diff --git a/piker/clearing/_client.py b/piker/clearing/_client.py
index 84983808..74a56917 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_client.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_client.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 Orders and execution client API.
 
 """
-from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager as acm
 from typing import Dict
 from pprint import pformat
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import trio
 import tractor
 from tractor.trionics import broadcast_receiver
 
-from ..data._source import Symbol
 from ..log import get_logger
 from ._ems import _emsd_main
 from .._daemon import maybe_open_emsd
@@ -156,16 +155,19 @@ async def relay_order_cmds_from_sync_code(
                 await to_ems_stream.send(cmd)
 
 
-@asynccontextmanager
+@acm
 async def open_ems(
-    broker: str,
-    symbol: Symbol,
+    fqsn: str,
 
-) -> (OrderBook, tractor.MsgStream, dict):
-    """Spawn an EMS daemon and begin sending orders and receiving
+) -> (
+    OrderBook,
+    tractor.MsgStream,
+    dict,
+):
+    '''
+    Spawn an EMS daemon and begin sending orders and receiving
     alerts.
 
-
     This EMS tries to reduce most broker's terrible order entry apis to
     a very simple protocol built on a few easy to grok and/or
     "rantsy" premises:
@@ -194,21 +196,22 @@ async def open_ems(
     - 'dark_executed', 'broker_executed'
     - 'broker_filled'
 
-    """
+    '''
     # wait for service to connect back to us signalling
     # ready for order commands
     book = get_orders()
 
+    from ..data._source import uncons_fqsn
+    broker, symbol, suffix = uncons_fqsn(fqsn)
+
     async with maybe_open_emsd(broker) as portal:
 
         async with (
-
             # connect to emsd
             portal.open_context(
 
                 _emsd_main,
-                broker=broker,
-                symbol=symbol.key,
+                fqsn=fqsn,
 
             ) as (ctx, (positions, accounts)),
 
@@ -218,7 +221,7 @@ async def open_ems(
             async with trio.open_nursery() as n:
                 n.start_soon(
                     relay_order_cmds_from_sync_code,
-                    symbol.key,
+                    fqsn,
                     trades_stream
                 )
 
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_ems.py b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
index 630405ea..1ebab7ce 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_ems.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ In da suit parlances: "Execution management systems"
 """
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
-from math import isnan
+# from math import isnan
 from pprint import pformat
 import time
 from typing import AsyncIterator, Callable
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ class _DarkBook:
 
     # tracks most recent values per symbol each from data feed
     lasts: dict[
-        tuple[str, str],
-        float
+        str,
+        float,
     ] = field(default_factory=dict)
 
     # mapping of piker ems order ids to current brokerd order flow message
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
     ems_client_order_stream: tractor.MsgStream,
     quote_stream: tractor.ReceiveMsgStream,  # noqa
     broker: str,
-    symbol: str,
+    fqsn: str,
 
     book: _DarkBook,
 
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
         # start = time.time()
         for sym, quote in quotes.items():
             execs = book.orders.get(sym, {})
-
             for tick in iterticks(
                 quote,
                 # dark order price filter(s)
@@ -171,7 +170,7 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
                 ttype = tick['type']
 
                 # update to keep new cmds informed
-                book.lasts[(broker, symbol)] = price
+                book.lasts[sym] = price
 
                 for oid, (
                     pred,
@@ -196,6 +195,7 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
 
                     action: str = cmd['action']
                     symbol: str = cmd['symbol']
+                    bfqsn: str = symbol.replace(f'.{broker}', '')
 
                     if action == 'alert':
                         # nothing to do but relay a status
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
                             # order-request and instead create a new one.
                             reqid=None,
 
-                            symbol=sym,
+                            symbol=bfqsn,
                             price=submit_price,
                             size=cmd['size'],
                         )
@@ -247,12 +247,9 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
                         oid=oid,  # ems order id
                         resp=resp,
                         time_ns=time.time_ns(),
-
-                        symbol=symbol,
+                        symbol=fqsn,
                         trigger_price=price,
-
                         broker_details={'name': broker},
-
                         cmd=cmd,  # original request message
 
                     ).dict()
@@ -270,7 +267,7 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
                 else:  # condition scan loop complete
                     log.debug(f'execs are {execs}')
                     if execs:
-                        book.orders[symbol] = execs
+                        book.orders[fqsn] = execs
 
         # print(f'execs scan took: {time.time() - start}')
 
@@ -382,7 +379,8 @@ async def open_brokerd_trades_dialogue(
     task_status: TaskStatus[TradesRelay] = trio.TASK_STATUS_IGNORED,
 
 ) -> tuple[dict, tractor.MsgStream]:
-    '''Open and yield ``brokerd`` trades dialogue context-stream if none
+    '''
+    Open and yield ``brokerd`` trades dialogue context-stream if none
     already exists.
 
     '''
@@ -458,12 +456,13 @@ async def open_brokerd_trades_dialogue(
                 # locally cache and track positions per account.
                 pps = {}
                 for msg in positions:
+                    log.info(f'loading pp: {msg}')
 
                     account = msg['account']
                     assert account in accounts
 
                     pps.setdefault(
-                        msg['symbol'],
+                        f'{msg["symbol"]}.{broker}',
                         {}
                     )[account] = msg
 
@@ -563,7 +562,13 @@ async def translate_and_relay_brokerd_events(
 
             # XXX: this will be useful for automatic strats yah?
             # keep pps per account up to date locally in ``emsd`` mem
-            relay.positions.setdefault(pos_msg['symbol'], {}).setdefault(
+            sym, broker = pos_msg['symbol'], pos_msg['broker']
+
+            relay.positions.setdefault(
+                # NOTE: translate to a FQSN!
+                f'{sym}.{broker}',
+                {}
+            ).setdefault(
                 pos_msg['account'], {}
             ).update(pos_msg)
 
@@ -840,11 +845,15 @@ async def process_client_order_cmds(
 
             msg = Order(**cmd)
 
-            sym = msg.symbol
+            fqsn = msg.symbol
             trigger_price = msg.price
             size = msg.size
             exec_mode = msg.exec_mode
             broker = msg.brokers[0]
+            # remove the broker part before creating a message
+            # to send to the specific broker since they probably
+            # aren't expectig their own name, but should they?
+            sym = fqsn.replace(f'.{broker}', '')
 
             if exec_mode == 'live' and action in ('buy', 'sell',):
 
@@ -902,7 +911,7 @@ async def process_client_order_cmds(
                 # price received from the feed, instead of being
                 # like every other shitty tina platform that makes
                 # the user choose the predicate operator.
-                last = dark_book.lasts[(broker, sym)]
+                last = dark_book.lasts[fqsn]
                 pred = mk_check(trigger_price, last, action)
 
                 spread_slap: float = 5
@@ -933,7 +942,7 @@ async def process_client_order_cmds(
                 # dark book entry if the order id already exists
 
                 dark_book.orders.setdefault(
-                    sym, {}
+                    fqsn, {}
                 )[oid] = (
                     pred,
                     tickfilter,
@@ -960,8 +969,8 @@ async def process_client_order_cmds(
 async def _emsd_main(
 
     ctx: tractor.Context,
-    broker: str,
-    symbol: str,
+    fqsn: str,
+
     _exec_mode: str = 'dark',  # ('paper', 'dark', 'live')
     loglevel: str = 'info',
 
@@ -1003,6 +1012,8 @@ async def _emsd_main(
     global _router
     assert _router
 
+    from ..data._source import uncons_fqsn
+    broker, symbol, suffix = uncons_fqsn(fqsn)
     dark_book = _router.get_dark_book(broker)
 
     # TODO: would be nice if in tractor we can require either a ctx arg,
@@ -1015,17 +1026,16 @@ async def _emsd_main(
     # spawn one task per broker feed
     async with (
         maybe_open_feed(
-            broker,
-            [symbol],
+            [fqsn],
             loglevel=loglevel,
-        ) as (feed, stream),
+        ) as (feed, quote_stream),
     ):
 
         # XXX: this should be initial price quote from target provider
-        first_quote = feed.first_quotes[symbol]
+        first_quote = feed.first_quotes[fqsn]
 
         book = _router.get_dark_book(broker)
-        last = book.lasts[(broker, symbol)] = first_quote['last']
+        book.lasts[fqsn] = first_quote['last']
 
         # XXX: ib is a cucker but we've fixed avoiding receiving any
         # `Nan`s in the backend during market hours (right?). this was
@@ -1054,8 +1064,8 @@ async def _emsd_main(
 
             # flatten out collected pps from brokerd for delivery
             pp_msgs = {
-                sym: list(pps.values())
-                for sym, pps in relay.positions.items()
+                fqsn: list(pps.values())
+                for fqsn, pps in relay.positions.items()
             }
 
             # signal to client that we're started and deliver
@@ -1072,9 +1082,9 @@ async def _emsd_main(
 
                     brokerd_stream,
                     ems_client_order_stream,
-                    stream,
+                    quote_stream,
                     broker,
-                    symbol,
+                    fqsn,  # form: <name>.<venue>.<suffix>.<broker>
                     book
                 )
 
@@ -1090,7 +1100,7 @@ async def _emsd_main(
                         # relay.brokerd_dialogue,
                         brokerd_stream,
 
-                        symbol,
+                        fqsn,
                         feed,
                         dark_book,
                         _router,
diff --git a/piker/ui/order_mode.py b/piker/ui/order_mode.py
index 9f4dbadb..26f44007 100644
--- a/piker/ui/order_mode.py
+++ b/piker/ui/order_mode.py
@@ -268,13 +268,14 @@ class OrderMode:
 
         '''
         staged = self._staged_order
-        symbol = staged.symbol
+        symbol: Symbol = staged.symbol
         oid = str(uuid.uuid4())
 
         # format order data for ems
+        fqsn = symbol.front_fqsn()
         order = staged.copy(
             update={
-                'symbol': symbol.key,
+                'symbol': fqsn,
                 'oid': oid,
             }
         )
@@ -519,8 +520,7 @@ async def open_order_mode(
 
     feed: Feed,
     chart: 'ChartPlotWidget',  # noqa
-    symbol: Symbol,
-    brokername: str,
+    fqsn: str,
     started: trio.Event,
 
 ) -> None:
@@ -546,8 +546,7 @@ async def open_order_mode(
 
     # spawn EMS actor-service
     async with (
-
-        open_ems(brokername, symbol) as (
+        open_ems(fqsn) as (
             book,
             trades_stream,
             position_msgs,
@@ -556,8 +555,7 @@ async def open_order_mode(
         trio.open_nursery() as tn,
 
     ):
-        log.info(f'Opening order mode for {brokername}.{symbol.key}')
-
+        log.info(f'Opening order mode for {fqsn}')
         view = chart.view
 
         # annotations editors
@@ -566,7 +564,7 @@ async def open_order_mode(
 
         # symbol id
         symbol = chart.linked.symbol
-        symkey = symbol.key
+        symkey = symbol.front_fqsn()
 
         # map of per-provider account keys to position tracker instances
         trackers: dict[str, PositionTracker] = {}
@@ -610,7 +608,7 @@ async def open_order_mode(
                 log.info(f'Loading pp for {symkey}:\n{pformat(msg)}')
                 startup_pp.update_from_msg(msg)
 
-            # allocator
+            # allocator config
             alloc = mk_allocator(
                 symbol=symbol,
                 account=account_name,
@@ -818,8 +816,10 @@ async def process_trades_and_update_ui(
             'position',
         ):
             sym = mode.chart.linked.symbol
-            if msg['symbol'].lower() in sym.key:
+            symbol = msg['symbol'].lower()
+            fqsn = sym.front_fqsn()
 
+            if symbol in fqsn:
                 tracker = mode.trackers[msg['account']]
                 tracker.live_pp.update_from_msg(msg)
                 # update order pane widgets