diff --git a/piker/data/feed.py b/piker/data/feed.py
index 55f8b9b9..75a37545 100644
--- a/piker/data/feed.py
+++ b/piker/data/feed.py
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ async def open_feed_bus(
     symbol: str,
     loglevel: str,
     tick_throttle:  Optional[float] = None,
+    start_stream: bool = True,
 
 ) -> None:
 
@@ -305,6 +306,9 @@ async def open_feed_bus(
     # deliver initial info message a first quote asap
     await ctx.started((init_msg, first_quotes))
 
+    if not start_stream:
+        await trio.sleep_forever()
+
     async with (
         ctx.open_stream() as stream,
         trio.open_nursery() as n,
@@ -490,6 +494,8 @@ async def open_feed(
     symbols: Sequence[str],
     loglevel: Optional[str] = None,
 
+    backpressure: bool = True,
+    start_stream: bool = True,
     tick_throttle: Optional[float] = None,  # Hz
 
 ) -> Feed:
@@ -518,7 +524,7 @@ async def open_feed(
             brokername=brokername,
             symbol=sym,
             loglevel=loglevel,
-
+            start_stream=start_stream,
             tick_throttle=tick_throttle,
 
         ) as (ctx, (init_msg, first_quotes)),
@@ -527,7 +533,7 @@ async def open_feed(
             # XXX: be explicit about stream backpressure since we should
             # **never** overrun on feeds being too fast, which will
             # pretty much always happen with HFT XD
-            backpressure=True
+            backpressure=backpressure,
         ) as stream,
 
     ):
@@ -607,6 +613,9 @@ async def maybe_open_feed(
             'symbols': [sym],
             'loglevel': loglevel,
             'tick_throttle': kwargs.get('tick_throttle'),
+            'backpressure': kwargs.get('backpressure'),
+            'backpressure': kwargs.get('backpressure'),
+            'start_stream': kwargs.get('start_stream'),
         },
         key=sym,
     ) as (cache_hit, feed):