 @@ class Actor:
         return Portal(self._parent_chan)
 
     def get_chan(self, actorid):
-        return self._peers[actorid]
+        return self._peers.get(actorid)
 
 
 class Arbiter(Actor):
@@ -494,7 +495,7 @@ class Portal:
 
             async def yield_from_q():
                 yield first_msg['yield']
-                for msg in q:
+                async for msg in q:
                     try:
                         yield msg['yield']
                     except KeyError:
@@ -539,12 +540,14 @@ class ActorNursery:
         return self
 
     async def start_actor(
-        self, name,
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        main=None,
         bind_addr=('127.0.0.1', 0),
         statespace=None,
         rpc_module_paths=None,
-        main=None,
         outlive_main=False,  # sub-actors die when their main task completes
+        loglevel=None,  # set console logging per subactor
     ):
         actor = Actor(
             name,
@@ -557,7 +560,7 @@ class ActorNursery:
         parent_addr = self._actor.accept_addr
         proc = ctx.Process(
             target=actor._fork_main,
-            args=(bind_addr, parent_addr),
+            args=(bind_addr, parent_addr, loglevel),
             daemon=True,
             name=name,
         )
@@ -606,12 +609,16 @@ class ActorNursery:
                 else:
                     # send cancel cmd - likely no response from subactor
                     actor = self._actor
-                    cid, q = await actor.send_cmd(
-                        actor.get_chan(subactor.uid),  # channel lookup
-                        'self',
-                        'cancel',
-                        {},
-                    )
+                    chan = actor.get_chan(subactor.uid)
+                    if chan:
+                        cid, q = await actor.send_cmd(
+                            chan,  # channel lookup
+                            'self',
+                            'cancel',
+                            {},
+                        )
+                    else:
+                        log.warn(f"Channel for {subactor.uid} is already down?")
         log.debug(f"Waiting on all subactors to complete")
         await self.wait()
         log.debug(f"All subactors for {self} have terminated")
@@ -680,7 +687,7 @@ class NoArbiterFound:
 
 
 @asynccontextmanager
-async def get_arbiter(host='127.0.0.1', port=1616, main=None):
+async def get_arbiter(host='127.0.0.1', port=1616, main=None, **kwargs):
     actor = current_actor()
     if actor and not actor.is_arbiter:
         try:
@@ -690,31 +697,36 @@ async def get_arbiter(host='127.0.0.1', port=1616, main=None):
         except OSError as err:
             raise NoArbiterFound(err)
     else:
-        # no arbiter found on this host so start one in-process
-        arbiter = Arbiter(
-            'arbiter',
-            rpc_module_paths=[],  # the arbiter doesn't allow module rpc
-            statespace={},  # global proc state vars
-            main=main,  # main coroutine to be invoked
-        )
-        # assign process-local actor
-        global _current_actor
-        _current_actor = arbiter
+        if actor and actor.is_arbiter:
+            # we're already the arbiter (re-entrant call from the arbiter actor)
+            yield LocalPortal(actor)
+        else:
+            arbiter = Arbiter(
+                'arbiter',
+                # rpc_module_paths=[],  # the arbiter doesn't allow module rpc
+                # statespace={},  # global proc state vars
+                main=main,  # main coroutine to be invoked
+                **kwargs,
+            )
+            # assign process-local actor
+            global _current_actor
+            _current_actor = arbiter
 
-        # start the arbiter in process in a new task
-        async with trio.open_nursery() as nursery:
+            # start the arbiter in process in a new task
+            async with trio.open_nursery() as nursery:
 
-            # start local channel-server and fake the portal API
-            # NOTE: this won't block since we provide the nursery
-            await serve_local_actor(
-                arbiter, nursery=nursery, accept_addr=(host, port))
+                # start local channel-server and fake the portal API
+                # NOTE: this won't block since we provide the nursery
+                await serve_local_actor(
+                    arbiter, nursery=nursery, accept_addr=(host, port))
 
-            yield LocalPortal(arbiter)
+                yield LocalPortal(arbiter)
 
-            # XXX: If spawned locally, the arbiter is cancelled when this
-            # context is complete given that there are no more active
-            # peer channels connected to it.
-            arbiter.cancel_server()
+                # XXX: If spawned locally, the arbiter is cancelled when this
+                # context is complete given that there are no more active
+                # peer channels connected to it.
+                if not arbiter._outlive_main:
+                    arbiter.cancel_server()
 
 
 @asynccontextmanager
@@ -735,7 +747,7 @@ async def find_actor(name):
 
 
 async def _main(async_fn, args, kwargs, name):
-    main = partial(async_fn, *args)
+    main = partial(async_fn, *args) if async_fn else None
     # Creates an internal nursery which shouldn't be cancelled even if
     # the one opened below is (this is desirable because the arbitter should
     # stay up until a re-election process has taken place - which is not
@@ -744,6 +756,7 @@ async def _main(async_fn, args, kwargs, name):
         host=kwargs.pop('arbiter_host', '127.0.0.1'),
         port=kwargs.pop('arbiter_port', 1616),
         main=main,
+        **kwargs,
     ) as portal:
         if not current_actor().is_arbiter:
             # create a local actor and start it up its main routine